HERE: PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING, LIVING AND WORKING AT MASSART June 1, 2015 Health Resources in Action
Jan 02, 2016
HERE: PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING, LIVING AND WORKING AT MASSART
June 1, 2015
Health Resources in Action
Racial/ Ethnic Background
Sexual Orientation
Living off Campus
Students spend their time doing:
Studying Studio Co-curricular activities Unpaid internship0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Chart Title
0-5 hrs 6-15 hrs 16+ hrs
How many hours did you work for pay?
Adequacy of Studio Space
Liberal Arts Classes
Diversity related topics Art by people of color and women Gender roles and gender politics How cultural bias affects the perception
and creation of art Race Color psychology in visual language
Business skills Copyright and intellectual property laws
for artists Practical advice for entering the
workplace of major How to run a business Course on charging/ legalities/ freelance Life skills (e.g. interviewing, banking) How to sell your art Entrepreneurship
Technical skills• Story writing• Specific coaching on critique• Proofreading• Technical Drawing
Miscellaneous• Spiritual practice, such as yoga or
meditation• Ethics• “Home Economic” style
guidance• A better way to teach history to
Artists• Professional studies
Faculty and Staff
An overwhelming majority (upwards of 75%) of faculty and staff agreed or strongly agreed that the following would positively affect the climate on campus: Providing tenure clock options with more flexibility for
promotion/ tenure or faculty/ staff with families; Providing immersion experiences for faculty/ staff in civic
engagement projects with lower socioeconomic populations; Providing immersion experiences for students in service
learning projects with lower SES populations; Providing more effective mentorship for new minority/ new
women faculty; Providing a clear and fair process to resolve conflicts; Providing diversity and equity training to search and tenure
committees; Increasing staff representation in College governance.
ALANA students experience
I would recommend MassArt to prospective students
I am enjoying my experience as a student at MassArt
I feel a sense of pride in being a MassArt student I am able to find fun social activities to attend on
campus when I want to I see myself as a part of the campus community If I could start over again, I would choose to attend
MassArt I feel a sense of belonging to this campus
ALANA students also:
Singled out more
Not prepared for critique/receiving critique
Feel that their background matters in critique
Not finding role models at the same rate
A faculty/staff perspective
“We depend on our faculty to make good decisions regarding students, but the demographics of the faculty largely reflect [the] privileged backgrounds [of the top 10 art schools]. Putting students through the same regime that they went through when they didn’t have to pay for their education, but these students do and are working late and struggling with rent and supplies; just because someone knows how to paint doesn’t mean they know how to teach.”
A student perspective
“We don’t have a diversity center…things just fizzle out when not in vogue. We care about our students so we need to do something more thought out. Faculty need training on diversity, gender, disability… Faculty sometimes don’t listen to accommodations or call students out for it.”
Areas for Attention
The experience of ALANA and White-Hispanics students on campus affects their connection to the college community. Addressing their connection to campus may include macro level efforts and individual level efforts, supports that build connections among and between them and opportunities to build relationships with faculty and staff.
Areas for Attention
Instruction is another area in need of attention. Students commented that faculty needs to be better able to teach and engage with students. In terms of diversity and inclusion, especially important are the broadening of the cannon, generally to better include the histories and art of non-western traditions, and clarity and participation in the process of critique.
Areas for Attention
Last, the small numbers of students of color and perceptions on the part of students, staff, and notably faculty, that more needs to be done to recruit and retain faculty, staff and students, speak to the need to more fully represent the present diversity and continue to attract diverse members of the community to campus.
Diversity Plan
3 year effort
3 initial goals Improve the experience of ALANA and
White-Hispanic students Improve and enhance instruction and
learning Recruit and retail diverse students, faculty
and staff
Objectives and action plan, timeline
Goal 1: Improve the Experience of ALANA and White Hispanic Students
Objectives: Improve the connection to the MassArt
community for ALANA students and White-Hispanic students
Improve the connections among and between students
Improve relationships of ALANA students and White Hispanic students with their faculty and staff
Goal 2: Improve and enhance instruction and learning
Objectives: Enhance the inclusion of issues of diversity and inclusion in the curriculum
Improve faculty engagement with students
Standardize, clarify and improve the process of critique, especially across difference
Goal 3: Recruit and Retain Diverse Students, Faculty and Staff Objectives:
Increase the number of full time faculty and staff of color
Increase the number of women in full time faculty and staff positions, and in positions of authority
Recruit and retain students of color
Next steps
Input from faculty, students and staff Prioritization and final draft Realization of a budget for the activities Timeline over next three years Campus wide release