Fine Arts AD-EDI Statement

Anti-racism, decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion (AD-EDI)

The Department of Fine Arts strongly values anti-racism, decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion (AD-EDI), and considers our commitment to these values to be an essential part of our community. 

We are committed to creating and maintaining inclusive environments that center the voices and experiences of equity-deserving groups, including, but not limited to Black and Indigenous individuals, people of colour, women-identifying individuals, non-binary, agender, and gender-nonconforming individuals; 2SLGBTQ+ individuals; persons with disabilities; and people from other racialized, marginalized, and under-represented communities. 

As part of our commitment to academic excellence, we strive to renovate the impact of racism, discrimination, and bias within our classrooms, disciplines, and communities. Some of our current efforts include:

• Increasing the number of Black, Indigenous and artists and curators of colour represented in our gallery;
• Decentering Colonial perspectives within art historical research;
• Decentering the Western canon within art history, studio and visual culture courses;
• Advocating for increased representation for Black and Indigenous artists in public programming within the region;
• Founding the University of Waterloo Black Faculty Collective
• Serving on the Equity Data Advisory Committee in order to launch the first ever cross-campus survey to collect equity data;
• Advocating for increased representation for Black and Indigenous faculty in committees, in working groups, and with Deans, Provosts and Presidents Offices;
• Identifying, shortlisting and interviewing candidates for Waterloo’s Black Excellence and Indigenous Excellence Cluster Hires;
• Serving as Equity Champions for Waterloo’s Black Excellence and Indigenous Excellence Cluster Hires;
• Advocating for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism at Senate
• Serving as a Program Area Lead, Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism;
• Mentoring, training and hiring students from equity-deserving groups;
• Attending ADEDI workshops offered through the Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion Office and in the wider community (i.e. Equitable Recruitment and Selection Training of Faculty, Competency and Capacity Building Sessions for Black Excellence and Indigenous Excellence Cluster Hiring Initiatives, Confronting Anti-Black Racism, From Land Acknowledgement to Land Back!).