Faculty Committee | School of Music, Dance and Theatre

Promoting diversity and inclusion

The Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Committee in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre promotes fairness for all associated with the school, focusing on marginalized communities.

Statement of purpose

In alliance with similar bodies and initiatives across campus, the committee centers the perspectives of marginalized people by combatting structural oppression, including (but not limited to) white supremacy, xenophobia, patriarchy and misogyny, hetero- and cis-normativity, religious discrimination, and physical and neuro-ableism. As it works to dismantle systems of oppression, the committee fosters the values of respect for all, supports accountability, and ensures transparency in decision-making and implementation of policies and procedures.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee meets to examine all aspects of the School of Music, Dance and Theatre and makes recommendations to the school faculty and leadership to promote equity and justice through diversity and inclusion within the school’s student body, faculty and staff, with a specific focus on marginalized communities. The committee, in alliance with similar bodies and initiatives across campus, aspires for the school to advance the voices of a broad range of cultures and perspectives and to develop additional means of incorporating the values of respect for all in the ongoing work of the school.

The committee currently meets every month during each semester. Committee co-chairs meet every week during each semester.

Faculty and staff committee members

Max Bernstein
Gabriel Bolanos
Cathal Breslin
Nancy Buck
Jason Caslor
Jamal Duncan
Brad Edwards
Micha Espinosa
Matthew Fiorentino

Benjamin Hedquist
Kristin Hunt
Robert Farid Karimi
Jorge Magana
Karen Jean Martinson
Nathan De'Shon Myers
Fernanda Navarro
David Olarte
Samuel Pena

Daniel Roumain
David Schildkret
Joya Scott
Mary Stephens
Stephanie Weiss
Christi Jay Wells
Toby Yatso

Committee co-chairs

Sub-committees

Audition reform

The audition reform sub-committee works with area chairs to widen the lanes of access to auditions within the audition process.

Recruitment

The recruitment sub-committee works with ASU faculty to help build stronger relationships with potential students, program directors and schools within the communities in throughout the valley, across Arizona and throughout the country.

Curriculum re-design

The curriculum re-design sub-committee works with faculty at large to diversify required curricular offerings in efforts to decentralize whiteness.

Student liaisons

The Student Liaison sub-committee works directly with the Inclusion, Diversity and Accountability Student Committee to advance student-oriented initiatives across the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.