Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Statement of Values & Principles
Inclusion and Belonging
We value empathy, dignity, equity, and belonging for all. This includes:
- Celebrating unique individual experiences, skills, and identities within our communities while appreciating the power of making music together.
- Endorsing the importance of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, keeping empathy and wellness in mind as we connect and work with each other.
- Acknowledging our individual and collective responsibilities to contribute positively to our communities and our professions.
- Responding to concerns about equity, diversity, and inclusion with sensitivity, and acting on such concerns in ways that demonstrate accountability and enhance access, belonging, and wellness.
- Acknowledging and valuing the work done by students, staff, librarians, and faculty to strengthen our Faculty's ability to provide meaningful, equitable, and inclusive educational and professional opportunities.
- Working to ensure that our policies, practices, education, and programming actively support these values.
Reflexive Engagement with Cultures and Communities
We are committed to respectful curiosity, diligent research, academic freedom, and cultural humility in our creative and scholarly endeavors. This includes:
- Deepening our understanding and appreciation of the land the Faculty of Music is situated on, and honouring the stewards that protect it: the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit.
- Recognizing the presence and musical contributions of diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples from across Turtle Island within our Faculty and beyond.
- Valuing diverse musical traditions and cultures, understanding that we are learners when we engage with music and cultures different from our own, and acknowledging those who came before us in the creation of art forms.
- Acting to diversify educational offerings from the Faculty to reflect global artistry and creative cultural traditions.
Integrity and Accountability
We are committed to a culture of integrity and responsibility. This includes:
- Identifying and working on removing barriers for all community members, including those who belong to equity-deserving groups[i] to education, professional development, and opportunities to engage in meaningful scholarly and artistic work.
- Maintaining learning and working environments in which all persons treat each other with dignity, courtesy, and respect throughout all activities and communication.
- Understanding how aspects of our individual, intersecting experiences and identities impact our communications and actions.
- Recognizing that the degrees of power and precarity we hold within communities may influence how our actions and words are perceived.
- Providing and receiving guidance, education, and feedback with the intent of enhancing equity and inclusion, as well as the prevention of harm.
- Providing respectful, constructive feedback when necessary; bearing in mind intent vs. impact and engaging in challenging, necessary dialogue as circumstances require.
- Ensuring those who need wellness or EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) support can find it and connect with appropriate services and programs.
[i] In his 2019 Installation Address, UTSC Principal Wisdom Tettey “challenge[d] all of us to start by thinking of, and relating to, those who are marginalized or are constrained by existing structures and practices as ‘equity-deserving groups’ and not ‘equity-seeking groups’ – a concept which, while well-intentioned, perpetuates a perception of these groups as interlopers.”
Process and Innovation
We are committed to artistic, pedagogical, and professional practices that foster individual and collective growth within class and performance spaces, and other community spaces. This includes:
- Cultivating transformative musical and cultural experiences that connect diverse communities of scholars and artists.
- Supporting pedagogies and practices that create nurturing opportunities for critical reflection, along with positive change, growth, learning, and relationships.
- Providing equitable opportunities to participate and thrive to all members of our communities, supporting each other to maximize our individual and collective creative potential.
- Demonstrating leadership and innovation in our academic and creative endeavors.
Have a question?
The Faculty of Music Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office is a great resource for more information about our EDI initiatives.