"There is always light if we are brave enough to see it, if we are brave enough to be it." - Amanda Gorman
Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee Statement
USC Vice President for Office of Access and Opportunity, Julian Williams, has invited
university departments and programs to create action plans that address the unique
needs of our academic communities. This is serious work to which SVAD faculty and
staff are called through our collective conscience as a community of artists, educators
and scholars resolved to address racism and challenge exclusionary practices within
our community and professional fields. The SVAD committee is circulating a Pledge
to Students in courses this spring for student feedback. The pledge can be read online and feedback submitted to any or all committee members below.
Contact the Committee
Are you a prospective or current student with questions for the SVAD Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee, or do you want to join us in our work? Contact the School of Visual Art and Design Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Evan Meaney, Media Arts
Meena Khalili, Studio Art
Minuette Floyd, Art Education
Andrew Graciano, Art History
Student membership: This committee seeks student collaborators, allies, and involvement. If you are a
SVAD student and would like to become more involved in the direction of the committee,
committee actions, and community discussion, contact any or all members of the School
of Visual Art and Design Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee listed above.
Connect
- USC Office of Access and Opportunity: The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion works closely with university students,
faculty and staff to create and sustain an inclusive learning, living and working
environment where all members of the university’s community feel that they are welcomed,
valued and supported.
- Cultural programming, Diversity Dialogues, Affinity Groups and many more opportunities
are available through the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.
- Engage through the Leadership and Service Center through civic engagement and find service-learning opportunities.
- Find mental health support, even after business hours. Help is available for faculty, staff and students. For emergency crisis situations after business hours or on weekends, call 833-664-2854 or visit the university's CampusWell website.
Report
- Report an incident of bias or hate. A bias incident is a non-criminal act that is motivated in whole, or in part, by a
victim’s actual or perceived sex, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity
or disability.
- Report an incident of harassment to the Equal Opportunity Programs Office. If you or someone you know has been the victim of unlawful discrimination or harassment
at USC, report it here.
- Get help from USC Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention (SAVIP).
If you have experienced interpersonal violence, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking or harassment, you might feel overwhelmed or confused about what to do. SAVIP can help.
Archive
The School of Visual Art and Design organized its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Charette from February 22 - February 25, 2022. A charette is a days-long period of intense artistic research, production, exhibition, and learning/teaching centered around a specific topic, issue, conflict, or problem. All students involved in SVAD courses were invited to form groups (even groups of one) to develop artworks, presentation materials, exhibitions, and/or other work which pertains to one of the charette topics. The charette was supported by a grant from the DEI Pilot Grant Program of the College of Arts and Sciences.
View the final projects via the virtual SVAD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Charette Exhibition.
Sent to Students on September 10, 2020
We invite you to join a Diversity and Inclusion Forum for Students on September 21 at 4 PM.
Register online to attend remotely or in person. Registrants will receive information on how to participate by email. USC College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean, Dr. Tracey Weldon-Stewart, will also attend and welcome all participants. SVAD faculty want to know more about your experiences as a student in the School of Visual Art and Design as we plan for actions that will increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the school. Your voice matters. Our action plan— what we are calling our Pledge to Students on Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion— begins with the elevation of your voices; we want to listen and learn from you. This Pledge is a living document, the starting point of a larger conversation. It will keep us accountable as we strive for greater equity and inclusion. We know you are marching and protesting and doing hard work in your communities for social change. We pledge to do our part to address and rectify any exclusionary practices or systems that cause harm in SVAD’s community. USC Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Julian Williams, has invited us to create action plans that address the unique needs of our academic community. What are your concerns and how can we better support you? What actions do you want to see from faculty and staff? This is serious work to which SVAD faculty and staff are called through our collective conscience as a community of artists, educators and scholars resolved to address racism and exclusionary practices of all kinds within our community and professional fields. We are ready to get to work! We look forward to hearing from you in a collective conversation on September 21.
Laura Kissel
Director, School of Visual Art and Design
Minuette Floyd
Professor of Art Education
Andrew Graciano
Associate Director and Professor of Art History
Lydia Brandt
Associate Professor of Art History
Evan Meaney
Associate Professor of Media Arts
Lauren Steimer
Associate Professor of Media Arts
Meena Khalili
Assistant Professor of Studio Art