Mission Statement
As cultural producers of the 21st century and scholars of the creative arts, our community respectfully embraces the ongoing quest to understand ourselves and others as inhabitants of this complex and dynamic world. We commit to embracing diverse perspectives, approaches, and actions that promote human dignity. And we commit to cultivating the individual and collective courage to overcome our limitations and fears as we struggle toward greater social, economic, environmental and educational justice.
In order to promote the artistic and scholarly growth and development of every member of our community, the School of the Arts fosters a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where individual differences are expected, welcomed, and valued. We understand that a diversity of people and perspectives fuels creativity, improves decision-making and promotes organizational and academic excellence. Our community—students, faculty, staff, and administrators—commits to mutual respect, and to understanding and appreciating that different customs and worldviews are an expression of an individual’s culture, heritage, background, abilities and experiences. Realizing that our common enterprise relies upon mutuality and interdependence, we embrace the practice of reciprocal empowerment: “the right to define one’s own identity; the power to provide oneself and others with needed resources to succeed; and the opportunity to have a voice in decision making.”1
Goals
Our goals include but are not limited to:
Goal #1: Increase hiring, improve mentoring, and successfully promote full-time faculty from underrepresented groups.
Goal #2: School of the Arts faculty, program directors, and chairs, will create, promote, and sustain key elements of the teaching and learning environment that encourage a pedagogy of equity and empowerment.
Goal #3: SoArts will support the College’s efforts to recruit students of diverse backgrounds by creating enrollment and pathway programs.
