A total of 4,117 AIA delegates largely voted in favor for the widely talked about Resolution 15-1, titled "Equity in Architecture", during the Election at the 2015 AIA National Convention in Atlanta last month. Sponsored by AIA San Francisco and the AIA California Council as a response to architecture's long tradition of gender and racial disparity, the resolution calls for the Institute to take definitive measures to strengthen the presence of underrepresented demographics especially in membership, firm leadership and ownership in the profession. The Resolution was drafted by Rosa Sheng, AIASF Assistant Treasurer and Equity by Design Committee Chair; Julia Donoho, co-founder of the Julia Morgan Foundation; and AIA National Vice President Frank Pitts.

In its intent, the resolution asks for the AIA to develop an ongoing program that will assess data, track progress, set a plan of action, and report on results. "[T]here needs to be a reflective look at valuing our human capital within the profession. Equity is everyone’s issue..." it states.

"'Until the architecture profession reflects the demographics which it serves, we will not have reached our fullest potential for impact, meaning and influence,'" Sheng commented in a press statement. 'The presence of both men and women with different backgrounds at the Equity by Design convention workshops and networking events affirmed the desire to discuss equity in the profession. It's not just for women's sake, but also for talent retention to sustain the profession and connect with the diverse population that we serve.'"

The AIA approved similar resolutions in the past, but 15-1 points out that there hasn't been significant impact in implementing those measures, in reference to data gathered by The Missing 32% Project 2014 Diversity in Architecture Survey.

Read the full text of Resolution 15-1 here (PDF).

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