DAE Culture, Diversity and Inclusivity Action Points 2021

Since 2019, Design Academy Eindhoven has been focused on updating its approach to education and its internal structures in response to the changing demands of its student body and to reflect significant shifts in wider society.

In April 2021, DAE’s Executive Board published the findings of an independent report into the culture at school, commissioned in response to criticism on social media relating to DAE and art and design education and institutions in the Netherlands.

These two processes have helped shape a number of action points. Some of these have already been completed, some are currently in the process of being addressed, and some are not yet initiated but will be in the coming months. The end goal is a significant structural change across many facets of the Academy, including student assessments, teacher training, care and internal accountability.

DAE’s editorial team has produced this summary to help the DAE community understand where we are and where we hope to go next.

What we have done so far

→Launched an Open Call for new BA Studio Leaders and Head of Information Design for the Masters Department, aimed at opening up the Academy to a wider range of ideas and viewpoints
→Introduced regular, informal meetings between the Executive Board and the DAE community, including student conversations, lesson visits and visits to the private studios of Heads and Studio Leaders
→Commissioned Bezemer & Schubad to research the overall culture at DAE and shared the results with staff, educators and students through meetings, emails and via the website
→Commissioned Bezemer & Schubad to investigate the culture within Studio Identity, published a summary of the findings and held discussions with current students and studio leadership to determine next steps
→Overhauled participation within DAE to create new systems where students, educators and staff can have a clear seat at the table in decision making and shaping the curriculum
→Overhauled the complaints procedure and structure of reporting with confidential counsellors and advisors
→Introduced new professorships to strengthen research at the Academy, including a dedicated professorship for Diversity and Inclusivity
→Repositioned DAE’s management team to better reflect the needs and structure of the school
→Introduced a new Teachers’ Week, with training, lectures and events to support teacher development
→Transformed the structure of the BA programme, introducing a flexible studio system with more self-directed teaching from the student’s perspective and more participation between students, teachers and staff
→Clarified the organisational structure and communicated this via a new organogram.

→Implemented new hiring policies and practices approved by the Institutional Participation Council
→Introduced *new study guides covering all aspects of education at DAE for MA and BA students
→Delivered a Social Justice Conference during the 2021 Graduation Show at Dutch Design Week, with elements broadcast online
→Created a new Code of Conduct, which must be signed by all new staff and students on joining DAE

*published within OSIRIS

Currently in progress

→Development of a “landing programme” for the new Code of Conduct, targeted at staff, educators and students, to help integrate the code into school life and inform any future iterations of the language included in the code. For this development an external organisation has been hired. They will work with staff and students to initiate the debate around the Code of Conduct. Awareness of insights and values is an important starting point.
→Launched a new Social Justice Lab for further debate and discussion
→Development of a series of Inclusivity and Diversity training sessions and courses for staff and teachers, to be included within the 2022 Management Contract
→Creation of a new vision and mission plan, outlining DAE’s vision for the ‘education of the future’, formed in collaboration with a large group of current students, tutors, heads and staff to share with the DAE community
→Reassessment of current hiring practices, with a particular focus on identifying any barriers towards inclusivity and diversity

→An international design research festival to take place in Spring 2022, organised around the themes explored through the DAE professorships

→Assembling a small working group to screen the new BA curriculum for diversity and inclusivity of the basic bachelor curriculum
→Evaluation of the new Code of Conduct following its initial rollout
→Ongoing cooperation between the Anti-Racist Committee, the student council and the Executive Board to identify opportunities for change and action. Amongst others around the current vacancies for Diversity officers and the associated selection process for new staff, as well as identifying priorities for the coming academic year.
→Setting up further training courses in didactic skills for teachers

→Commissioning further research by Bezemer & Schubad into specific cases on inappropriate behaviour highlighted in their previous study
→Establishment of a new Alumni Desk, with a main point of contact for all alumni issues and communications
→Creation of second Teachers’ Week
→Implementation of findings and recommendations from BA and MA course reviews
→ Development of a new process around student assessments and feedback processes to be trialled in 2022
→Introduction of new educational structure and core curricula across BA and MA courses. All courses will follow the new curriculum formats from September 2022. →Rollout of new curriculum across all programmes, shaping courses to reflect the ongoing development of education at DAE
→Dialogue with freelance staff across MA and BA, with the goal of securing status of freelancers and developing a new freelance contract

Your input

The Executive Board is open to feedback on all elements of the above plan and enthusiastically welcomes any and all ideas towards improving the safety and experience of all members of the DAE community. Contact them at ExecutiveBoard@designacademy.nl.