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April 12, 2005

Dear faculty and staff members,

When Bill Cosby took the podium to deliver his commencement address last year, he announced that he had composed a song for the Berklee graduating class. A faculty group performed his "Fight Song for a School with No Teams," and Cosby followed with a stirring speech, referring to Berklee as "undefeated since 1945." Then came the individual celebration of 733 graduates shaking hands with Cosby, Lee Berk, and Gary Burton. These are the kind of moments that become a part of Berklee's history, and are not to be missed.

At this year's commencement, we will present honorary doctorate of music degrees to Anita Baker, Ron Carter, and Kevin Eubanks. I invite all of you to join me during commencement weekend to welcome our special guests.

After years of strong demand from students and parents for additional tickets to the commencement concert, I am pleased to announce that we have moved the concert from the Berklee Performance Center, which seats 1,200, to the 5,000-seat Matthews Arena at Northeastern University. Students will now receive the tickets they request, and there is plenty of space for faculty and staff to attend this year-end concert, in tribute to the graduates and honorees. The commencement ceremony will be held the next morning in the same facility.

Below you will find details about the events. I look forward to greeting you at the concert and ceremony.

Best wishes,

Roger H. Brown

Commencement Concert

7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2005

Matthews Arena, Northeastern University

238 St. Botolph Street

R.S.V.P. here

Commencement Ceremony

10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 7, 2005

Matthews Arena, Northeastern University

238 St. Botolph Street

Processional participants arrive at 9:15 a.m

To request a cap and gown or auditorium seating, R.S.V.P. here.

Berklee Space-planning Effort Kicks Off

What will the Berklee campus of 2015 look like? Will it be centered at Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street? Will it involve 15-story towers? Read more about Berklee's relationship with Goody Clancy, the firm selected to lead the college's master planning efforts.

Honorary Degree Nominations

Faculty and staff are invited to nominate candidates for honorary degrees from Berklee. Click here to see Berklee's guidelines for choosing doctoral candidates, the Honors Committee member list, and contact information for nominations.

FLSA Update

Recent changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act have impacted many staff at Berklee. Click here for more information about FLSA.

BRASS Day

Berklee's annual staff appreciation day will be held Wednesday, May 11, and will feature a keynote address by Harvard University professor and Berklee Board of Trustees member Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot. This is the day when all Berklee staff come together to recognize the outstanding contributions of their colleagues and coworkers. There is still time to nominate your peers for BRASS Awards. Click here for basic information, nomination guidelines, and more.

Enrollment Update

Guitar, piano, percussion, and voice are the top four instruments studied at Berklee based on enrollment. Read more or click here to see expanded instrument statistics.

Johnson Foundation Offers Berklee 2.25 Million for Inner-city Youth Scholarships

The Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Foundation has issued a 2.25 million dollar challenge grant—the single largest gift Berklee has received in its 60-year history—to Berklee for the college's City Music program. Read more... 

Luncheon to Honor Faculty and Staff Contributions

Join President Roger Brown at the annual faculty and staff appreciation luncheon, held to personally thank all faculty and staff who have made charitable donations to the college throughout the past year. 

Silent Students

On April 13, members of the Berklee Union of Gays, Lesbians and Everyone Else (BUGLE) will be participating in the National Day of Silence. Read more...

College-wide Activities Committee

The Office of Human Resources invites you to participate on a planning committee for college-wide employee activities. This committee will be responsible for developing social activities for the college. To get involved, contact Gwen Bates via e-mail or at extention 2305.

For all the latest news, go to the Berklee News home.

Faculty Notes

Check out upcoming faculty concerts, CD releases, and more here.

For a listing of events at Berklee, download the What's Happening calendar.

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