Improving the Department Climate for Inclusivity

The APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (APS-IDEA) is an international virtual network of 60+ teams from physics departments, research collaborations, and national labs, working toward improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in physics. Launched in 2020, the mission of the APS-IDEA is to empower teams to make profound and permanent changes to the culture of physics in their local environments, through establishment of a community of transformation. The network is designed around a set of guiding principles to aid in achieving our mission: 1) Sharing leadership, 2) Centering marginalized voices, 3) Utilizing sensemaking, and 4) Implementing research-based methods. Through virtual network meetings and small-group learning communities, network members learn about foundational ideas in organizational change, including bias, power dynamics, documentation, and strategic planning.