The department finally acknowledged our demands and committed to immediate policy changes. We won the accountability we fought for. Stay alert.
May 17, 2022
Final supporters
We, the signed, are requesting accountability for the University of South Florida School of Art and Art History Department to align with the mission statement of the University:
“To promote the success of well-educated, highly-skilled, and adaptable alums who, as lifelong learners, lead enriched lives, contribute to the democratic process, function as engaged community citizens, and thus thrive in a dynamic global market.”
The following points will outline observed inequities within the department. See the full document HERE. Please sign and share this petition if you support these grievances.
Graduate Student Grievances
Discriminatory Practices:
1. Lack of Diversity and Inclusion: We demand an increase of hired Immigrant, Queer, Black, and Brown faculty and student enrollment. There is an intentional resistance and lack of intersectionality within the Fine Arts Department.
2. Sexual Harassment and Bullying. No more tolerating and covering up infractions by tenured faculty, grad students, and leadership. We demand accountability.
3. Fiscal favoritism and Exploitative Labor Practices: We demand equity and transparency within MFA students' stipends, no more required work outside of regular hours, free work for CAM and ask for transparency and accountability regarding MFA students' access to funding.
4. Ableism and Accessibility. Workspaces, facilities, and events must be modified in consideration of other-bodied needs.
5. Failure to follow Mental and Health accommodations for Neurodivergent Students.Students with accommodations should not be placed under duress by excessive faculty/departmental expectations, demands, and harassment. No more disregarding accommodations. Training for faculty on different modalities and crisis support.
MFA Inequities:
6. Lack of organized mentorship:We demand student-centered mentorship, and documentation that sets timed expectations for both students and faculty.
7. Development of specific Graduate Instructional Courses; Graduate painting, graduate graphic design, feminist theory, indigenous art history etc…
8.Lack of recognition and critical discussion of Intersectionality.The fundamental disregard for any critique that addresses racism and gender biases. Valuing and promoting inclusive dialogue.
9.Limited Resources on How to Teach: We demand a course on the basics of how to teach or detailed mentorship specific to the basics of teaching, grading, and classroom processes.
10.No website presence:No place on the department website supporting and detailing current MFA students who are often teaching.
11.Limited guidelines on how to prepare for MFA defense. Extremely limited guidance by the Graduate Coordinator to prepare for the thesis exhibition.
12.Broken/outdated resources or equipment for MFAs. MFA lab, print lab, painting and drawing studios. No lab techs outside of sculpture and ceramics.
13.Inadequate studios and ventilation. There is no clean air in any studios in breach of University guidelines. Studios are filled with ants and termites. Clean air is imperative, as well as first aid, and other safety measures required by law.
Faculty and Departmental Accountability:
14.Lack of accountability and entitlement amongst faculty. Unfair distribution of resources for MFA students. Subjective access to visiting artists. Favoritism.
15.Relationships with undergraduate and graduate students. The University should be a safe space for all. Professional boundaries per the Faculty Handbook should be followed.
16.Lack of engagement with other departments. As a research institution there needs to be facilitation, advising, and awareness of interdepartmental collaboration.
17.Out-of-department accountability for the department to align with University academic and ethical policies and standards. We are asking for University accountability for the USF Fine Arts Department.
These are our observations and requests for the improvement of the School of Art and Art History for the benefit of its students.
Sincerely,
Jonhathon D’Oliveira Fraunfelter
Kimberly Reid
Krystle Lemonias
Marlon Wilson
Updates
May 1, 2022
The momentum is undeniable and the administration is finally paying attention. We are not backing down.
Reached 100 supporters
May 1, 2022
54 Comments
My accommodations get neglected, I haven’t been able to see an advisor, the teachers are mean, we don’t have aid or resources or AC or clean water in the fountains.
Thank you for taking a stand. Neil Bender openly mocked this petition during final crits this week, garnering laughter from other professors, in the faces of many students in the room who signed this petition. His mockery and the laughter from the other professors was hostile and unprofessional and further aggravated the abuse of power in the program.
There's a major lack of communication between students and the art advising faculty. Also, the fact that I'm not the only student to have been pursued sexually by an unsupervised grad teaching assistant is really jarring and I'm genuinely appalled that so much abuse is happening out of sight. Does not make me feel proud or safe to go to this school.
Aside from what was included in the petition, the department also lost a painting I entrusted them with. During art house I submitted a couple paintings to one of the smaller classroom exhibitions. Two of my paintings were accepted, but the third was lost and I have received little to no help despite talking to multiple members of the staff.
All of the arts collage is majorly underfunded. More particularly the printmaking and ceramic majors are constantly needing to outsource and really make due with the low quality appliances given to them in class. I have also witnessed and experiences first hand students needing to used broken or barely usable appliances to learn the techniques they need to learn for the class.
We are sorry that you have had this experience. Please report this issue to ADA/ Accessibility, Shari D.Wilson, J.D. (813) 974-0068 (direct line), [email protected]. Once you have the necessary paperwork to detail your accommodation and it is presented to your instructor it is a violation for your learning needs to be ignored. This office will make sure you are assisted in your classes.
We are sorry your artwork is lost. We do know safety is an issue in our studios. I do hope it was just misplaced.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
The department finally acknowledged our demands and committed to immediate policy changes. We won the accountability we fought for. Stay alert.
May 17, 2022
Final supporters
We, the signed, are requesting accountability for the University of South Florida School of Art and Art History Department to align with the mission statement of the University:
“To promote the success of well-educated, highly-skilled, and adaptable alums who, as lifelong learners, lead enriched lives, contribute to the democratic process, function as engaged community citizens, and thus thrive in a dynamic global market.”
The following points will outline observed inequities within the department. See the full document HERE. Please sign and share this petition if you support these grievances.
Graduate Student Grievances
Discriminatory Practices:
1. Lack of Diversity and Inclusion: We demand an increase of hired Immigrant, Queer, Black, and Brown faculty and student enrollment. There is an intentional resistance and lack of intersectionality within the Fine Arts Department.
2. Sexual Harassment and Bullying. No more tolerating and covering up infractions by tenured faculty, grad students, and leadership. We demand accountability.
3. Fiscal favoritism and Exploitative Labor Practices: We demand equity and transparency within MFA students' stipends, no more required work outside of regular hours, free work for CAM and ask for transparency and accountability regarding MFA students' access to funding.
4. Ableism and Accessibility. Workspaces, facilities, and events must be modified in consideration of other-bodied needs.
5. Failure to follow Mental and Health accommodations for Neurodivergent Students.Students with accommodations should not be placed under duress by excessive faculty/departmental expectations, demands, and harassment. No more disregarding accommodations. Training for faculty on different modalities and crisis support.
MFA Inequities:
6. Lack of organized mentorship:We demand student-centered mentorship, and documentation that sets timed expectations for both students and faculty.
7. Development of specific Graduate Instructional Courses; Graduate painting, graduate graphic design, feminist theory, indigenous art history etc…
8.Lack of recognition and critical discussion of Intersectionality.The fundamental disregard for any critique that addresses racism and gender biases. Valuing and promoting inclusive dialogue.
9.Limited Resources on How to Teach: We demand a course on the basics of how to teach or detailed mentorship specific to the basics of teaching, grading, and classroom processes.
10.No website presence:No place on the department website supporting and detailing current MFA students who are often teaching.
11.Limited guidelines on how to prepare for MFA defense. Extremely limited guidance by the Graduate Coordinator to prepare for the thesis exhibition.
12.Broken/outdated resources or equipment for MFAs. MFA lab, print lab, painting and drawing studios. No lab techs outside of sculpture and ceramics.
13.Inadequate studios and ventilation. There is no clean air in any studios in breach of University guidelines. Studios are filled with ants and termites. Clean air is imperative, as well as first aid, and other safety measures required by law.
Faculty and Departmental Accountability:
14.Lack of accountability and entitlement amongst faculty. Unfair distribution of resources for MFA students. Subjective access to visiting artists. Favoritism.
15.Relationships with undergraduate and graduate students. The University should be a safe space for all. Professional boundaries per the Faculty Handbook should be followed.
16.Lack of engagement with other departments. As a research institution there needs to be facilitation, advising, and awareness of interdepartmental collaboration.
17.Out-of-department accountability for the department to align with University academic and ethical policies and standards. We are asking for University accountability for the USF Fine Arts Department.
These are our observations and requests for the improvement of the School of Art and Art History for the benefit of its students.
Sincerely,
Jonhathon D’Oliveira Fraunfelter
Kimberly Reid
Krystle Lemonias
Marlon Wilson
Updates
May 1, 2022
The momentum is undeniable and the administration is finally paying attention. We are not backing down.
Reached 100 supporters
May 1, 2022
54 Comments
The issue some of us have with this petition is that one of the sponsors, herself, has been repeatedly accused of sexual harassment and bullying. Another sponsor was caught on video vandalizing the artwork of other students. While there are some great points on this petition, you have to understand why it's being met with a degree of incredulity. Some of the petition's sponsors should have DONE BETTER
My accommodations get neglected, I haven’t been able to see an advisor, the teachers are mean, we don’t have aid or resources or AC or clean water in the fountains.
Thank you for taking a stand. Neil Bender openly mocked this petition during final crits this week, garnering laughter from other professors, in the faces of many students in the room who signed this petition. His mockery and the laughter from the other professors was hostile and unprofessional and further aggravated the abuse of power in the program.
There's a major lack of communication between students and the art advising faculty. Also, the fact that I'm not the only student to have been pursued sexually by an unsupervised grad teaching assistant is really jarring and I'm genuinely appalled that so much abuse is happening out of sight. Does not make me feel proud or safe to go to this school.
Aside from what was included in the petition, the department also lost a painting I entrusted them with. During art house I submitted a couple paintings to one of the smaller classroom exhibitions. Two of my paintings were accepted, but the third was lost and I have received little to no help despite talking to multiple members of the staff.
All of the arts collage is majorly underfunded. More particularly the printmaking and ceramic majors are constantly needing to outsource and really make due with the low quality appliances given to them in class. I have also witnessed and experiences first hand students needing to used broken or barely usable appliances to learn the techniques they need to learn for the class.
We are sorry that you have had this experience. Please report this issue to ADA/ Accessibility, Shari D.Wilson, J.D. (813) 974-0068 (direct line), [email protected]. Once you have the necessary paperwork to detail your accommodation and it is presented to your instructor it is a violation for your learning needs to be ignored. This office will make sure you are assisted in your classes.
We are sorry your artwork is lost. We do know safety is an issue in our studios. I do hope it was just misplaced.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
The issue some of us have with this petition is that one of the sponsors, herself, has been repeatedly accused of sexual harassment and bullying. Another sponsor was caught on video vandalizing the artwork of other students. While there are some great points on this petition, you have to understand why it's being met with a degree of incredulity. Some of the petition's sponsors should have DONE BETTER