Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Loyola University Chicago Theatre Program enthusiastically affirms its obligations to provide fair and equitable educational opportunities for all students, to engage in thoughtful action to dismantle oppression, and to pursue social justice. Loyola Theatre teaching and artistry must reflect and represent a genuinely diverse array of communities, identities, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We insist upon transparency, accountability, and intentionally facilitated dialogue among students, staff, and faculty. We require the active, ongoing examination of how power and privilege shape our shared environment as well as the broader world. We protect the ability to express—and without fear of adverse consequences—questions and concerns related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. We value the opinions of all students, staff, and faculty, and we commit to creating an environment that fosters thoughtful discussion and action for justice.

We oppose all forms of discrimination and oppression, including but not limited to those related to race, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, language, religious affiliation, political affiliation, ability, health status, age, physicality, birthplace, citizenship status, etc., and we pledge to demonstrate these values through concrete ongoing action in the areas of:

• Curriculum, classroom, and studio teaching – We will provide an educational experience that reflects a diversity of voices, points of view, and opinions. We seek to offer curricula that balance local, national, and comparative international perspectives as much as possible.
• Season selection and production process – We seek to produce theatre that is reflective of the Loyola community as well as local and international communities. We strive to program a range of works that challenge our students as artists and scholars and that feature a diverse array of voices (including those from groups historically underrepresented at Loyola and in the theatre world beyond the university). In an effort to engage the university community in all its diversity, we also seek to communicate about auditions and other theatrical opportunities not only with students who are registered theatre majors and minors but also with other members of the student body.
• Advising and mentorship – We commit to ongoing student mentorship and advising and the support of student growth through thoughtful guidance. We encourage students, staff, and faculty to engage in artistic pursuits that support our core values, and we prioritize the creation of an environment in which students can communicate openly about their mentorship needs.
• Collaboration with other organizations and departments, both external and internal to the university – We actively seek opportunities for students and faculty to engage in local, national, and international partnerships, and we aim to support those partnerships however we can. In addition to our program-specific work regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, we affirm our ongoing commitment to (and active participation in) university-wide initiatives on those fronts.
• Public event programming – We seek to develop public event programming that is a service to our entire student body and larger communities. We must amplify and concretely support the artistic expression of the most diverse array of voices possible.
• Recruitment and retention of students, staff, and faculty – We recognize that as a program we can only serve our students, faculty, and broader communities in the ways that they deserve if our program is reflective of the diversity of a global community. We believe that we have an obligation to ensure this diversity through targeted recruitment and creating an environment in which students, staff, and faculty all feel like their voices are valued, respected, and supported.

Finally, we recognize that an ethical commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice is never a finished process, but instead a commitment that must be renewed through ongoing education, rigorous reflection, and collaboration with a range of organizations, departments, and other external entities. We are committed to addressing any situations that may arise that do not align with our shared values in these areas and to ensuring that all members of our community have multiple, accessible paths for raising concerns and concrete processes for follow-up attention to those concerns.