The IDEAS initiative at KCAI was spurred on by the Diversity Working Group and effort through the Black Student Union and KCAI Solidarity student groups in Spring 2020. The July 2020 KCAI Black Student Union and Student Solidarity Network Student Demands can be read here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15zVEeZ5P73mAMh_jLNgfEGOKcg9GEOS1/view?usp=sharing
The college formally announced the IDEAS Council on August 15, 2020 and defined the following as the Council's mission:
The IDEAS Council (the Council), alongside the Diversity Working Group of the Faculty Assembly, is the official body dedicated to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Sustainability.
The Council is co-facilitated by Shawntae Jones, Director of Diverse Talent and Inclusion, and tyler galloway, chair of the Graphic Design Department. Members of staff (Staff Advisory Council members), faculty (Diversity Working Group members), and students (Student Solidarity Network, Black Student Union, and selected active students for broad representation, all of whom will be compensated for their work) all serve on the council. Members will work through the Student List of Demands originated by the Student Solidarity Network. We welcome further input and recommendations from as many constituencies as possible, with special attention to introducing more efficient, safe opportunities for students to voice their concerns regarding the KCAI community with respect to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Sustainability.
We will collaboratively assess these and related issues brought to the Council and create a series of action-oriented recommendations with implementation timelines. The Council will work with all appropriate campus groups to realize those recommendations, including but not limited to, the President’s Action Council; Student Solidarity Network, Black Student Union and other student groups; Chairs Council and Departments; Staff Advisory Council and others. The Council will serve in an assessment and advisory role for a maximum of two years, with the understanding that at the end of its term, members would rotate and adjust goals and strategy as needed for future work.
IDEAS Council recommendations will be brought to the President’s Action Council, who will review the priorities and implementation timeline for the strategic initiatives recommended by the IDEAS Council and Diversity Working Group, and identify available resources to support the necessary work.
Information about the Council can be found on the college’s website here: https://kcai.edu/path-forward/?mrid=5f370ed55a36140079ffbcd1
The IDEAS Council takes recommendations, suggestions, observations, and questions on an ongoing basis from all KCAI stakeholders. Those can be submitted at: https://forms.gle/FSgpU5GBn3bvkJzs6
Any other questions or concerns can be directed to: ideas@kcai.edu.