In response to the instances of racial injustice in Spring 2020, members of the College of Architecture & Environmental Design (CAED) Student Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (SDEI) committee at the authors’ institution developed online summer workshops focused on topics of anti-racism titled the Unlearning Series. This series began with the mission of questioning practices and education in the built environment that are integrated in formal instruction. The goal is to utilize an alternative method of education where participants (students, faculty, staff, and administrators) recognize how their discipline shapes and supports systems of oppression, while giving them tools to combat it.
Before each session, videos and readings were provided to participants to establish an understanding of the new topic. The online workshop started with a brief lecture from an SDEI committee member expanding on the pre-workshop materials, then attendees shared their perspectives in discussion groups while SDEI members served as moderators and note-takers. This paper provides a model for other student groups of the planning, structure, content, and outcomes of an Unlearning Series. Responses from participant surveys conducted at the close of the summer and group reflections amongst SDEI committee leaders are also presented. This feedback has been translated into lessons learned presented at the conclusion of this paper.
Dolores Herrera is a graduate student in architectural engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She serves as the co-chair of the Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design; she works closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to voice student concerns regarding curriculum, departmental operations, and student success. After graduation, she seeks to practice structural engineering in the United States.
Claire Leader is an undergraduate architectural engineering student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She serves as an advisory member for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s (CAED) Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (SDEI) Committee and represents the CAED as a board member for the Student Health Advisory Committee. As a Peer Health Educator, Claire advocates for the wellbeing of university community members. She has worked with elementary, middle school, and high school students through STEM-oriented outreach programs with Cal Poly’s chapter of Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Upon graduation, she will join an engineering firm as a structural designer and continue to focus on diverse representation, equitable practices, and social justice in the industry.
Anahid Behrouzi is an assistant professor of architectural engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. She has been involved with STEM education beginning in 2003 as a volunteer and summer instructor with the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. She has been engaged with undergraduate/graduate course delivery in the topic areas of engineering problem-solving, structural engineering, and reinforced concrete design at North Carolina State University (2008-2011), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2012-2015), Tufts University (2015-2016), and Cal Poly - SLO (2016-present). She has a BS in civil engineering and BA in Spanish language & literature from North Carolina State University, and a MS/PhD in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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