Crafting a Diverse Music Education Institute
UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music Takes Steps to Enhance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The Herb Alpert School of Music at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has announced several initiatives aimed at promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within its community.
In a significant move, Arturo O'Farrill, a renowned jazz pianist and composer, has been appointed as the new Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. This appointment underscores the school's commitment to these values.
The work of the new committee, which will be embedded in the long-term strategic plan of the School of Music, will focus on educating the community about topics such as implicit bias, prejudice and discrimination, structural racism, white supremacy, and cultural sustainability.
The committee, which will include a diverse cross section of voices representative of the school community, including students, faculty, and staff, will meet throughout the summer and share regular updates with the school community.
One of the key areas of focus for the committee will be increasing the representation of underrepresented communities. Options being considered include transfer student scholarships and transfer plans, partnerships with institutions like LACC, and dedicated scholarship funds for Black students, transfer students, first-generation students, and low-income students.
The School of Music has also expressed its support for Black Lives Matter and affirmed its commitment to listening to, advocating for, protesting alongside, and uplifting BIPOC voices.
In addition, the school is encouraging continued feedback and ideas, as well as volunteer participation in the committee's efforts. Staff, students, and faculty can confidentially report acts of discrimination within the community or on campus to the school's ombudsman, Associate Dean Arturo O'Farrill, or to UCLA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
The school is also committed to closely examining its relationship with local law enforcement and UCPD's practices and policies. An Anti-Racism Action Committee for the Herb Alpert School of Music is being established to critically examine the school's practices and offer a concrete plan of action before classes and public programs resume this fall.
Eileen L. Strempel, the Inaugural Dean of the Herb Alpert School of Music, encourages the community to access resources and report incidents of discrimination. Emergency funds, scholarship funds, and continued support of dedicated scholarship funds are being considered for the support of historically underrepresented students, especially African American students.
The school is also aiming to recruit, hire, support, and retain a more diverse faculty, staff, and student community, particularly BIPOC candidates. A draft of the long-term strategic plan will be submitted to campus leadership in October.
While specific details about actions the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is taking to examine their relationship with local law enforcement or address racism internally are not publicly available, UCLA broadly emphasizes commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as essential institutional values.
[1] UCLA International Institute [2] UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music [3] UCLA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion [4] UCLA Today: UCLA reaffirms commitment to diversity and inclusion [5] UCLA Today: UCLA unveils new strategic plan to boost diversity
- The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, with Arturo O'Farrill leading the diversity and inclusion initiatives, aims to enhance business practices by increasing representation through scholarships, partnerships, and dedicated funds for underrepresented communities, such as Black, transfer, first-generation, and low-income students.
- In addition to focusing on education and self-development by addressing topics like implicit bias and cultural sustainability, the school also focuses on finance by considering emergency funds, scholarship funds, and the support of dedicated scholarship funds for historically underrepresented students.
