OUR MISSION
Strengthening and demonstrating our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The goals of the Institute are to:
Promote access to interdisciplinary arts and humanities resources within Berkshire County through community partnerships and events
Increase the visibility of MCLA as a regional and national site for research, study, and discussion of the arts and humanities with MCLA students and faculty at the forefront of innovative and contemporary experiential learning opportunities
Increase the understanding – through research, study, and discussion – of broadly defined notions of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus, in the region, and nationally (race/ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, [dis]ability status, political perspectives, etc.)
Provide forums (think tanks, policy forums, et. al) that provide opportunities for work toward increasing contemporary and historical activities in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Create safe, conducive, and inclusive research, study, and discussion communities where diversity, equity, and inclusion are welcomed
and celebrated
OUR DEFINITION
The humanities are elastic, dynamic, and indispensable.
In our definition, we have tried to balance an openness to the wide range of possible fields and disciplines with some examples to provide a sense of composite elements. We would like to model an open attitude towards individuals and organizations who are interested in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the humanities in the Berkshires: The humanities provide tools and methods to make sense of the human experience through the study of fields such as art, economics, history, language, literature, philosophy, and religion.
