Memorandum

Date: December 16, 2016

To: MICA Students, Faculty, Staff & Trustees

From: Co-Chairs of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Globalization

• Samuel Hoi, President
• Clyde Johnson, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Intercultural Development
• Colette Veasey-Cullors, Chair, Photography Department

Re: Diversity Audit Report & Community Comments

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On September 26, 2016, we shared with you updates from the first year of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Globalization (Task Force). That memo shared that an external audit report of MICA's community, systems, and practices related to diversity and inclusion was due in late October. This audit report has been received and reviewed by the Task Force. The two consultants, Gwen Dungy and Caryn McTighe Musil, did an excellent job. Their report provides valuable external insight into our strengths and areas for growth. Their analysis and recommendations inform the work of the Task Force going forward.

 

All members of the MICA community are encouraged to read this audit report*. For those who prefer a quicker review, the report opens with a 7-page executive summary. Please do find the time to examine the full report, which is frank, richly informative and thought-provoking. The input of the full MICA community is essential to the Task Force's consideration of the report findings and determination of the appropriate path forward. To that end, we hope that you will provide comments after reading the report. The commentary link will accept input through March 15, 2017. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and thank you in advance for sharing. (*The report is still undergoing some minor editing. The final version will be posted in early 2017. This final draft is made available now for timely sharing with the MICA community.)

 

In the meantime, the Task Force and its sub-groups are working with the audit report findings in relation to our efforts. A handful of key initial foci have emerged:

• Consider the need for systematized, sustainable resources at MICA committed to diversity work.
  • While the audit report identifies the Office of Diversity & Intercultural Development as a historic strength of the College, it strongly recommends greater cross-institutional support.
  • MICA needs to consider whether there are appropriate resources committed campus-wide to the advancement of the College's diversity goals.
• Address the role of diversity within the curriculum.
  • MICA must ensure that the curricular learning outcomes across departments reflect our aspirations in this area for student learning.
  • Faculty and staff need to have access to the professional development necessary to develop competency.
• Understand the mandate of the current diversity of MICA's population.
  • Diversity efforts are critical because MICA's student population is much more diverse that it was even a few years ago, and because of the changing demographics of the country.
  • Efforts to diversify the faculty and College leadership at all levels must continue and accelerate to achieve real gain.

These areas of initial focus will evolve as the Task Force continues to digest the audit report.

As a reminder, the Task Force sunsets at the end of this academic year and will deliver a defined roadmap for MICA's improvement, both structurally and culturally, in diversity, equity, inclusion, and globalization. This roadmap will be informed not only by the audit report but also the community response we receive from you.

Finally, the auditors discuss at length the need for diversity being woven into the mission and vision of MICA. This is a clear necessity, and an effort MICA has already begun through the mission and vision articulation process that has previously been shared with you. We look forward to advancing this work and bringing the Task Force dialogue into the mission and vision process.