SERA and Just: The intersection of diversity and inclusion

Since 2019, SERA has participated in the Just program, a voluntary disclosure tool directed by the International Living Futures Institute (ILFI), that helps organizations measure and track their progress toward goals around diversity and inclusion, equity, employee health and benefits, stewardship, and purchasing.

The program provides clear methods and structured metrics for accomplishing some pretty nebulous goals about topics that require tough conversations. Just encourages us to have those conversations and then create policies and practices that will help us move the needle in the right direction.

Diversity & Inclusion

We’re not the only firm to recognize that architecture has a diversity problem. Like many industry leaders, we’re actively taking steps to have more people of color working at all levels across the firm.

In the four years we’ve been tracking through the Just program, SERA’s minority population has increased from 14% to 23%, and leadership representation has grown from 5% to 11%. It’s satisfying to see that we’re making progress, but we’re always seeking ways to do better.

That’s why, since completing our most recent Just assessment, we have redoubled our efforts and identified more actions we can take to improve that metric, like increasing recruiting at colleges and universities with high non-caucasian populations, partnering with MWESB businesses, and participating in mentorship programs that encourage students of color to explore careers in architecture.

But just as importantly, we have been exploring the relationship between DIVERSITY and INCLUSION.