over 6 years ago
All challenge details in text
The following text has the same content with our kick-off event PowerPoints.
Diversity Hackathon 2020 Challenges in text
February 28-29, 2020
College of Architecture Diversity Council
List of challenges:
Challenge #1: the 12th Can
Challenge #2: Latinx Graduate Student Association
Challenge #3: Matthew Gaines Initiative
Challenge #4: Office of Sustainability
Challenge #5: Persian Student Association
Challenge #6: SGA - Disability Subcommission
Challenge #7: University Libraries
Challenge #1: Fighting Food Insecurity: Opening the Dialogue
Presented by: the 12th Can
Challenger’s website or social media:
https://www.facebook.com/The12thCanTAMU/
Our vision: the 12th Can is a student organization dedicated to spreading awareness of eliminating food insecurity at Texas A&M University among students, faculty, and staff.
Food insecurity means: the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Challenge details: Food is a necessity to everyone on this campus, and vital to grow and succeed! We challenge you to offer ways that we can encourage everyone who needs our service to use it, reducing the stigma around food insecurity.
Challenge #2: Latinx Center
Presented by: Latinx Graduate Student Association
Challenger’s website or social media: https://www.facebook.com/LGSATAMU/
The problem: Texas A&M University is close to achieving a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation which corresponds with this initiative’s aim for the creation of a Latinx Center. The Center will foster innovative research while simultaneously creating a sense of belonging for the ethnically and culturally diverse Aggie student population. The principal objective of the Latinx Center is to function as a centralized space for academic resources, interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural education, cultural engagement, community building, and student support.
Challenge details:
Physical space: where would you locate a Latinx Center that is easily accessible for all students and professors? What would the layout of the Latinx Center look like?
Requirements: (feel free to incorporate new ideas) multiple office spaces; a Latinx library; multiple study rooms; a computer lab with printing access; meeting/conference rooms; a kitchen area; a lounge and social area.
Challenge #3: Matthew Gaines Statue
Presented by: Matthew Gaines Initiative
Challenger’s website or social media:
https://studentaffairs.tamu.edu/students/matthew-gaines-statue/
https://www.facebook.com/GainesTAMU/
Who is Matthew Gaines?
“Senator Gaines was a firm supporter of education and worked tirelessly to pass legislation that enabled Texas to take advantage of the Morrill Land-Grant Act, an Act of U.S. Congress that provided grants of land to states to finance the establishment of colleges specializing in ‘agricultural and the mechanical arts’.”
Senator Gaines is a courageous advocate for public education; Texas State senator; Promoted creation of The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas through the Morrill Act; Community leader and Baptist minister; Recognized by the Texas Legislature as one of the foremost African-American Leaders in Texas history.
Ways to get involved in Matthew Gaines Initiative:
Look out for T-shirt sale; spread the word to potential donors or others who would like to get involved; find ways for your organization to sponsor or get involved in events; lend your skills, talents, experience, and connections to the effort.
Challenge details: to help us with a strategy or a tool that can get us closer to our marketing and fundraising goal. This is where your creativity can go to work, because we have no specifics for formats.
Challenge #4: A More Inclusive Built Environment
Presented by: Office of Sustainability
Challenger’s website or social media:
http://sustainability.tamu.edu/
https://www.facebook.com/sustainableTAMU/
Tradition vs. Today:
Texas A&M is a university rooted in tradition and while tradition is important, it can lead to not centering the contributions of Aggies of color and women.
As A&M improves diversity efforts, our built environment must reflect all Aggies to become a more welcoming and inclusive space that tells our modern story.
The Sustainability Master Plan includes a goal to develop public, civic spaces (interior or exterior) to represent a broader cross-section of the Aggie community. This includes diversifying the art and the artists behind it.
Challenge details:
Identify public/civic spaces that are in need of more diverse art/displays that would have the most impact on creating a more welcoming and inclusive built environment.
What art/displays would you put in the locations you identified and/or would be the most impactful?
How else can the built environment be used to create a more welcoming and inclusive Aggieland?
How would you justify the need and/or benefits of modernizing campus to be more welcoming and inclusive? In particular, how would you convince Ags rooted in tradition?
Challenge #5: TAMU Multicultural Bus Stop
Presented by: Persian Student Association
Challenger’s website or social media:
https://www.facebook.com/psatamu/
Our vision: An average of 15 minute per day is spent by students at the bus stops. This wasted time could accumulate up to 7 hours per month. Meanwhile, this time could be spent on learning about different countries, their cultures, and celebrations. As a member of the Aggie family, we are all encouraged to get to know about our family members’ historical and cultural backgrounds. This challenge is designed to bring the Aggie family members closer to each other by creating a space at bus stops, to raise awareness of diversity and increase productivity.
Challenge details:
Build an innovative space that incorporates cultural awareness at every bus stop.
Points to ponder: consider interpreting as many new/diverse cultures as possible (e.g., Persian New Year); create a space that gives students a chance to gain different, and new knowledge every time they are waiting at the bus stop; the contents should change periodically.
Challenge #6: Accessibility: Opening doors for individuals with disabilities
Presented by: Student Government Association - Disability Subcommission
Challenger’s website or social media:
https://www.facebook.com/tamusga/
Our mission: The mission of the SGA - Disability Subcommission is to improve the quality of life for students with a disability in terms of diversity and inclusion both academically and socially.
Challenge details: Not all doors have door openers and many door openers are too high or are at inconvenient locations for people in wheelchairs. Create a door opener that is easy to access and “opens doors” for people with disabilities.
Points to consider: ADA requires a minimum height that is higher than what most people in wheelchairs can reach. Door openers need to be in easy to access locations. Door openers need to be compatible for different doors.
Challenge #7: Building Beyond Books: Becoming More!
Presented by: University Libraries
Challenger’s website or social media:
https://www.facebook.com/tamulibraries/
Our vision: The University Libraries will be the indispensable hub of discovery, learning & creativity at Texas A&M University. There are 5 libraries across campus that are open to students, staff, and faculty.
Challenge details: The Libraries are more than places with books. Think “outside the books” and propose a plan to make the Libraries more welcoming and inclusive to all.
Points to ponder: There are physical and digital spaces. We have diverse collections. There are various service points across the Libraries. We have many services that we provide to the campus community.