Division of the Arts
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee was formed to turn our commitment to embrace and serve all members of our diverse arts community into meaningful action.

The committee’s charge is to take action towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at UW–Madison; to create and implement an action plan to support our June 2020 statements of solidarity; to create awareness and action across campus arts units; to increase staff training and knowledge of DEI within the division; and to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Goals:

  • Ensure key Division of the Arts (DotA) communications and materials align with DEI priorities
  • Continue and strengthen relationships with diverse campus and community partners
  • Increase DEI capacity of DotA staff and make DotA a welcoming and inclusive workplace
  • Review and increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of DotA’s programming
  • Support BIPOC and socially marginalized students in and through the arts

This page will be updated regularly as we work towards a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible campus.

Contact

director@arts.wisc.edu

Campus Resources

We call on the unique power of the arts to challenge, illuminate, and transform the status quo in order to bring awareness, healing, empathy, hope, and joy to the interconnected world in which we live.

Susan Zaeske, Interim Director

Action Plan

Based on the commitments and goals outlined above, the IDEA Committee put together an action plan of current efforts as well as initiatives we will pursue in the short-term and long-term.

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Communications

Ongoing:

  • Review Arts on Campus materials to make sure they are culturally appropriate and relevant
  • Center and highlight BIPOC artists in social media
  • Implement use of accessible language and accessible technologies in our communication materials consistent with the audiences we are trying to reach
  • Integrated Marketing & Communications staff presents annually at Division staff meetings on measurable indicators of IDEA initiatives

Future:

  • Clearly articulate IDEA priority in the DotA mission, vision, and core values

Outreach

Ongoing:

  • Promote campus and community arts events via DotA communications channels
  • Maintain memberships with local cultural organizations
  • Maintain or increase advertising spend in diverse local media outlets
  • Connect and establish relationships with identified student multicultural organizations or initiatives (preferably arts-focused) to learn how we can support them with their programming

Future:

  • Establish relationships with student organizations in order to survey their interests and priorities related to IDEA

Workplace

Ongoing:

  • Maintain and grow self-education resources
  • Require all Division of the Arts employees to engage in dedicated DEI training and education
  • Review and revise hiring processes and policies using a racial equity lens
  • Continue work towards becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist unit

Future:

  • Improve percentage of candidates with socially marginalized identities for DotA’s hiring pool

Programming

Ongoing:

  • Continue exploring ways the Division could take leadership in racial equity conversations across the arts, such as convening a DEI arts committee
  • Ensure programming decisions are guided by racial equity values
  • Use IDEA criteria in reviewing proposals for Arts Business Competition, Creative Arts Awards, and Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence Teaching (IART) Program
  • Include BIPOC IARP artists and guests in programming with The Studio Creative Arts Learning Community

Student Support

Ongoing:

  • Collaborate with Office of Financial Aid to prevent student awards from impacting financial aid
  • Establish a funding opportunity for student work that engages the arts and IDEA issues

Future:

  • Provide active support to identified student organizations based on feedback
  • Establish new awards or funding that supports undergraduate BIPOC arts production, research, and scholarship

Long-Term:

  • Explore partnering with The Studio and student organizations to hire BIPOC artists to speak about their practice and plan programming in partnership with student organizations
  • Research existence of spaces for students of color on campus to either create or display their work, and if needed, investigate the creation of a Division-sponsored or led space

Updates