NAAB Architecture Program Report (APR) 2013 - Tulane School of ...

Tulane UniversityArchitecture Program ReportSeptember 2013Plan to Maintain or Increase the Diversity of Faculty, Staff, and StudentsTulane School of Architecture (TSA) is committed to sustaining a diverse community as a fundamentalvalue of our academic mission. Efforts to pursue greater diversity in intellectual and human terms takeplace in a range of venues: the school’s curriculum committee, executive committee, meetings of deansand directors, student affairs committee, and the faculty diversity task force.Since the last accreditation visit in 2008, TSA has made great strides in increasing faculty diversity,adding three African American faculty members (1 tenured, 1 tenure-track, 1 visiting assistantprofessor) and five female faculty members (two tenured, two tenure-track, one visiting assistantprofessor). Increased exposure to a diverse range of topics, voices, and individuals through the lectureseries, guest critics, and adjunct faculty are also hallmarks of our commitment.Student DiversityTSA works to achieve and maintain a diverse student body. Recent and ongoing efforts include supportof student organizations such as the Multicultural Affairs Committee. In collaboration with the NewOrleans chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, Tulane faculty members AssociateProfessor Scott Ruff and Visiting Assistant Professor Amber Wiley and several local Tulane alumniparticipated in the establishment of Project Pipeline-LA at Tulane in summer of 2012. Project Pipelinewas co-sponsored by TSA and designed to encourage young students to pursue a career in thearchitectural profession. While this program is relatively new to Tulane, having completed its secondseason at the school this summer of 2013, it is our hope and intention to identify potential minorityapplicants from among participants and alumni of the program.Our summer high school program Career Explorations in Architecture also serves as a venue throughwhich minority applicants are identified and recruited. Each year we internally fund at least four andsometimes more local kids from area high schools with full tuition scholarships.Tulane University and the School of Architecture are participant/members of the Posse Foundation, aleadership based program that has identified minority students from Los Angeles as our partner city toattend Tulane as part of this networking and scholarship program.A Recruiting Strategy to address the priority of a larger minority population in the professional programshas included the following efforts:Faculty, students, and admissions officers have attended graduate and undergraduaterecruitment fairs and made presentations at other universities and high schools to encourageunder-represented populations to apply.Faculty and administrators have worked to develop relationships through personal networkswith prospective minority applicants nationally.Increased efforts to involve more faculty, students, and alumni in recruiting efforts.Recent Recruiting Events over the past two years alone:• Chicago College and Career Days• Dallas College and Career Day• High School recruiting at schools such as DASH in Miami, Florida• BSA College and Career Days, Boston, Massachusetts• Individual visits to ten colleges for recruiting at the graduate level• ACSA College and Career Days when they occur• Outreach to New Orleans high schools7