Infusing IDEA Culture throughout Astronomy

Written by Joan Schmelz

Image credit: John Sim

Ideally, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) should be part of the way we do business. Everyone should be aware of the issues that hinder the progress of underrepresented groups, and we should all be working to mitigate them. In practice, however, IDEA problems and strategies are often relegated to a committee that is expected to do the hard work and make positive change.

Although we have made progress with this model, imagine the differences that might be achievable if we could infuse IDEA culture throughout our organizations/businesses/universities/communities.

This idea for IDEA Infusion was inspired by questions I often get from my staff at USRA during performance appraisal season regarding the Diversity category. Many do not know what to include because their jobs do not involve hiring. As a result, I created a check list to help them out. IDEA culture began to infuse throughout USRA as staff members built IDEA awareness (Step 1); became stronger IDEA allies (Step 2), and transitioned to IDEA advocates (Step 3).

Although this plan was originally created specifically for USRA, it is easily adaptable for any organization. It has the advantages of both motivating staff members to participate through more positive evaluations on their performance reviews and providing straightforward suggestions on how they might achieve higher scores. Implementation was also straightforward, since USRA already had a Diversity category as part of its existing performance appraisal. Staff members simply keep track of the activities that they participate in throughout the year and record them with the appraisal tools. If your organization does not evaluate diversity as part of the appraisal system, I highly encourage you to add this vital category.

Step 1: Building IDEA awareness (learning, reading, viewing, listening)
The check list items for Step 1 are primarily passive – read a book, watch a documentary, listen to a podcast – and they encouraged everyone to invest time in becoming more aware of the issues. The deliberate wording of the USRA initiative recommended that the staff consider enhancing their own personal IDEA awareness/knowledge by selecting and participating in some activities.

• Attend IDEA seminars at your organization/community
• Read the IDEA blog posts from the AAS diversity committees
• Participate in IDEA events at your organization/business/university/community
• Attend a lecture or workshop about IDEA topics at the AAS or other conference
• View a Ted Talk on diversity
• Listen to IDEA Podcasts: pick one from a recommended list like here or here or just Google ‘best podcasts on diversity and inclusion

Step 2: Becoming a stronger IDEA ally (engaging, contributing, participating)
Step 2 of this initiative is becoming a stronger IDEA ally. The suggestions in the check list below are now active (rather than passive) and encourage former bystanders to engage – join a committee, write an article, mentor a student – as they begin to make a difference in their community.

• Join a diversity committee or working group at your organization/community
• Write an article on an IDEA topic of your choice (including a book/podcast/Ted Talk recommendation/critique/review from Step 1) for a diversity blog or newsletter
• Invite and escort your supervisor/manager/professor/department chair to an IDEA event at your organization/community
• Write the IDEA section of a proposal or policy document you are working on
• Mentor a student or intern from an underrepresented community
• Give a talk at a minority-serving institution
• Assist in planning and/or organizing an IDEA event at your organization/business/university/communityStep 3: Transitioning to an IDEA advocate (leading, managing, guiding)

Step 3: Transitioning to an IDEA advocate (leading, managing, guiding)

Step 3 of this initiative is transitioning to an IDEA advocate. The suggestions in the check list focus on leadership – chairing a committee, creating an initiative, forming a working group – as allies begins to step up and speak out.

• Chair a diversity committee or working group at your organization/community
• Create and lead an IDEA initiative at your organization/community
• Start an IDEA committee at your organization/community
• Give a colloquium on an IDEA topic at your organization/community
• Write and publish a peer-reviewed paper on an IDEA topic
• Give an invited talk on an IDEA topic at a professional conference
• Lead an IDEA-related discussion for your team/department

This list was never meant to be static; we can add good ideas at any time. Please make suggesting in the comments section, and let’s all work together to infuse IDEA culture throughout astronomy.