Mission Statement
As a faculty committee authorized by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Instrument of Governance, the Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion comprises representative faculty from the Schools of Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre. We aim to identify, analyze, and remediate structural inequities in our College, our various disciplines, and academia in general—inequities that may impede students, faculty, staff, and society as a whole from maximizing their artistic, professional, and personal potential and making their authentic contributions to the arts and to society.
Our role is to advise, educate, and advocate, rather than legislate or adjudicate. We strive to encourage, facilitate, raise awareness, and increase understanding of EDI issues throughout the CVPA, whether they relate to curriculum, co-curricular programming, research, hiring, or communications. In so doing, we, the CVPA EDI committee, commit ourselves to racial equity and to fostering a creative community that honors each individual’s history, identity, and unique contributions to our institutions, culture, and society.
Members of the EDI committee educate themselves by taking anti-bias and racial equity training, and we serve on other committees within the College to bring EDI perspectives to the processes of recruitment, hiring, curriculum development, and additional areas as needed.
Past EDI Committee Activities
Sponsorship of an all-faculty read and moderated discussion of Sara Ahmed’s On Being Included
Implementation and management of CVPA Mini-Grants for student and faculty projects
Research and creation of a document to guide search committees on anti-racist search and hiring protocols
Advocacy for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students seeking changes and engagement with College administration
Advise students, faculty, and staff in EDI matters requiring communication and action.
Upcoming Initiatives
Facilitating the sharing of anti-racist initiatives among the Schools within the CVPA
Creation of a mechanism for students, faculty, and staff to safely and confidentially raise concerns regarding EDI issues
Invitation of EDI speakers and clinicians to campus
Improvement of committee transparency and reporting
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land on which we gather and within the boundaries of the US state of North Carolina is the site of past and present indigenous peoples. Those tribes and/or nations include: Bear River/Bay River, Cape Fear, Catawba, Chowanoke, Coree/Coranine, Creek, Croatan, Eno, Hatteras, Keyauwee, Machapunga, Moratoc, Natchez, Neusiok, Pamlico, Shakori, Sara/Cheraw, Sissipahaw, Sugeree, Wateree, Weapemeoc, Woccon, Yadkin, and Yeopim.
North Carolina recognizes eight tribes that currently occupy this region. They include the Coharie, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Saponi, Haliwa Saponi, Waccamaw Siouan, Sappony, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee.
We are honored and grateful to gather on this land, and we respect the indigenous peoples of this region.
We encourage others to create their own land acknowledgement. Click here to learn how to do so.