SVA is committed to providing a learning, working, and living environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Any incidents of bias, discrimination or harassment that have occurred within the SVA community should be reported via this form, or by contacting Laurel Christy, Title IX coordinator, lchristy@sva.edu.

Students may also bring their concerns to their advisor, a faculty or staff member, department chair or Bill Martino, associate executive director of Student Affairs, wmartino@sva.edu. Faculty and staff may also contact Amy Brundage, director of Human Resources, abrundage@sva.edu

Any senior administrator, department chair or coordinator—or any other person with supervisory responsibility—who receives a complaint of harassment or discrimination is required to report it to the Title IX Office or Human Resources immediately.

Any student who violates College policy by subjecting another to discrimination or harassment of any kind will be subject to disciplinary action, including immediate expulsion from the College, in accordance with the procedures and policies outlined in the SVA Handbook.

SVA is committed to provide those who feel that they have been subjected to conduct in violation of this policy with mechanisms for seeking redress and resources for support. The College prohibits retaliation against any person for complaining of a violation of this policy or for participating in any investigation or proceedings related to an alleged violation.

Any senior administrator, department chair or coordinator—or any other person with supervisory responsibility—who receives a complaint of harassment or discrimination is required to report it to the Title IX Office or Human Resources immediately.

Any faculty or staff member who violates College policy by subjecting another to discrimination or harassment of any kind will be subject to disciplinary action, including immediate expulsion from the College or termination of employment, in accordance with the procedures and policies outlined in the SVA Handbook.

SVA is committed to provide those who feel that they have been subjected to conduct in violation of this policy with mechanisms for seeking redress and resources for support. The College prohibits retaliation against any person for complaining of a violation of this policy or for participating in any investigation or proceedings related to an alleged violation.

The SVA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force seeks to create a just, brave, and supportive environment for all campus stakeholders—students, staff, faculty, alumni, industry partners, vendors, and the greater New York City community—so that all may have an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. The DEI Task Force will align its mission and initiatives with SVA’s mission, strategic goals, and core values. 

The present standing and history of systems of racial oppression permeate all levels of our society. It is important that the SVA DEI Task Force acknowledges, assesses, and challenges systems of power and privilege that are subtle and often go unrecognized. The intersection of these systems with discrimination based on age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation will be studied and understood by all members of our community.  

We will achieve this mission by providing the following services and initiatives:

• creating more diverse and inclusive curriculums;
• recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff;
• establishing inclusive and equitable campus environments where people can bring their whole selves/intersectional identities in all;
• providing consistent, transparent, and proactive cross-institution communication;
• creating opportunities for growth (financial, career, personal, cultural, social);
• conducting formal and informal assessment and evaluation within the SVA community.

The vision for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SVA is to create a strategic plan that:

• reimagines diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• breaks down silos by engaging campus stakeholders in developing a shared vision and implementation of DEI initiatives;
• increases the structural diversity of the students, faculty, staff, and administration;
• establishes sustainable training, education and instructional workshops, and seminars;
• reimagines curriculum and pedagogy within the context of DEI;
• strengthens and builds upon the reputation of the School of Visual Arts as a premier art and design school and institution.

The DEI task force at SVA encourages all students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration to join the conversation and be a part of the effort to create and sustain an equitable, just, and welcoming College campus and community.

To contact the task force, email diversity@sva.edu.

Task Force Chair

Dru Alvez Sr.

Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Jerold L. Davis

Director, Institutional Research 

Jennifer Phillips

Director, Learning Technology

Dennis Mayer

Controller, Finance

Gregory Herbowy

Associate Director, Communication

Brenda Fortune

Coordinator, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Michael Severance

Operations Manager, Academic Affairs

Emily Ross

Associate Provost

Miya Osaki

Chair, MFA Design for Social Innovation

Kyoko Miyabe

Chair, Humanities & Sciences

Laurel Christy

Title IX Coordinator

Matthew Farina

Associate Executive Director, Admissions

Adam Krumm

Asst. Director./Asst. Title IX Coordinator, Residence Life

SVA Libraries maintains and provides access to a number of online resource guides aimed at promoting underrepresented voices and advancing the cause of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including:

• the SVA Library Antiracist Resource Guide, which includes e-books, articles and films, as well as protest tips, ways to help your local community, and more
• A regular rotation of culturally representative texts and media to celebrate diversity at SVA
• Black Freedom Struggle in the United States, a ProQuest collection of primary-source documents about the key figures and movements in the fight for equality in America

In conjunction with the L.E.A.D. Firm the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office has curated a series of in-person/recorded sessions, podcasts, and quizzes to build and retain skills and competencies that allow SVA employees to deliver the most culturally aware content in the classroom or the responsive and caring support outside the classroom.

This academic year's in-person training occurred on Thursday, September 12, and Thursday, March 27.

Faculty, administrators, and staff are encouraged to email diversity@sva.edu with any questions or requests for access to the training recordings.

SVA supports all community members who feel comfortable with making their pronouns known and expects all community members to honor individuals’ pronouns.

Examples of pronouns include “he/him/his,” “she/her/hers,” and “they/them/theirs.” Some individuals use multiple pronouns—for example, “he/they.”

Individuals who feel comfortable sharing their pronouns may do so through verbal or written communication (e.g., email signature).

For more information on pronoun declaration and gender identity, please consult the following links:

• The Center, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center
• GLSEN, an LGBTQIA+ student advocacy organization.

AAC&U News

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is an organization whose mission is to support and advance liberal education in the U.S. through programming and other resources.

AICAD Blog

AICAD—the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design—is a nonprofit organization comprising the leading art and design colleges in the U.S. and Canada, including the School of Visual Arts. The AICAD blog announces symposia, funding, and other opportunities, and news from its member institutions.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

One of the longest-running publications of higher-education news, The Chronicle of Higher Education maintains the nation’s largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Diverse is a magazine and online platform dedicated to covering DEI news in higher education.

El Museo del Barrio

The press section of El Museo del Barrio’s website features the latest news, initiatives and programs from the museum, whose mission is to celebrate and support Latino artists, artistic traditions, and cultures.

Inside Higher Ed

Inside Higher Ed is a publication dedicated to higher-education news, analysis, and services.

Studio Magazine

Studio Magazine, the publication of the Studio Museum in Harlem, focuses its coverage on contemporary artists of African descent.

2025 AICAD Symposium “Engaging Values”

The AICAD Symposium will take place from November 12 to November 14, 2025. The 2025 Symposium considers the role of values in art and design education and practice. The word “value” can mean many things, from what is admired and prioritized individually and collectively to institutional values, financial values, the value of a college education, critical thinking, or media literacy. The conference organizers invite contributions that explore a range of sites and situations where art and design can affirm, challenge, contest, clarify, and/or reconstruct our notions of values.

NADOHE 2025

The National Association of Diversity Offices in Higher Education (NADOHE) has scheduled its next conference for March 2025 in Chicago. NADOHE welcomed more than 1,000 people to Chicago for its nineteenth Annual Conference. Through daily keynote addresses, special sessions, and dozens of concurrent sessions, the conference equipped attendees with tools, strategies, and insights needed to guide institutions and higher education more broadly through evolving conditions and stay resolute in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging.

NASPA 2025

The NASPA Annual Conference is the premier conference for student affairs and higher education professionals alike, with various opportunities for development and networking. This event features speakers who engage participants in thoughtful reflection on the field, hundreds of educational sessions presented by student affairs, academic affairs, and student success educators, and networking events that both engage and inspire us to do impactful work on our campus. This year’s conference was held in New Orleans in March of 2025.

NCORE 2025

The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) has scheduled its 2025 conference for late May/early June in New York City. Conference sessions will also be viewable online. More information will be made available in the coming months.