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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Graduate Student Funding

The Department of Visual Arts at UC San Diego is a home for artists, scholars, staff, students, audiences and those who embrace, embody, and nurture an expansive and critical vision of art. We believe that art as a practice generates, clarifies, expands and shares human experience and should not be a matter of luxury and privilege.

In order to support and advance our focus on questioning what art can be considered important, who can create art and what art can be made, we are offering two forms of EDI support for graduate students in the department.

EDI Fellowships

Two EDI fellowships of $500 each will be awarded each quarter. Students can nominate themselves or other Visual Arts graduate students for activities that they are doing or plan to do this quarter related to EDI. Activities can include artistic works, providing EDI leadership, enhancing the department climate, building collaborative activities, and/or engaging diverse communities on campus and/or in our region.

Deadlines for 2022-23:

  • October 31, 2022
  • January 31, 2023
  • April 30, 2023

Proposals should be presented in 500 words or less and should include how the activities are important for the department and how specifically it will enhance the student experience. Proposals sent after the deadline will not be considered for that quarter. Students will be informed of the status as quickly as possible.. Payment will be made via a stipend to the student during the quarter it is awarded. One Visual Arts EDI fellowship will be awarded per student during their time on campus. All proposals should be sent to the Visual Arts EDI Advisor (Ruben Ortiz, ruortiz@ucsd.edu) who will convene an ad-hoc committee of faculty & staff to make selections.

Visual Arts EDI Fellows are expected to:

  • Meet with the Visual Arts EDI Advisor at least once a month
  • Write a paragraph or submit material for an online exhibition about the EDI activities they are working on. This will be posted on the department’s diversity page

EDI Workshops

As a result of the EDI grad-meeting that was held in December 2021, the department plans to support some of the workshops that enhance the overall department graduate student climate.

To request up to $200 in funds for a workshop that supports EDI goals, please submit an email request, subject titled "EDI Graduate Workshop Fund Request" to CAO [Laura Martin replacement TBD] with the following information:

  • Amount Requested
  • Purpose of funds requested

All funds will be approved by the faculty EDI advisor. Retroactive requests are not considered.

Additionally, the EDI office also offers funds for events that support the campus climate: https://diversity.ucsd.edu/centers-resources/funding.html#Eligibility-Criteria