USF School of Art and Art History Needs to do better.

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.

For your title ix situation, the contact that handles these situations at USF is Margaret Denney, Director, Title IX & VAWA Compliance, Title IX Coordinator, 813-974-8616, [email protected], www.usf.edu/title-ix. All the best.

For your title ix situation, the contact that handles these situations at USF is Margaret Denney, Director, Title IX & VAWA Compliance, Title IX Coordinator, 813-974-8616, [email protected], www.usf.edu/title-ix.

We appreciate your engagement and diction of what took place. As soon as we have a moment we will add mold as a facility issue. This was not an immediate issue for our group which is why it wasn't included. So that you are aware, if you have mold in your studio or other working spaces please report it to ADA/ Accessibility, Shari D.Wilson, J.D. (813) 974-0068 (direct line), [email protected].

Thank you for your comment. The title is meant to represent the collective of students that are MFA and MA students. It is written from our perspectives and shares our experiences. The petition with this larger document was not meant to speak for others but simply gauge if others have or have had similar experiences and urge for change also. I hope this makes it clearer now.

I also agree that there are many larger issues that everyone, all students and faculty can agree on. In fact, the vast majority of the issues are wholeheartedly supported by everyone. Unfortunately however, for those close to the situation, it's clear there's also a thinly veiled attempt to humiliate particular individuals. The needs expressed in the petition could have been addressed without doing that. Despite the self-given title, you do not represent all USF MFA and MA Graduate Students.

Before the critique, someone mentioned that the room smelled damp and possibly moldy. Professor Bender said something like, 'we should put that in the petition'. Many students and faculty laughed. As quick witted as it was, I hardly think qualifies as 'an abuse of power in the program'. And to be fair, mold abatement actually should be on the petition with the ventilation issues.

This isn't about pointing fingers. If you noticed our full document omits names for the most part and focuses on failing systems, poor oversight, and negligence. We all have access to due process on campus to resolve the situations mentioned. I would suggest following those processes to resolve those matters. This appears to be a desperate attempt to redirect the larger issues at hand. This petition asks for accountability for the educational experience advertised to graduate students. We aren't asking for perfection from faculty but as our Dean Garvin stated yesterday in our meeting said, civility and accountability for when things go wrong and open dialogue to serve students better. Very few faculty want to take responsibility. A prime example is this comment's attempt to discredit individuals in our group to make the systematic issues less warranted. This petition has the support of over 170 individuals; graduate and undergraduate students of varied identities, political affiliations, and personal experiences. This is about a SYSTEMATIC CHANGE. One of our sponsors met with our graduate coordinator in an attempt to start a line of communication to address some of these issues, there was no follow-up from this conversation. These issues aren't new. Perhaps this is an opportunity to put egos aside and work together to create an environment that lives up to the university's mission and the needs of its students.

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

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.

Do better

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.

I was not aware of these issues until I saw this petition. I hope that USF will support the School of Art and Art History in addressing these serious issues.

100%

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.

100% agree

USF only works because of its GA's work!

Title IX, sexual harassment, sexual assault

As a fellow graduate student (albeit in a different department), I absolutely support this petition to better the quality of life and education provided to MFA/MA Art and Art History students!