Berklee2005: Build on Our Strengths 1.2

1.2 Create an environment in which women and minorities know that they are full and valued members of the community

(progress as of August 2004, August 2003, August 2002, August 2001)

Progress as of August 2005
There are five objectives for this strategic initiative:

Create an environment in which access to and influence upon decision-making and policies is unaffected by gender or minority differences or the perception of same. The Faculty Gender Equity Report, issued in 2003, and the Staff Gender Equity Report, issued in 2005, indicated that much work needs to be done in this area. The President’s Council has adapted a leadership role in addressing this and other related issues.
Continue to attract and retain talented women and minority faculty, staff, and students in all areas of the college. The applicant pools for open positions have been widened and efforts to recruit diverse applicants have greatly increased. The president announced in 2004 the appropriation by trustees of $1 million per year to support diversity at Berklee.
Strive to attain a gender and minority model of inclusiveness for the music industry throughout the Berklee community. The idea of Berklee as a model for the music industry has grown, and with increased diversity in the college’s own ranks of faculty, staff, and students, this model will achieve a larger profile.
Strive for a diverse faculty profile in all departments and divisions of the college that maximizes educational effectiveness, considering the desired profile and needs of the student body. Studies done by the Office of Human Resources during 2004 revealed that in order to address diversity issues across the college, maximum effort is necessary to develop diverse applicant pools for open positions. Female and African-descent hires increased, and women and African-descent candidates have dominated key searches especially.
Integrate comparable women’s and minority achievements and contributions fully into all areas of Berklee’s curriculum and programs. The TFALANA Report, issued in 2003, and the Diversity in Curriculum Task Force report on the core curriculum, issued in 2004, indicated that much work needs to be done to develop the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the college’s curriculum. The appointment of a senior professor in Africana Studies in 2005 is a key step in addressing these issues.

In addition to the Leadership Oversight Group, there were five task groups that were created to address this initiative: The Faculty Gender Equity Task Force, the Staff Gender Equity Task Force, the Task Force for African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American Students (TFALANA), the Task Force on Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationships, and the Diversity in Curriculum Task Force. Each of these groups met throughout the period, and three published consultant’s assessment reports that were highly instructive. In addition to the above summaries, other outcomes included:

A college-wide employee baseline survey with an annual cycle will assess the attitude of faculty and staff towards diversity. Initial results revealed moderate interest and concern (except for underrepresented groups themselves).
A position has been created for a cabinet-level vice president for cultural diversity.
The Women’s Support Network and Association of Faculty of African Descent were formed.
The report of the Staff Gender Equity Task Force was made directly and dramatically to the President’s Council in 2005, demonstrating and demanding the priority of this initiative.
The President’s Council, being more diverse than the President’s Cabinet, was elevated to function as the highest governance body of the college.
Trustee approval of the resource allocation for Berklee’s Diversity Initiative. The college will undertake three large investments that will help us become a more effective institution:
1. Full tuition/room and board scholarships for five—and eventually 20—students, to be launched in Fall 2005.
2. A position in the General Education Department in Africana Studies.
3. The allocation of $1,000,000 for expenditure in the following areas:
  - Creation of a VP level office of diversity, reporting to the President, to support training, conflict resolution, recruiting, and other practices to help us move forward.
  - Faculty residencies and bridge positions that allow us to bring in excellent teachers from underrepresented groups when we find them.
  - Hiring and recruiting support to insure thorough and inclusive searches.
  - Student Affairs positions such as counseling and admissions to help us recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups.
  - Admissions outreach support.
  - Augmentation of scholarships for existing Berklee students.

Progress as of August 2004
There are five objectives for this strategic initiative:

Create an environment in which access to and influence upon decision-making and policies is unaffected by gender or minority differences or the perception of same.
Continue to attract and retain talented women and minority faculty, staff, and students in all areas of the college.
Strive to attain a gender and minority model of inclusiveness for the music industry throughout the Berklee community.
Strive for a diverse faculty profile in all departments and divisions of the college that maximizes educational effectiveness, considering the desired profile and needs of the student body.
Integrate comparable women's and minority achievements and contributions fully into all areas of Berklee's curriculum and programs.

In June 2004 the Board of Trustees approved additional funding of this initiative in the amount of $1 million. The President’s Council is meeting to determine goals and recommend allocation of the funding to provide the maximum impact, including hiring and training at all levels. Additionally, trustees approved the addition of five scholarships annually that will cover full tuition, room and board for selected applicants.

Progress of the task forces that operate under this strategic initiative was as follows:

Faculty Gender Equity Task Force (Provost, Associate Provost)
The task force focused on two main issues from the Gender Equity Implementation Plan for the current year. These are:

The review of curriculum from a perspective of diversity.
The creation of a set of guidelines for recruitment and hiring for all faculty and academic administrative leadership positions.

Responding to the first issue, President Berk, working with an advisory group from Academic Affairs, created a Task Force on Diversity in Curriculum. Further information on this task force, which is chaired by the dean of the Professional Education Division, is found under separate heading below.

The second goal is being coordinated by the Office of Academic Affairs project manager and includes two main areas of research: best practices in use at Berklee for these types of searches, and best practices in use in other academic institutions. A number of issues for consideration in these areas have been collected and published with the overall goal of increasing the number of minority and women faculty at Berklee to address the diverse needs of our student body. Best practices have been outlined for three stages of the search process: planning the search, forming and orienting the search committee, and conducting and following-up the search.

Staff Gender Equity Task Force (Associate Vice President for Administration and Finance and Director of Employee Relations)
The 26-member task force met regularly to explore issues, identify problems and recommend steps to ensure that this critical initiative is being met. After a review of several firms with experience working with equity issues, the task force selected Praxis Consulting to lead the assessment of staff gender equity. This is the same firm that worked previously with the Faculty Gender Equity Task Force and oversaw the work with T-FALANA in its study involving African-American students. All staff were surveyed and 30 individual staff members were selected for interviews. The final report and recommendations will be made public during the late summer/early fall of 2004.

T-FALANA Task Force (Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students)
The Report on Diversity and Inclusion for Berklee College of Music Students, with Specific Emphasis on African-American Students was distributed to the Berklee community in October 2003. This study, completed by the Praxis Consulting Group, reported on meetings and interviews with T-FALANA members, students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators, trustees, and even individuals in the Berklee neighborhood. The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs provided the main administrative support and guidance for the completion of this study. T-FALANA developed a plan and a budget to implement the recommendations from the consultant’s report. The plan was then reviewed by the Gender/Diversity Leadership Oversight Group and the President’s Council before a draft version was presented to the Board of Trustees in June 2004. A final plan is expected in Fall 2004.

Task Force on Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationships (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development and Assistant Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production)
In Fall 2003, task force co-chair Assistant Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production Ron Reid opened the Office on Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationships Resources, located in the Student Activities Center. Faculty, staff, and students may consult with the co-chair on inclusion issues and the resources gathered by the co-chair. The task force’s objective is to develop a model of inclusion as it pertains to attitudes, valuing, respect, procedures, and understanding within and among groups.

During Spring 2004 members of the task force met with potential consultants to consider a model for Berklee, and supported one such model. At the same time, members expressed concern about their own understanding of and sensitivity to the issues and feelings relating to inclusion and exclusion. Throughout the process of interviewing presenters, it became even more important to the task force that leaders committed to supporting inclusion at the college receive training in developing their own attitudes and sensitivity to multicultural differences, beliefs, and expectations. A proposed four-stage plan was developed for accomplishing the task force’ mandate to develop and recommend a model for inclusion:

Generate an appropriate model(s) of inclusion for Berklee. Conduct consultant-led experiences in inclusion, as preparation for effective communication on inclusion issues with the Berklee community. Experience in inclusion would begin Fall 2004.
Implementation of pilot groups for inclusion model experiences and preliminary assessment of pilot group outcomes would be supported by periodic consultation (Spring 2005).
Completion of the model for inclusion and an institution-wide plan for implementing and assessing the model. Once approved, plan phases in implementation with targeted groups and activities. (Spring 2005- Spring 2006)
On-going assessment of model and implementation plan on a yearly basis

Task Force on Curriculum and Programs (Dean, Professional Education Division)
This task force was established for the purpose of reviewing the course offerings of the college in the context of diversity. Formed during Fall 2003, its initial project was a review of the published core curriculum (course descriptions and course syllabi) for inclusion of diversity elements. The task force met during Spring and Summer 2004 to review this document, establish diversity-centered student outcomes, and issue a report (scheduled for September 2004) with recommendations for review by curriculum leaders (deans and department chairs).

Connected offices include Administration/Finance, particularly the Human Resources office; Institutional Advancement, for the establishment of focus groups on involvement of female alumni.

Closely related initiatives include Provide the Finest Educational Experience, Improve Student Satisfaction, and Advance Professional Development.

Gender Equity and Diversity Leadership Oversight Group
Lee Eliot Berk President, Chair/Cabinet Liaison (retired 6/04)
Roger Brown President, Chair/Cabinet Liaison
Vivian C. Beard Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Laura Bernard Trustee
Jack Coffey Trustee
Dolores Johnson Trustee
Cecily Morse Trustee
Sandra Uyterhoeven Trustee Emeritus
Lawrence E. Bethune Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Harry Chalmiers Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Lucy Holstedt Associate Professor of Harmony
Laura Kulba Board Liaison
Lawrence McClellan Dean, Professional Education Division
Stefanie Sullivan Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development
Karen Wacks Associate Professor of Music Therapy
Karen Zorn Associate Provost

Faculty Gender Equity Task Force
Harry Chalmiers Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chair
Kurt Biederwolf Chair, Music Synthesis Department
Consuelo Candelaria Assistant Professor of Ensembles
Janet Chwalibog Associate Director, Faculty Development and Academic Affairs
Stephen Croes Dean, Music Technology Division
Marti Epstein Associate Professor of Composition
Lucy Holstedt Associate Professor of Harmony
Barbara London Chair, Harmony Department
Matt Marvuglio Dean, Performance Division
Lawrence McClellan Dean, Professional Education Division
William Pierce Chair, Woodwind Department
Roberta Radley Assistant Chair, Ear Training Department
Ronald Savage Chair, Ensemble Department
Karen Wacks Associate Professor of Music Therapy
Karen Zorn Associate Provost

Staff Gender Equity Task Force
Margaret Dennis Director of Employee Relations, Cochair (resigned 6/04)
Nancy Eagen Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, Cochair
John Eldert Associate Vice President for Administration and Finance, Cochair
Archibald Agan Associate Director of Auxiliary Services/Purchasing Manager
Robert Bloodworth Career Development and Job Recruitment Coordinator
Janelle Browning Office of Communications Content Editor
Candace Carter-Smalley Office of Human Resources Distributed Support Specialist
Janet Chwalibog Associate Director, Faculty Development and Academic Affairs
Alicia Donnelly International Education Program Coordinator
Janice Fagan Director, Administrative Systems
Lynette Gittens Associate Director, Berklee City Music Programs
Rosie Huntress Assistant to the Vice President for External Affairs
Laura Kulba Executive Assistant to the President/Board Liaison
Renese King Administrative Associate for Student Affairs/Student Development
Eileen Knight Associate Director of Admissions
Anne Leone-Jones Associate Registrar
Scott Mabuchi Music Production and Engineering Studio Manager
Adrian Ross Director of Alumni Affairs
Jane Stachowiak Director of Special Projects for Student Affairs
Stephany Tiernan Chair, Piano Department
Madeleine Toh Training and Support Coordinator, Center for Technology in Music Instruction
Pablo Vargas Associate Director, Learning Center
Kathy Zerlin Film Scoring Department Administrative Assistant
Karen Zorn Associate Provost

T-FALANA
Lawrence E. Bethune Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Chair
Damien Bracken Director of Admissions, Scholarships, and Student Employment
Angela Davis Director, Office of Student Affairs and Parent Services
Lucy Holstedt Associate Professor of Harmony
Renese King Administrative Associate for Student Affairs/Student Development
Steven Lipman Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Enrollment
Ron Mahdi Assistant Professor of Ensemble; President, Association of Faculty of African Descent
Donna McElroy Associate Professor of Voice
Tiffany Murphy Assistant Director of Admissions for Minority & Transfer Students
Brandon Primus President, Student Government Association
Kristin Quiñones Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs
Ronald Savage Chair, Ensemble Department
Jane Stachowiak Director of Special Projects for Student Affairs
Stefanie Sullivan Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development
J. Curtis Warner Assistant Vice President for Community and Governmental Affairs
Karen Zorn Associate Provost

Task Force for Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationships
Stefanie Sullivan Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs for Student Development, Cochair
Ron Reid Assistant Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production, Cochair
Kenn Brass Chair, Professional Music Department
Melinda Colaizzi Student
Lynette Gittens Associate Director, Berklee City Music Programs
Nakia Jackson Student
Angela Johnson-Swan Student
Sheila Katz Associate Professor of General Education
Renese King Administrative Associate for Student Affairs/Student Development
Opal Leung Studio Supervisor, Music Production & Engineering Department
Ron Mahdi Assistant Professor of Ensembles
Kevin McCluskey Associate Professor of Professional Music
James McCoy Associate Director for Education and Community Partnerships
Jane Stachowiak Director of Special Projects for Student Affairs

Task Force for Curriculum and Programs
Lawrence McClellan Dean, Professional Education Division, Chair
Karen Wacks Associate Professor of Music Therapy, Cochair
Darren Barrett Associate Professor of Ensembles
Kenn Brass Chair, Professional Music Department
David Clark Associate Professor of Bass
Monika Goodwine Academic Affairs Office Manager
Rob Jaczko Chair, Music Production & Engineering Department
Yumiko Matsuoka Associate Professor of Ear Training
Robert Myers Associate Vice President for Institutional Assessment
Robert Pilkington Associate Professor of Jazz Composition
Michael Rendish Assistant Chair, Film Scoring Department
Lawrence Watson Associate Professor of Voice

Progress as of August 2003
Progress of the five task forces that fall under this strategic initiative are as follows:

Faculty Gender Equity Task Force (Provost, Associate Provost)

The Faculty Gender Equity Task Force meets monthly and is regularly reviewing strategies for continuing to increase the number of women on the faculty and ensure representation of women in candidate pools and hiring committees.
The Faculty Gender Equity Task Force will establish a central database to track all aspects of hiring processes to ensure diversity and equity: all applications; finalists; and hires; and make-up of search committees.
The Office of Academic Affairs has established a salary review committee (the deans, the provost, the associate provost, and the assistant vice president for academic affairs) to review all rank and salary decisions for faculty to ensure consistency and fairness in these important matters. The same committee will soon be selecting 10 new full-time faculty from the ranks of current part-time faculty, and will continue to include the diversity initiative of the college as part of those decisions. In addition, the provost and associate provost are working closely with the Faculty of African Descent organization and the Women's Support Network to broaden recruiting efforts for all faculty and administrative positions.
The Women's Support Network is a new organization that has grown out of the Faculty Gender Equity Task Force, in conjunction with the Planning Committee for BRASS Day (Berklee's annual all-day event to recognize employee contributions). This group organized a panel of five women, including faculty, administrators, and staff, who presented their views of leadership and strategies for success.
The Faculty Gender Equity Task Force is advocating an expanded program of sending Berklee women as clinicians, artists in residence, and educational leaders to demonstrate the college's active commitment to gender inclusiveness. A project is also being established to keep in touch with Berklee women graduates to encourage them to increase awareness of the college's commitment to diversity and inclusiveness.
The provost will meet with the Faculty of African Descent to include this group in the process of identifying artists for our residency programs.
The Faculty Gender Equity Task Force has begun the second phase of their initiative: examining the consultant recommendations, and implementing those recommendations, modifying them as necessary. Outcomes for each recommendation will be documented.
Procedural changes resulting from the consultant study of the Faculty Gender Equity Task Force will strengthen opportunity for more diversity in the faculty over time. The current two-year conversion program of part-time to full-time faculty has proceeded successfully with this priority in mind. Procedural recommendations from consultant study are being reviewed by the provost in meetings with the Council of Deans (COD) and Council of Department Chairs (COC). An aggressive campaign has been established to recruit women applicants for all openings, particularly in leadership roles such as dean and chair positions, in addition to faculty openings.
The implementation plan has been recast into a format specifically aligned with the five objectives that articulate this strategic initiative. An assessment plan has been created to accompany the implementation plan with specific actions and benchmarks.

Staff Gender Equity Task Force (Associate Vice President for Administration and Finance and Director of Employee Relations)

The Staff Gender Equity Task Force, a 23-member group including men and women from all areas of the campus, was created in October 2002 by the assistant vice president for administration/human resources and the director of employee relations. This task force has been considering and weighing the issues involved in ensuring gender equity for staff campus-wide and plans to engage a consultant to assist with this project.
With the resignation of the assistant vice president for administration/human resources, the associate vice president for administration and finance is serving as co-chair of the task force along with director of employee relations.
A request for proposal has been drafted, with the goal of selecting a consultant to begin a study in Fall 2003.

T-FALANA Task Force (Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Students/Student Development)
In Fall 2002 and Spring 2003, a consultant assessed the environment for ensuring that African-American students are, and feel they are, full and valued members of the Berklee community. The consultant's focus was the African-American student experience and that of other student minorities. She combined her interactive impressions from an extensive campus experience approach with data from the 2002 Noel-Levitz student satisfaction survey. TFALANA received the report in Spring 2003, developed a response to the report during Summer 2003, and with the consultant will present a draft report on findings to the Leadership Oversight Group, after which they (TFALANA) will begin the process of determining action items.

Task Force on Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationships (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development and Assistant Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production)
The existing College Diversity Committee was refocused toward the achievement of this objective and has been elevated to the level of a task force for this strategic initiative. The name of the task force was changed to better reflect its focus. An announcement of the opportunity to serve as co-chair of the task force was sent to all part-time faculty and staff during Fall 2002. There will be physical office space located within the Student Activities Center with stated office hours. The hope is to identify successful models of inclusion from other colleges to review.

In March 2003 Assistant Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production Ron Reid was appointed to the co-chair position. Assignments include:

Establish and convene ongoing task force meetings
Establish an office in the Student Activities Center with posted office hours
Define goals and for this objective

The Office of Inclusion and Inter-Group Relationship Resources will be opened with scheduled office hours posted. A subcommittee will be formed to solicit and select diversity-related proposals for funding.

Task Force on Curriculum and Programs (Provost, Dean, Professional Education Division, and others to be determined)
This task force is being established for the purpose of co-reviewing the course offerings of the college over time to assure the addressing of diversity considerations. In consultation with the president, the provost and associate provost are designing a process to include deans, chairs and faculty in a comprehensive curricular review to ensure full representation of women's accomplishments in Berklee's curriculum. Active review is scheduled to begin during the 03-04 academic year.

Progress as of August 2002
The title of this initiative was reviewed and modified as shown. The following objectives were approved, with progress as indicated.

Create an environment in which access to and influence upon decision-making and policies is unaffected by gender or minority differences or the perception of same. The President's Council, whose membership is more representative of the college's diversity goals than is the President's Cabinet, was elevated to function as the highest governance body of the college. A representative agenda committee was formed. Council members are now invited to attend President's Cabinet meetings, and are doing so.
Continue to attract and retain talented women and minority faculty, staff, and students in all areas of the college. The Berklee Faculty Gender Equity Report was completed by the consultant and reviewed by the president, the provost/vice president for academic affairs, the associate provost, the deans, and the chairs. The report identified issues needing attention that have inspired leadership draft proposals to change numerous internal procedures. These draft recommendations and their refinement and implementation now comprise the second phase of the work of the task force.
The Task Force on African, Latino, Asian, and Native American Students (TFALANA) has first focused on African American students. During this past year, the task force has made improvements in programming for African American students and all students through clearly focused events such as the Welcoming Barbecue, modified orientation sessions, a welcoming event and jam session specifically for African American students with faculty and staff, a sneak preview for all students of the VH1 series "Say It Loud," a very active and packed Diversity Week, and other events. All of these were co-sponsored by the task force and the Black Student Union, the Berklee Association of Faculty of African Descent, and the College Diversity Committee. The task force plans eventually to address all the domestic minority groups as well as faculty and staff.

At the end of the Spring 2002 semester, the task force engaged a professional consultant who is expert in developing plans for strengthening support for minority students. The consultant will begin in Summer 2002 and the first phase is expected to be completed by the end of Fall 2002.

A Staff Gender Task Force has been organized and will be led by the assistant vice president for administration/human resources and the director of employee relations.
Strive to attain a gender and minority model of inclusiveness for the music industry throughout the Berklee community. The existing College Diversity Committee is refocusing on this objective through the anticipated leadership of a senior faculty member and the assistant vice president for student affairs/student development.
Strive for a diverse faculty profile in all departments and divisions of the college that maximizes educational effectiveness, considering the desired profile and needs of the student body. Procedural changes resulting from the Berklee Faculty Gender Equity Report will strengthen opportunity for more diversity in the faculty over time. The ongoing two-year "conversion" program of part- to full-time faculty has proceeded successfully with this priority in mind.
Integrate comparable women's and minority achievements and contributions fully into all areas of Berklee's curriculum and programs. The provost will lead a team consisting of the deans to conduct a review of course content over time, beginning in August 2002. The Association of Faculty of African-American Descent has been invited to participate in the review process.

Progress as of August 2001
The Leadership Oversight Group was formed early in the fall of 2000. Two task forces have been formed, and goals were established.

Goals approved for the Task Force on Gender Equity include: (1) define the problem in terms of specific indicators of gender inequity for women in academic affairs at the college; (2) analyze these indicators to determine and explain sources of inequity; (3) based on this analysis, make recommendations for actions that the college needs to take in order to achieve the long-term goals as stated above; and, (4) create a system for ongoing internal assessment of the status of women in academic affairs.

Goals approved for the Task Force for African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American Students (TFALANA) include: (1) discuss purpose, organization and membership; (2) discuss and list issues, begin prioritization; (3) recommend actions which can be started immediately; and, (4) determine if a consultant's help is desired/needed.

The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs leads the Task Force on Gender Equity, with the Associate Provost for Programs focusing upon women faculty at Berklee. With the approval of the Leadership Oversight Group, this task force has engaged a consultant, Praxis Consulting, Inc., to interview faculty (15 male and 15 female faculty members) and review employment experience data. The consultant's report is expected in the summer of 2001. The Leadership Oversight Group will then consider recommendations and actions. The focus of study on women's issues will then shift from women faculty to women staff, expected in fall 2001, and then to women students, expected in the spring of 2002.

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