Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

UIC Design faculty, staff, and students are committed to actions that promote a more inclusive school. We stand with our BIPOC colleagues and students in solidarity, and we join the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts in forming and leading initiatives that advance racial equity.

Our commitment to equity and inclusion has been a declared priority for more than two decades. The heightened impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and the collective outrage triggered by a parallel pandemic of violence against the Black community renewed a sense of urgency to create more racially balanced work environments. Today, as design leaders nationwide and the local employers of our students respond to an historical moment, we find ourselves at the receiving end of increased demands to provide the diverse workforce that they seek. We welcome the intensified responsibility to amplify diversity in our classrooms, and we are proud to witness how the results of our intensified efforts are doing the same for the field.

The UIC School of Design’s commitment to advancing racial equity is supported by a detailed program of activities: from providing opportunities for young people to encounter and learn more about design, through recruitment, matriculation, graduation, and professional development.