The Department of French and Italian stands against injustice, prejudice, and intolerance in all its forms. Through our research, teaching, and service, we aim to educate citizens who recognize that creating and sustaining a more inclusive world is a self-conscious practice that foregrounds diversity, equity, and inclusion and makes every individual feel welcome and safe. 

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We believe that our collective advancement depends on our ability to learn from people with diverse experiences in all their forms and intersections, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religious and spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and more.

Respect for academic freedom is the hallmark of inclusive intellectual practices. We are committed to scholarly research, teaching, and service that is conducive to the free exchange of ideas and is integral to creating greater societal cohesion and opportunity. In addition to our key mission, which is the research and teaching of French and Italian as well as the cultural production in these languages from a transnational perspective, we also work on building strong partnerships with local actors and communities in equity, integrity, and respect of minorities.

- Faculty, Students, and Staff of the Department of French and Italian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign