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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging initiatives

A welcoming, inclusive and supportive community

Arizona State University is a welcoming, inclusive and supportive community that respects and honors all cultures and identities and that strives to promote a campus that is open, safe and supportive by providing educational opportunities and advocacy programs that empower students and faculty of all cultures, gender identities and sexual orientations to thrive.


The School of Music, Dance and Theatre is committed to building a community devoted to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in all that we do.

This website highlights our initiatives and their status, many of which were developed from suggestions, requests or concerns brought forward by our students, alumni, staff and faculty.

  • Developed the School of Music, Dance and Theatre Strategic Plan [Completed September 2022]. The plan includes initiatives around specific target areas (Budget, Organization and Culture, Human Resources, Recruitment and Admission, Networks of Faculty, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Communities and Access) with strategic objectives, actions steps, intended outcomes, outcome measures and a status report.
  • Created a standing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Faculty Committee ratified in the school’s bylaws [Completed 2021-22 academic year; Bylaws received faculty approval April 2021].
  • Created the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability Student Committee [Completed 2020-21 academic year].
  • Created the Educational Equity Cohort, which brings together faculty with campus thought leaders in educational equity for the development of pedagogical and curricular initiatives that promote equity, inclusion and belonging in learning and teaching within music, dance and theatre [Developed 2021-22 academic year; First cohort in progress during the 2022-23 academic year].
  • Redesigned and implemented a new student course evaluation feedback tool that focuses on student centered learning and equitable learning spaces to better understand, both individually and collectively, about how our students are experiencing the learning environments we are creating [Completed Spring 2022, implemented summer 2022].
  • Implemented procedures for students to follow to report concerns and developed a crisis response protocol for handling student concerns [Completed Fall 2021, implemented spring 2022].
  • Added diversity, equity and inclusion documentation on the annual faculty activity report and evaluation processes [Implemented for 2020 evaluation process, ongoing].
  • Created School of Music, Dance and Theatre Student Advisory Council, which meets with the school leadership twice per semester [Implemented in fall 2020 and ongoing].
  • Published clear and accessible pathways of communication for students including duties for staff and leadership team members. This is emailed to all current students at the beginning of the year and published on the website [Implemented in fall 2020 and updated annually].