Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University is committed to being an anti-racist institution. In addition to being a part of the multi-pronged action plan to promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion within the School of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, SMFA at Tufts is taking steps support racial justice and promote inclusion.

SMFA Anti-Racist/Anti-Bias Coalition

SMFA’s Anti-Racist/Anti-Bias Coalition (ARBC) began as a grassroots group of faculty who convened in June as a faculty-led response to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and countless others, the epidemic of racism, and the Movement for Black Lives. That group began a self-assessment process that evolved using the organizing principles of the Movement for Black Lives into a larger self-study for faculty, which became the Coalition and its working groups. The ARBC has since evolved into a SMFA organization comprised of smaller self-directed “Working Groups” focusing on anti-racist and anti-bias initiatives, which currently include:

• Curriculum
• Hiring, Retention and Evaluation
• Learning / Listening / Dialogue (& Examining White Privilege/Data Mapping)
• Many Art Worlds
• Student Recruitment
• Steering (formerly the ‘grassroots’ ARB working group)

The ARBC welcomes all students, faculty, and staff who are interested in participating. If you have questions about the work of the ARBC, would like to get involved, or would like to set up a meeting with the Steering committee, contact ARBC_Steering@TuftsCloud.onmicrosoft.com.

Read more about the ARBC

SMFA Faculty Committee on Community and Inclusion

This faculty committee focuses on campus culture, as well as current policies and initiatives as they relate to the equitable distribution of class and campus resources and the inclusion of all SMFA students, faculty, and staff. The committee gathers information about the experience of our community members and proposes relevant changes to current policies and/or propose new policies and initiatives to enact change.

Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion (DSDI)​ and Identity-based Centers

Tufts School of Arts and Sciences (including SMFA at Tufts) shares a Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion (DSDI) with the School of Engineering. Under the leadership of Ellise LaMotte, the Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Success, DSDI staff work across the schools to support undergraduates and graduate students and work toward equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion on our campuses. Within this division, our Identity-based Centers work collectively and independently to develop knowledge of and appreciation for diversity at Tufts. All students are welcome at each center, and they sponsor many activities throughout the year such as field trips, lectures, and social events. For more information, visit their websites:

Africana Center

Asian American Center

Center for STEM Diversity

FIRST Resource Center

Indigenous Students Center

Latinx Center

LGBT Center

Women's Center

The StAAR Center

The StAAR Center (formally Student Accessibility Services and the Academic Resource Center) is a central resource for students, including those with disabilities. The StAAR Center values the individuality of our students, offering a number of different programs and services to help students reach their full potential, such as accessibility services, academic coaching, individual student support, academic skills workshops, tutoring, writing support, and faculty resources.

Student Funding and Fellowship Opportunities

Tisch Summer Fellows Program

Tisch Fund for Civic Engagement

Visiting and Early Research Scholars' Experiences Program (VERSE)

A list of external funding opportunities is available through the Career Center's Diverse Opportunities Newsletter.