IDEC Call for Higher Education Legislation and Advocacy Task Force

The IDEC Board calls all IDEC members to participate in a new Task Force; please see the call below.

Purpose

This Task Force intends to build a network to support IDEC members facing legislative interferences that potentially impact Interior Design educators, students, and curriculum. The goal of this task force would be to develop strategies and responses for IDEC members facing higher education legislation that particularly impacts diversity, equity, inclusion, academic freedom, and deemed controversial issues. We will develop short and long-term strategies for higher education within interior design.

Task force Charge

Within the US, we see an increase in proposed legislation that impacts Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and academic freedom within higher education. More than 30 US states have proposed or passed legislation that challenges critical content areas like DEI, climate change, environmental justice, etc. Although this often occurs at the state level, the impact is much broader, extending to academic freedom, tenure, and accreditation issues. Many interior design educators need support or strategies for how to respond to proposals for new legislation, as well as how to respond if restrictive legislation is passed. There is a need for this task force to support IDEC members and future higher education within the discipline of interior design.

Articles supporting the need for the Task Force:

Goals of the Task force

  • Propose ways for IDEC to support members and institutions facing legislative challenges to higher education.
    • Possible suggestions of how to respond publicly to proposed bills, etc.
    • Development of a template for members to use to respond to legislation.
    • Revisions to mission statements or values reiterating the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in interior design.
    • Support its member institutions at the regional level
    • To share advocacy efforts, Foster partnerships with allied organizations such as IIDA, ASID, IDC, CIDA, AAUP, etc.
  • Support IDEC members through a network of educators that have already faced legislative challenges to interior design education Sharing methods in which others have modified (or not) teaching, research, and service in response to changing legislation.
  • Identify strategies for how educators can support students through legislative modifications to design education, how to talk to students/if we should talk to students about legislation, etc.

Expected Commitment Of task force Members

Short Term Goals
  • Meet two times over the next six months to:
    • Refine the overall goals of the task force.
    • Identify immediate needs.
      • Form template letters for IDEC members and possibly IDEC regional leadership responding to higher education
      • Possible suggestions for how the IDEC board might be able to respond at the organizational level.
      • How to support IDEC members in locations with new legislation or pending legislation that impacts interior design programs.
    • Up to two additional meetings may be called if there is an urgent need for support among IDEC members
Long Term Goals
  • Meet twice per year or until no longer needed
    • Identify more extensive higher education systemic support needed for IDEC members that align with the mission and values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and academic freedom.
    • Start discussions and possibly an inter-organizational task force with IIDA, ASID, IDC, CIDA, etc., to address ongoing challenges.

Eligibility

Per IDEC policy, this is an open call to all IDEC members to participate, made to invite both established IDEC members and new members to contribute to the future of Interior Design education.

How to Volunteer

Please email Andrea Sosa Fontaine by August 15, 2023, with the following information to put your name forward:

  1. Your name, institution, and department/program name
  2. Title of your position
  3. A brief sentence or two describing why you wish to participate in this Task Force and why you believe you can be successful.

Thank you for providing your volunteer efforts to IDEC and interior design education, scholarship, and service!

Thank you to IDEC Sponsors and Partners

© 2024 Interior Design Educators Council