Save the Date!

ETSU's fifth annual Equity and Inclusion Conference will be held September 28-30, 2023. 

This year's conference theme is "Beyond 'Checking a Box:' Building and Sustaining Campus-Wide Engagement for Belonging." Registration will open later this spring.

 

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Call for Proposals

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to present during concurrent sessions, special topics sessions, panel discussions, and civic cafes. Proposals are due by May 15, 2023.
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About the Conference

ETSU's annual Equity and Inclusion Conference features keynote speakers and presenters from across the country, focusing on topics such as Appalachian identity, culture, race, and accessibility. This year's conference theme is "Beyond 'Checking a Box:' Building and Sustaining Campus-Wide Engagement for Belonging." The conference is open to the public. Registration will open later this spring. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at (423) 439-8346. 
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Registration Fees

Registration has not yet opened. Rates may be subject to change. 

Regular Conference

Early Bird Rate: $75 (before August 31, 2023)
Sleepy Bird Rate: $100 (September 1 - 22, 2023)
Week of Event: $125 (September 23 - 29, 2023)
Student Rate: $25 (with valid student ID)

ETSU employees may utilize their education benefits. Details will be provided when registration opens. 

 

Student Conference

Free with valid ETSU student ID.
$25 with valid student ID (non-ETSU)

 

A colorful painting of various people standing in front of the ETSU bell tower. To illustrate the conference theme, one individual is portrayed as having made a hula hoop out of the frame of a checkbox. Another is playing with a check mark.

Featured Artist
Jason Flack

Presentation Element
Artist Jason Flack
The artwork illustrating this year's conference theme was created by Jason Flack.

Jason is an “Urban Folk” expressionist & pop-artist, community leader, and speaker and a  native of Johnson City, Tennessee. His work has been heavily influenced by personal life experiences as well as many cartoons, comic books, and music. He has been drawing for over 30 years and painting for over 10. Jason has entrenched himself in an all-things-art lifestyle,  being a part of local art advocacy and bridging the gap between self-taught and academia. He was called to start painting after the sudden death of his twin sister, Jessica, in 2010.

His work elicits energy by using bright colors surrounded by bold black lines. Since the beginning, he has used painting as therapy to direct grief into movement and thoughtfulness and to hold a mirror up to society. He is influenced by the work of many artists including Barry McGhee, Margaret Kilgallen, Ed Roth, Genndy Tartakovsky,  Keith Haring, & Jean-Michel Basquiat.

In the summer of 2021, his painting titled, The Black Nanny won Best in Show at the Kingsport Art Guild’s Appalachian Art Show. In November 2022, he was the recipient of the Network of Advocates for Promising Practices in Education Award (NAPPE) for the 10th annual FL3TCH3R Exhibit at the Reece Museum. He is also a recipient of the Art Alliance Mountain Empire Art Achievement Award for 2023. Jason’s work can be found all over downtown Johnson City, TN, in private exhibits, and in the Reece Museum permanent collections including the Sammie Nicely Collection. You can follow him on Instagram (@artbyjasonflack), and he can be reached by email: artbyjasonflack@gmail.com.

 

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