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In Teaching to Transgress, bell hooks positioned the classroom as a place of possibility, where we “demand of ourselves and our comrades an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries.” To hooks, education is “the practice of freedom.”

Academic programs committed to equity and inclusion create opportunities for historically underrepresented students while cultivating learning communities in which diverse people imagine the world of tomorrow. Commitment to equity and inclusion is an intentional and continually active process in which faculty and administration take responsibility for accommodating social differences including race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, and religion. Inclusive programs in art and design represent broad perspectives in contemporary practice, historical understandings, and critical discourse while encouraging respectful dialogue and collaboration. Equity and inclusion are not discretionary aspects of an arts education but intrinsic to excellence. According to AAC&U, it is necessary for equity-minded programs to recognize inequities in student success and build organic practices that lead to sustained change.

This session welcomes papers that offer innovative strategies for integrating equity and inclusion in the classroom. How might our teaching practices in art, art history, or design contribute to an inclusive learning environment that moves education closer to a true practice of freedom? How do we merge the transferable skills of empathy and compassion with training in the visual arts through curricular or extra-curricular activities? How do we reflect on our work and measure success?