Division of Creative Arts
Anti-Racism Plan
Dec. 2, 2021
Central Priorities
The Division of Creative Arts joins the university in its efforts to challenge systemic racism and has initiated the following actions:
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Increase diversity of faculty and curricula through strategic hires; there is a potential for a small cluster of positions that connect across disciplines.
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Review and reconfigure departmental curricula to embrace more diverse subject matter, traditions and modes of thought. Examine departmental major and minor requirements to promote accessibility.
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Educate faculty and staff through regular training and discussion sessions on the departmental and division level about ways to combat systemic racism and addressing other DEI issues. Establish and maintain departmental and division shared databases with information, references and links to other resources that faculty can consult and share about best practices in teaching strategies for promoting diversity, openness and addressing systemic racism.
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We advocate for increased university recruitment of BIPOC students and closer collaboration with Posse, the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program, Gateway and possibly outside institutions.
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Promote a sense of community and connection with BIPOC students, faculty, staff and wider audiences through inclusive practices in programming of Creative Arts events and productions.
Context and Progress to Date
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There is the opportunity in the Division of the Creative Arts for a small cluster of new hires in Fine Arts; Music; and Theater Arts that interrelate and would connect to departments and programs outside of the division. Fine Arts is requesting a position in Latin American/Latinx, with a specialization in Afro Latin/Latinx art; Music is asking for a position in ethnomusicology or musicology outside the Western canon; and Theater Arts is looking for someone to teach movement, physical theater and dance — again, outside the Western tradition. The potential of being able to recruit BIPOC individuals for one or more of these positions is also significant.
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Departments and programs in the Division of Creative Arts have already begun to review and diversify the curricula: new tenure-track hires described above would greatly expedite the diversification of the departmental curricula, but some useful changes can and should be made in the short term with greater attention to DJW and DEIS-US participation and by incorporating subject matter related to underrepresented communities and the concern for social justice. Occasional per-course hires could temporarily offer instruction in some of the areas cited above.
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At the same time, departmental major and minor requirements are also being examined. The numbers of courses required for the majors in Fine Arts; Music; and Theater Arts are high in comparison to majors, especially compared to the humanities and the social sciences. These requirements are being reviewed with an eye toward modifications, such as, but not limited to, simplification of guidelines, flexibility in rules for electives, and possible reduction in number of required courses.
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Educate faculty and staff through regular training and discussion sessions on both the departmental and division level about combating systemic racism and addressing other DEI issues. Each department and the Division Council should meet regularly to gauge progress in the goals described above and to discuss other related issues in order to determine next steps. Input from UDRs, GDRs and students in general will be solicited and considered. At the same time, faculty should be encouraged, and when possible financially supported, to get additional training about pedagogical ways of addressing racism. Similarly, regular efforts should be made to invite guest speakers knowledgeable in offering guidance to combat racism and promote diversity in our various disciplines, so that the division becomes an epicenter for finding ways to fight racism in the arts. At the end of the academic year, a day or period of time should be set aside for reflection by the division and each department and program to take stock of what has or has not been achieved and to begin planning for the coming year. In order to enhance and maintain the education of the faculty about promoting diversity and combating racism, Creative Arts departments have begun to assemble bibliographies and links to online resources to learn about and promote best practices. Such databases can be expanded to serve as useful tools to be shared and consulted by faculty both within and across disciplines and departments. Such efforts could be increased to serve as a useful repository for the entire university.
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In order to promote the participation of BIPOC students in the creative arts, there needs to be increased financial assistance for them by way of scholarships, fellowships and work-study opportunities. Students should not have to decide between maintaining a job and putting in the extra hours for a theatrical rehearsal or worrying about paying for needed art supplies. At the same time, a greater effort should be made to recruit BIPOC students to become involved in the arts through working with the admissions office, as well as forming a closer collaboration with Posse, the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program, Gateway and possibly other institutions like the Boston Arts Academy (Boston's only public high school of the visual and performing arts).
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In order to promote a sense of community and connection with BIPOC students, staff and a wider audience, a conscious effort will be made to increase diversity representation in the programming of Creative Arts events and productions.
Metrics and Timelines for Next Steps
Diversification of the faculty through new hiring will be dependent upon university budgetary allocations. Faculty are already in the process of reviewing curricula and major/minor requirements with the goal of diversifying and decolonizing courses and syllabi. The measures and metrics of success are outlined in the TILT framework.