July 30, 2020
 
Dear Black Alumni Council:
 
Thank you for reaching out and sending me your very important letter.  
 
We've been listening to our community and laying the groundwork for the new academic year and the future thereafter.  We are trying to be as comprehensive as possible, taking actions in each arts department and throughout the institution to turn the page on the next chapter of New World School of the Arts.  
 
These efforts include:
  • Training & Development of NWSA Faculty & Staff (completed and planned training)
    • Available NWSA faculty and staff have participated over summer, with further rollout and inclusion to others in the Fall semester.
      • Adaway Group - Whiteness at Work; Identity and White Dominant Culture; and Teaching While White.
      • Wolfson Campus Teach-In on Racism (https://youtu.be/oKvYARgHa0A).
      • Othello to Hamilton: Race and Black Presence in America (including NWSA alumni and faculty).
      • Culturally Responsive Schools (coming in late August).
      • Additional training and development to be added as identified, with the goal to reach all faculty and staff in both high school and college in ongoing development.
  • Strategic Planning: Vision & Actionable Goals
    • Participating in Wolfson Campus strategic planning work 2020-2025, which has identified equity as an overarching framework.
    • Establishment of a NWSA-specific sub-committee, as part of the Wolfson Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, to create vision and actionable goals through active participation of NWSA staff and faculty.
  • Curriculum Transformation
    • NWSA Faculty have examined curricular changes and planned further action for the Fall term and beyond
      • Examination of audition materials/procedures in order to promote equity and inclusion
      • Examination of curricula overall for content and approaches which promote equity and inclusion
      • Inclusion of composers, playwrights, choreographers and visual artists who are People of Color in curricula and performances choices. 
      • Curriculum reviews to support departments in revising curricula.
      • Intensified efforts to identify guest artists of color.
  • The NWSA Student Experience
    • Five (5) upcoming Post Teach-Ins on Anti-Racism specifically for students.
    • Creation of a NWSA College Black Student Union (process nearly complete, to begin in the Fall).
    • Established NWSA High School Black Student Union.
    • Establishment of additional counseling resources and methods for NWSA student concerns to be heard and acted upon (potentially an ombudsperson or liaison between students and administration).
    • Reinforcing existing reporting pathways for equal access/equal opportunity complaints.
    • Planned surveying with current NWSA students, alumni, and community members aimed at improving the experience of Black students.
  • Inclusive NWSA Leadership and Staffing
    • Establishment of required diversity and inclusion training for all NWSA faculty and staff hiring committees beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year to ensure diverse representation among our faculty, staff and administration.
    • Review and strengthening of the inclusion and equity components of onboarding. processes to reinforce on day 1 of employment that equity and inclusion are core values
    • Embedding of inclusion and equity training in leadership development programs for NWSA faculty and staff.
    • Review and revision of our performance management models to ensure that we intentionally focus on inclusion and equity as key performance goals. 
As we develop our plans further, I would appreciate the opportunity to talk directly to the members of the Black Alumni Council to share information and hear feedback. I anticipate full support from our partner institutions and will be sharing identified strategies and initiatives as we continue to develop them. Part of this growth will be identifying community partners, organizations and individuals with experience and expertise in equity and anti-racism. Proposals for consultants have already been sought and will be incorporated into our work. I'm appreciative of the NWSA faculty and staff who have been participating over the summer in this work and look forward to reaching all of our faculty and staff once we are back in the Fall.  
 
We are committed to a focus on anti-racism as a primary objective and are united with you in our pursuits to make New World a more inclusive place. I appreciate your advocacy and support of our efforts.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Jeffrey S. Hodgson
Provost & CEO
New World School of the Arts