We express our deep concern regarding the continued employment of Bill Gaskins as the Program Director of the 'Photography + Media & Society' MFA Program at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Bill Gaskins' conduct has raised serious questions about his fitness to lead, and we urge MICA to take immediate action.

In recent times, multiple allegations have surfaced against Bill Gaskins, indicating inexcusable actions that have resulted in lasting negative mental health impacts on former and current students under his tutelage. Furthermore, it is evident that Bill Gaskins' values are incongruent with MICA's core values, casting doubt on his ability to uphold the institution's principles.

Of grave concern are the alarming statistics reflecting the impact of Bill Gaskins' leadership. Over the last few years, multiple students from from each cohort have withdrawn from the program, citing Bill's behavior, leadership style, poor communication, and negative treatment as significant contributing factors to their decisions. Furthermore, it has come to our attention that during Bill Gaskins' hiring process in 2019, students petitioned against Bill to the MICA administration, only to be paid to remain silent about the issue, which is deeply troubling.

Specific incidents have come to light that underscore the urgency of this petition:

1. Sending inappropriate text messages: Bill Gaskins has been reported to send inappropriate text messages to students' personal phone numbers at all hours, creating discomfort and unease among the recipients.
2. Threats of unfounded failure: Bill Gaskins has allegedly resorted to threatening students with failure based on meritless accusations, fostering an environment of fear and intimidation.
3. Unacceptable sexual comments and gestures: During lectures, Bill Gaskins has been accused of injecting uncomfortable and inappropriate sexual comments and gestures (ie: “suck-sess”), which have no place in an academic setting.
4. Unilateral imposition of additional assignments: Students have reported being pressured and required to complete assignments not included in the syllabus, causing undue stress and confusion.
5. Public humiliation: Bill Gaskins has been accused of publicly humiliating students, thereby undermining their confidence and self-worth.
6. Abuse of power: Utilizing his position as program director, Bill Gaskins has allegedly focused primarily on critical race theory, while also banning in-class fine art critiques, depriving students of a holistic fine art degree experience.
7. Bullying: Instances of bullying students and fellow faculty by Bill Gaskins have been reported, creating a hostile and toxic learning environment.
8. Disparaging remarks about MICA: Bill Gaskins has publicly dismissed the value of MICA as an institution and community, urging students not to take any electives, which undermines the ethos and spirit of the institution.
9. Canceling Multiple Classes Without Rescheduling: Bill Gaskins frequently cancels classes without making efforts to reschedule them and often ends them early.  Such practices disregard the students' investment of time, effort, and resources into their education.
   • According to MICA's Credit Hour Policy, credit hours are defined as "(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester" over the course of 4 semesters to achieve the 60 credits required to receive an MFA degree. However, with the frequent cancellation of classes, students are being deprived of these contact hours, which is a direct breach of school policy. These breaches of academic responsibility will be reported to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

It has come to our attention that Bill Gaskins' ongoing contract with MICA is set to renew or has recently been renewed. We implore MICA to take swift and decisive action to address these issues and terminate Bill Gaskins' contract as Program Director of the 'Photography + Media & Society' MFA Program.

The wellbeing and academic success of students should be paramount, and retaining an individual whose actions are antithetical to the values and mission of MICA is untenable.

We call on MICA to prioritize the safety, welfare, and academic integrity of its students by taking immediate action to address this matter.

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