Recap of Student-led Town Hall

Recently, the Solidarity and Justice Task Force at the School of Art prompted a student-led Town Hall meeting to discuss how the School of Art can better address racism in the school and community, as well as create a better environment for students of color (especially Black students) going forward.  
 
The Town Hall was precipitated by a Student Solidarity Survey created by the Solidarity and Justice Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force, which is made up of faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students, is to aggregate and submit a list of recommendations to the school’s administration for a more equitable School of Art. To this end, the Student Solidarity Survey collected input from students to identify priorities and themes to discuss at the Town Hall.  
 
The Town Hall event took place via Zoom and was by led by two students in the Solidarity and Justice Task Force. It was moderated by a few other student volunteers; no faculty or staff were present. According to the discussion leaders, around 20 additional students attended.  
 
Topics of discussion included: classroom microaggressions, interactions with police at the School, and the School’s name. Several Black students expressed the fact that they were reticent to major in Art because they did not see themselves represented within the student body or faculty/staff as opposed to other schools in the University. Students also expressed a need for more political education for students, and that they would like the town hall format to be some kind of regular occurrence.  
 
Students also articulated topics that they specifically wanted to see addressed by faculty and administration. These topics included: diversification of School of Art faculty, ADA accessibility concerns, anti-racist/anti-discriminatory training for faculty and administration, and redressing the overwhelmingly Eurocentric Art History offerings.  

One of the student discussion leaders noted that in reviewing both the survey and the town hall there is strong support behind all these ideas, suggesting that students want to see real change. Students feel that the School of Art is in a unique position to effect change within the University and community