IDEAL IT

IDEAL IT Foundations

IDEAL IT Foundations is a sub-program that manages and supports overall communication, strategic planning, advocacy, and advisory processes for the IDEAL IT program.

With a key focus on creating and measuring impact, diversifying recruitment, and increasing overall cultural awareness in the IT community, IDEAL IT Foundations seeks to support all broadly defined dimensions of diversity including:

  • Race/ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Religion
  • Age
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability
  • Physical condition/appearance
  • Socioeconomic status
  • Etc.

Goals and deliverables

IDEAL IT Foundations seeks to:

  • Ensure diverse representation on IDEAL IT planning and advisory groups; build on grassroots enthusiasm and interest to resource efforts.

  • Promote open and transparent dialogue about where we are and where we want to be relative to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.

  • Leverage and adapt strategies and lessons learned from peer institutions and Silicon Valley companies who have successful IDEAL-like programs and strategies.

  • Build on and incorporate the knowledge and experience of managers, staff, and workgroups wherever possible.

Key deliverables include:

  • Develop and communicate three-year strategic roadmap for IDEAL IT program.

  • Launch additional affinity groups – using Stanford WIT as a model – to support other areas of diversity such as race, ethnicity, and more.

  • Document current diversity (demographic) profiles, and explore strategies to “move the needle” across multiple dimensions of diversity.

  • Research and propose recruitment strategies.

  • Launch scalable IDEAL IT learning curriculum with topics such as unconscious bias, psychological safety, diverse career journeys/paths, and learnings from experts and guest speakers.

  • Launch an IDEAL IT Opportunities track, which is intended to be an “innovation lab” beyond the initial IDEAL IT sub-programs. It will be a space for to-be-determined pilots and fast prototypes, and a connection-point to other Stanford IT-wide diversity, inclusion, and belonging-related programs and pilots.

Engagement opportunities

Each IDEAL IT affinity group and initiative provides opportunities to engage.

In addition, IDEAL IT offers two distinct workshop series for the IT Community to participate: