At no time in our recent history has it been more critical for the College of Fine Arts (CFA) to declare our universal support of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the many forms that it takes within our curriculum, our classrooms, our performances, our exhibitions, and our community. Further, we recognize that a formal statement on such remains a living document requiring constant revision in response to the changing times in which we live. A CFA task force started to develop the following statement in the Spring of 2020, and the current working group will continue to refine and redevelop these words, responding to ongoing social change. While the wording requires change from time to time, the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion remains unwavering.
The University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts thrives because we serve and honor individuals and communities with unique and distinct voices. The College intentionally supports an authentic environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion through artistic programming and curricula that explore and celebrate the experiences of those voices, both within the University and beyond. Because we believe that the arts are essential to the life of the individual and the community, we actively facilitate wide-ranging creative expression among our faculty, staff, and student artists and commit to inclusivity in our hiring and recruiting of faculty, staff, and students.
The College of Fine Arts believes diversity takes numerous forms, including, but not limited to, race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious or spiritual commitments, disability, age and political perspective. As they exist, we acknowledge that power structures grant privilege and access unequally and therefore we are dedicated to change that will distribute these benefits more fairly. In order to meet the College’s mission of providing artistic and cultural experiences for the education and benefit of students, the University, and the Commonwealth, we are committed to granting access equally to the arts, creative culture and artistic expression. As a member of the state’s flagship institution we pledge to ensure that our campus is a place where differences are welcomed and valued, different perspectives are respectfully heard, and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.
- Authored by the CFA DE&I Task Force Fall 2020