28 ● Universities that are attached to a producing entity or professional theatre should provide a pathway for students to work, intern, or design for that company, and be paid for their labor. ● Establish a path for community college students to transfer to traditional design programs and provide scholarship money to aid underprivileged students in making this transition. ● Advocate for theater design and production track programs in underprivileged communities to be fully funded, respected, and included. ○ Tribal Colleges and Universities have unmatched and special relationships with tribal communities and can reach Indigenous students in ways the rest of the United States college system cannot. ○ Historically Black Colleges and Universities should be considered as complete and equal to other institutions. ○ We advocate for creating authentic and reciprocal partnerships with other universities and PWIs. ● Establish robust alumni networks to connect BIPOC students to career opportunities following graduation. ● Encourage interested BIPOC designers to apply to academic jobs, and advocate for their hiring at institutions into fair paying, full-time, tenured positions. ○ Protect BIPOC faculty from abuse and racism from within the institution. ● Invest in local vocational, trade schools, and communities to introduce students to production skills.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Educational institutions must treat international students as equal to their peers from the U.S. If the institution commits to accepting students, it must follow through in supporting students' success in overcoming all the barriers that might arise. Financial, Legal, and Equity ● Provide financial or legal assistance necessary to navigate the legal challenges international students face when studying in the United States. ○ We suggest creating a fund to cover the cost of student visas. ● Address the multilingual needs of international students who do not speak English as their first language. ● Faculty must provide international students equal access to design assignments for school productions regardless of their English language abilities.
