Menu

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We’re Better Together

We acknowledge and appreciate the feedback from SMTD students, faculty, and staff that was shared in the past few weeks, addressing actions that SMTD can and must take in addressing bias of all forms and, especially, racism.

SMTD’s Commitment to Act Against Racial Injustice – a statement from Dean David Gier

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance fully embraces the notion that academic and artistic excellence is inseparable from an abiding and pervasive institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The School is committed to furthering the University’s mission of ensuring that each member of our community has an equal opportunity to thrive and to take full advantage of the resources afforded by the University of Michigan.

 

In its quest to become the most relevant performing arts school in the world, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance is committed to the ideal of inclusion as one of its core academic and artistic pillars. We construe inclusivity in the broadest possible terms, encompassing the equitable and fair treatment of all members of our community as well as a commitment to diversity not only with respect to traditional markers such as race, ethnicity, and gender but also to diversity of thought, experience, and outlook upon the world.

OUR COMMITMENT

Diversity

We commit to increasing diversity, which is expressed in myriad forms, including race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, (dis)ability status, and political perspective.

Equity

We commit to working actively to challenge and respond to bias, harassment, and discrimination. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status.

Inclusion

We commit to pursuing deliberate efforts to ensure that our campus is a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. We know that by building a critical mass of diverse groups on campus and creating a vibrant climate of inclusiveness, we can more effectively leverage the resources of diversity to advance our collective capabilities.

Strategic Plan

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan - Year 5 pertains to faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and post-doctoral fellows. Our strategic plan for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion includes objectives with associated recommended actions for achieving them. All strategic objectives are accompanied by measures of success that will be tracked over time, as well as descriptions of single- and multiple-year actions that will be taken to accomplish those objectives. Your voice helps ensure that this plan continues to reflect our community. We urge all students, faculty, and staff to read the plan, respond to it and determine what you can do to improve DEI at SMTD. Each of us has a role to play in making our community better. Ultimately, we will be judged not by what we say, but what we do.

DEI Climate Survey Results

As part of the Strategic Plan, SMTD participated in a DEI Climate Survey. The purpose of this voluntary effort was to provide individual units with a way to measure their respective workplace climates in terms of DEI. Data for this effort were collected in partnership with the ADVANCE Program. The results were compiled by an independent research contractor, SoundRocket, to generate reports that are now being made available by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This report represents the first of several efforts to better understand our climate and how it may be experienced by various groups. In addition to the full reports for Faculty, Staff, and Students, executive summaries provide an overview of key findings.
DEI Climate Survey Results
All links are PDFs Faculty: Full report | Executive summary Staff: Full report | Executive summary Students: Full report | Executive summary We welcome your comments and invite you to share them by contacting the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at smtd-dei-office@umich.edu.

Report a Concern

  • Report a Campus Climate Concern A campus climate concern can include actions that discriminate, stereotype, exclude, harasses or harm anyone in our community based on their identity (such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religion). Concerns may stem from fear, misunderstanding, hatred, or stereotypes. Behaviors may be intentional or unintentional.
  • Report regulatory or compliance issues In the University setting, compliance is not primarily about policing people’s behavior; it is about understanding which laws apply to U-M’s activities and ensuring adherence to them. The number and scope of laws that apply to the University's activities is extensive – which makes understanding them (and complying with them) a challenging endeavor. Read more about compliance requirements at U-M.
  • Report Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Sexual misconduct can take a variety of forms, including sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and retaliation against those who raise concerns about sexual misconduct. Behavior that creates a hostile environment or is perceived to impact a person’s employment, academic standing, or participation in university programs could be considered sexual misconduct.
.

Ways to Connect

The SMTD Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has an open door policy: any time someone is in the office and a private meeting is not in session, we encourage students, faculty and staff to come by and express concerns they may have about the school climate, share project ideas, ask questions about DEI initiatives, or just say hello!  

Staff

Rikki Morrow-Spitzer – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Manager  734.763.3642