NYU Florence

Villa La Pietra

Villa La Pietra, a sprawling Renaissance-era estate that includes five villas and more than 37 acres of gardens, has been home to NYU Florence since the mid-1990's.

Tucked in the hills to the north of Florence, students have sometimes described the orchards and greenery of Villa La Pietra as a quiet refuge away from the bustle of the city. Students of color, however, have had a somewhat different experience:

NYU Florence Residence Hall Manager Amanda Agyei resigned from NYU Florence in 2020 as a protest against the culture of "racism and bullying" on campus. In an open letter to the NYU community, Agyei speaks out about the many ways in which the program was failing students of color, from the lack of diversity among faculty and staff to the casual use of phrases like "slave labor" in front of students.

“I realized that nothing was actually going to change. A lot of the talk of it being inclusive — a lot of it was posturing, because I had all the conversations and nothing happened."

Since Agyei's resignation, NYU Florence has launched numerous initiatives aimed to foster a more anti-racist and inclusive environment on campus, including spotlighting students of color in their publicity materials (below) and inviting Black Italians such as rapper Tommy Kuti and director Daphne De Cinto to speak at the Villa (right).

Tommy Kuti, Afro-Italian rapper

Daphne De Cinto, director

Basta così?

But is it enough? Many students have suggested that now is a good time for the university to go beyond event programming and to institute structural changes to combat racism on the Florence campus.

Hoping to further develop current dialogue on this issue, as well as to contribute a student perspective, we have come up with several initiatives, including workshops, student programming, and new hiring practices, that could be implemented to better support students of color at NYU Florence.

Toward a More Anti-Racist and Inclusive Study Abroad Experience

Initiative 1: Student Education Programming

Student education programming would take place as part of the current study abroad orientation after arrival in NYU Florence. Orientation is currently 5 days and we could add 1-2 additional days to include the new material.

The new material would include cultural expectations (racism, political culture, religion), student life (clubs, local university collab, excursion class), and how to adjust to life (getting around, food, dietary restrictions). Orientation would be led by professors and administrators, ideally professors who teach anti racist courses. Another option for educators can be students who are leaving the study abroad program and have completed their semester to pass on the information.

An important part of the orientation would deal with Italian and American ideas of race and ethnicity. American ideas about race are uniquely American, and therefore not applicable to Italy. Racism in Italy looks and operates differently; students should receive a crash course on how race and racism function in Italy. They should receive education on customs, language (potentially including discussions on slurs and microaggressions), and contemporary politics.

Initiative 2: Pre-Departure Course

We would propose the addition of a 2-unit "pre-departure" course (non-mandatory) aimed at students who are studying abroad in future semesters. The aim of the course would be to provide students with critical information regarding life in Italy, such as cultural norms and etiquette and how to ride the bus, as well as information about the contemporary racial landscape in Italy.

Initiative 3: Staff Education Programming

All staff and faculty at NYU Florence, especially professors, should take part in an orientation about racism. Since many staff members from the NYU Florence campus are probably of Italian origin, they might have a different perspective and understanding of race (as seen with the comment in regards to the office being referred to as a “slave office”). A basic training to familiarize them with things that might not be socially acceptable in American culture and to reduce the amount of microaggressions used in conversation would be very beneficial.

Staff who are in charge of receiving complaints and reports about racism should be fully responsible for their obligations.

Initiative 4: Prioritize Diversity in Hiring Practices

The inclusion of questions related to diversity in the interview and hiring process could help screen racist candidates, as well as ensure that candidates are fully prepared to support students of color. For example, the inclusion of questions such as "how would you handle X scenario" would help committees to make sure that new hires are able to properly handle difficult or uncomfortable situations.

Diversity should also be a priority when hiring, if possible, particularly for staff and faculty working directly with students.

Initiative 5: Collaborate with Local Universities

A collaborative peer to peer program with a local university in the area to create connections in Italy for study abroad students. Biweekly or weekly meeting between 2 vetted students who would like to meet a local Italian student and vice versa, they will meet for coffee or lunch and talk either in English or Italian depending on language skill level. This will help form cross-cultural connections creating a more authentic study abroad experience by helping students break out of the NYU Villa La Pietra bubble and into Florence as much as possible.

Initiative 6: Student Clubs and Extracurriculars

RA or some other faculties at NYU Florence can organize tour guides based on a vote from students around the city. By doing so, we can at least avoid going out alone, which makes an individual more likely to be assaulted by racists. Also, when traveling in groups, students can also support each other. Additionally, a student of color club like the BSU, Chinese student groups, etc combined into one to give them a safe space on campus to express themselves and share experiences, ideally supervised by a non-Black professor/administrator.

This kind of student-to-student exchange would provide a chance for students to connect and share their experiences living in Florence. Students could share tips on places to visit, restaurants, experiences, etc, as well as support each other when dealing with potential instances of racism.

Initiative 7: Excursion Course

Worth 2 credits. Highly recommended/mandatory for the first semester abroad. Students and a professor explore the city, monuments, and city sites to learn about the significance of the areas and monuments in the city, the course could be focused on Renaissance or post-Colonial sites. With the supervision and instruction of a University professor, students would be able to have a history lesson while in the location they are learning and be able to walk around the city with a responsible guide from the University to help them work their way through the culture and local life. And give the opportunity to have aperitivo or dinner, after class but depending on the time of the class, with professors and students getting the opportunity to see how the culture is together in real-time in real life, and be able to help and inform each other about cultural differences. Taught in English.

Initiative 8: Celebrate Black arts and culture at NYU Florence.

Students could organize activities such as movie screenings, language exchanges, and art exhibit tours to help them connect with the local community. This would ideally make students comfortable being around the local community, and vice versa. This would also give students a chance to not only consider themselves ‘visitors’ but active members of the community. Films, such as If Only I Were that Warrior, should be screened periodically at the villa. The villa is also filled with art; there should be a space for Black artists.

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