A Special Message to Theatre Alumni

Dear CSU Theatre Alumni:

We thank our great alumni network for raising its collective voices and acknowledging the mishandling of past transgressions within our Department of Theatre and Dance. Through your artistry, efforts and support, Columbus State University 's Theatre program continues to extend its influence within many sectors of entertainment, education, and business all over the world. That influence must begin at home, however, and represent everyone connected with CSU 's Theatre Department.

Through a newly formed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force, we are now able to address those issues. After an extensive investigation, we have now begun a process of restructuring, prioritizing and shifting the culture of theatre education at CSU. Guiding that process is a handpicked collection of current students, alumni, faculty, and outside professionals to serve on the department 's newly commissioned the Task Force for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Our task force 's mission is three-fold:

• We See You. We recognize the importance of developing precise policies and practices to amplify equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging for our Department of Theatre and Dance. We are advocates who support all students feeling safe, seen and validated within an educational setting.
• We Hear You. We firmly believe in celebrating diversity because justice and equality are basic human rights and necessary in ensuring opportunity for all. In doing so, we find it crucial that the learning environment reflect the increasing multicultural society in which we live, learn and perform through both representation and policies. We encourage students to use their voices to promote and foster equality.
• We Stand with You. We are currently developing and executing a plan of action. Our goal is to create policies that will be responsive to the ever-changing and evolving community 's needs around equity. We will strategize how to create a safe space for students today to produce a community of the future that exemplifies and celebrates equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

For the past few weeks, we have been engaged in challenging conversations and collaborations to ensure diversity, equality and inclusion are amplified within the structures of theatre education and reflected in curriculum, productions, practices and policies.

It is our hope that CSU Theatre can lead the charge for the entire university and model for other arts institutions across the country in what effective change and action look like for students now and students to come. We thank you for your continued support as we move forward to a better future for CSU Theatre, and we look forward to keeping you informed and engaged along this journey.

We see YOU. We hear YOU. We stand with YOU.

Sincerely,

The Members of the Department of Theatre and Dance 's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force