JeffriAnne Wilder Named Inaugural Executive Director of Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</h1> <article> <h1>JeffriAnne Wilder Named Inaugural Executive Director of Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 13:59:11 +0000</p> <span>JeffriAnne Wilder Named Inaugural Executive Director of Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-04-16T09:59:11-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 09:59">Tue, 04/16/2024 - 09:59</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ has named JeffriAnne Wilder, an accomplished educator and developer of higher education diversity programs, as the inaugural executive director of the �鶹��Ƶ Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.</p> <p>The Center was developed through the work commissioned by �鶹��Ƶ’s <a href="/node/410371">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a>, a comprehensive examination of the campus and its programs conducted from 2020 to 2022. The initiative, which was launched amid heightened tensions nationwide in response to the murder of George Floyd, was aimed at identifying opportunities to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion across all facets of the institution.</p> <p>Wilder’s appointment marks the conclusion of an extensive nationwide search. She will begin June 10; the Center is scheduled to open in fall 2024.</p> <p>“Each one of us at �鶹��Ƶ inherits this institution’s legacy of leadership in embracing diversity, creating access to education, and cultivating a climate that is intentionally inclusive of differing cultures, perspectives, and experiences,” says �鶹��Ƶ President <a href="/node/48561">Carmen Twillie Ambar</a>, who initiated the campus study. “These are values upon which �鶹��Ƶ was founded nearly 200 years ago, and they are the values that will guide our work into a third century and beyond.</p> <p>“The arrival of our Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the appointment of JeffriAnne Wilder sets in motion an exciting new opportunity for �鶹��Ƶ to lead by example.”</p> <p>From 2008 to 2018, Wilder served the University of North Florida as a tenured associate professor of sociology and later as the founding director of the school’s Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, the first center of its kind in the State University System of Florida.</p> <p>Wilder has also held roles as senior lecturer and designer of the Masters of Science in DEI Leadership at Glasgow Caledonian New York College and as senior research scientist and director of racial equity and strategy for the National Center for Women and Information Technology in Colorado. She was the inaugural executive director for DEI at Shaker Heights City Schools near her hometown of Cleveland.</p> <p>From 2015 to 2019, Wilder served as a research and evaluation consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a Baltimore-based nonprofit dedicated to juvenile justice reform. She is a graduate of Allegheny College and earned a master’s degree in sociology from Cleveland State University and a PhD in sociology from the University of Florida.</p> <p>As executive director and a member of �鶹��Ƶ’s executive leadership team, Wilder will guide the Center and the ongoing implementation of recommendations presented in the <a href="/media/20067/download">Presidential Initiative report</a>. She will provide leadership in all facets of the center’s operations, including fundraising, research, and ongoing assessment of �鶹��Ƶ’s progress and effectiveness related to DEI efforts.</p> <p>“JeffriAnne Wilder has supplied thoughtful leadership to initiatives such as these throughout her career, and I am thrilled to see what she can accomplish on a campus so thoroughly in support of all that the Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion represents,” says Ambar. “I look forward to welcoming her to campus and embracing this vital work together.”</p> <p>In previous roles, Wilder notes, earning buy-in for DEI initiatives was often the first order of business. In Florida, recent state legislation scrutinizing DEI led the University of North Florida to disband the very center she had founded.</p> <p>Her transition to �鶹��Ƶ, she says, is “almost night and day.”</p> <p>“Everyone in the �鶹��Ƶ community and in our broader community understands why this work is so very important right now,” she says. “There is clear buy-in, because the work came from grass-roots efforts at �鶹��Ƶ.”</p> <p>When discussing the mission of the Center, Wilder invokes the phrase “standing on business,” a reference to �鶹��Ƶ’s obligation to lead by example.</p> <p>“Organizations like �鶹��Ƶ get to stand on business: to say that this work is important in light of what’s happening and in spite of the resistance,” she says. “It’s not a fight; it’s doing the right thing. It’s doing the right work in the right way and being a model for how the work gets done in spite of the resistance. And that’s the side of history we’re going to be on.”</p> <h2 class="h3">About �鶹��Ƶ</h2> <p><a href="/">�鶹��Ƶ</a>, an independent coeducational institution in Northeast Ohio, holds a distinguished place among American colleges and universities. Founded in 1833, �鶹��Ƶ was the first college to enact a policy to admit Black students and the first to grant undergraduate degrees to women in a coed setting.</p> <p>That legacy is carried forward today in a multitude of ways: through an ongoing commitment to cultivating a campus that embraces diversity and inclusion in all forms; in an admissions policy that meets the full need of each student; and in the development of academic programs that reflect the African diaspora, indigenous people and all people of color, and women.</p> <h2 class="h3">About the Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</h2> <p>In August 2020, in response to growing racial unrest across America, �鶹��Ƶ President Carmen Twillie Ambar identified the need for a proactive examination of all facets of �鶹��Ƶ’s curriculum and campus life. The resulting Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity involved a 20-member committee and four subcommittees of faculty, staff, and students to examine:</p> <ul> <li>issues related to violence, police-community relationships, and racial injustices, with an eye toward meaningful engagement with these and other vital issues related to equity and diversity.</li> <li>�鶹��Ƶ’s curriculum across the college and conservatory, campus programming, hiring practices, and overall campus culture, to identify opportunities to elevate the institution’s longstanding commitment to equity.</li> </ul> <p><a class="view-more" href="/node/410371">Learn more about the Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity and read the committee’s report.</a></p> <h2 class="h3">Media Inquiries</h2> <p>Please contact Director of Media Relations Andrea Simakis at <a href="mailto:asimakis@oberlin.edu?subject=re%3A%20Appointment%20of%20JeffriAnne%20Wilder">asimakis@oberlin.edu</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Newly created center deepens �鶹��Ƶ’s nearly two-century commitment to creating access and opportunity; Wilder has played a leading role in establishing diversity programs across the educational spectrum.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-04-16T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/16/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jeffrianne-wilder" hreflang="und">JeffriAnne Wilder</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kamron Khan</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Going Above and Beyond Diversity</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 08 May 2023 19:15:27 +0000</p> <span>Going Above and Beyond Diversity</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-08T15:15:27-04:00" title="Monday, May 8, 2023 - 15:15">Mon, 05/08/2023 - 15:15</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In spring 2023, �鶹��Ƶ appointed <a href="/kristen-surla">Kristen Surla</a> as the institution’s first human resources director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In this position, Surla plays a key role in promoting a culture of inclusive excellence and advancing strategic diversity hiring initiatives. </p> <p>Surla comes to �鶹��Ƶ from the University of Michigan, where she worked in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the School for Environment and Sustainability. At �鶹��Ƶ, she is primarily responsible for the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff from historically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education, supporting community building and retention efforts through affinity groups and mentoring programs, and offering professional development opportunities.</p> <p>Surla is no stranger to the �鶹��Ƶ community. From 2013-2016, she served as the Asian Pacific Islander Diaspora community coordinator in the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), now known as the <a href="/mrc">Multicultural Resource Commons</a>. She went on to receive a master’s degree in education from Loyola University Chicago and is now working toward a PhD in higher, adult, and lifelong education from Michigan State University.</p> <p>In the following Q&A, Surla discusses her research interests, her approach to an inclusive work culture, and the factors that brought her back to �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p><strong>First of all, welcome back to �鶹��Ƶ! Can you start by talking about your past role here and your career journey up to this point?</strong></p> <p>Thank you! I’ve felt a warm welcome back to the community by former and present colleagues. It feels like a homecoming to be back at both �鶹��Ƶ and the town at large. My position in the MRC was my first job following graduation from Loyola University with a bachelor’s in sociology and English. Beginning my career at �鶹��Ƶ was a formative start to understanding the ecology of liberal arts institutions of higher education. I learned a lot about how faculty and staff can create collaborative learning cultures with students in order to pursue research and teaching. </p> <p>I loved working at the MRC because of its intersectional approach to programming and working with our campus community. Programs such as “My Name is My Own”—a series that featured leaders talking about intersectional identities and the impact of their lived and professional identities on their fields—was really instructive in forming my approach to DEI work. The collaborative programs I hosted with the other community coordinators in the MRC helped me better serve a diverse student population whose identities weren’t siloed to individual groups. For example, although my title was the Asian Pacific Islander Diaspora (APID) coordinator, I was also working with LGBTQIA+, Africana, and Latinx populations around shared priorities, programming, and student support. Many of our students span multiple communities, so this kind of advising model made sense for that reason.</p> <p>After �鶹��Ƶ, I went to graduate school for my master’s and PhD. My research focuses on academic socialization, faculty culture, and curriculum development in environmental education. Specifically, my dissertation examines practices of decolonizing curriculum within environmental education and how these movements push to prioritize Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voices, place-based learning, and policies that recognize the history of how colonialism and the Global North has dominated discourse and research in this field. I hope my contributions can continue to diversify the methods we use to teach environmental education and support more BIPOC students who are pursuing environmental studies.</p> <p><strong>Explain your role as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.</strong></p> <p>I’d summarize the work I do as recruitment and retention of faculty and staff from historically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education, supporting community building and retention efforts through affinity groups and mentoring programs, and providing professional development opportunities. Some of the professional development I’d like to focus on includes inclusive hiring practices, shifting academic culture toward a more justice-oriented lens, and supporting the overall well-being of our faculty and staff. To do this work, I think we have to intentionally analyze, reflect, and propose creative approaches to expectations of work culture, processes, and procedures to support employees’ overall well-being. I’d like for us to admit the ways we could do better in supporting faculty and staff and to create solutions together. </p> <p><strong>How does this position fill a need at �鶹��Ƶ, and where will we see the impact?</strong></p> <p>I think �鶹��Ƶ has done a good job at starting to increase its compositional diversity, but we need to be thinking more about how we create inclusive environments where faculty and staff feel supported in the requirements and workloads they have for research, teaching, and service. A quote that stays with me about doing DEI work is that “admission does not mean acceptance, and acceptance does not mean welcome. To be truly welcoming, we have to commit to creating environments where people are empowered and supported to share their diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities." Essentially, what I interpret from this quote is that we have to go beyond compositional diversity and recruitment to create infrastructures of community building and honest conversations where we can talk about what is really needed for faculty and staff to feel supported in their full selves. Creating longevity and decreasing turnover among faculty and staff are important indicators of how well we’re doing as an institution at DEI work. </p> <p><strong>What are some of your goals and objectives?</strong></p> <p>As the inaugural HR director of DEI, I’m still developing a list of priorities through listening and collaborating with faculty and staff around campus. I always think that the most important thing to do first in a job is to listen to the people who have already been doing or want to propose DEI work that they’ve been waiting to see on campus.</p> <p>Some of my initial priorities focus on increasing recruitment and retention programs for faculty and staff from historically underrepresented backgrounds. In the upcoming academic year, I hope to collaborate with the college and conservatory in creating training programs for hiring managers and search committees to better recruit faculty and staff, and additional training on creating inclusive departmental cultures that incorporate DEI throughout processes. </p> <p><strong>What drew you back to �鶹��Ƶ?</strong></p> <p>After working at a lot of different institutional types—including mid-size, research, religiously affiliated—I found that liberal arts colleges such as �鶹��Ƶ best fit my personality and work style. I enjoy the brilliance and collaboration that occurs at �鶹��Ƶ between faculty, staff, and students on events and scholarship. I love being on a campus where there’s a large LGBTQIA+ community—that makes me feel at home. Also, I am impressed by the leadership of President Ambar in her <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Initiative for Racial Equity and Diversity</a>. Many of the components of the plan outline strategies forward that I think cut across academics, workplace retention and satisfaction, and overall improving student, faculty, and staff experiences from a DEI lens. This would not be possible if it wasn’t for President Ambar’s investment in these issues and my position in human resources. In collaboration with offices across campus, and in particular the MRC, I think we can get a lot done together. </p> <p><strong>What do you like to do in your free time?</strong></p> <p>I love gardening and building relationships with others through community garden work. I also enjoy exploring the Metroparks, hiking, kayaking, traveling, and writing poetry.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Recruitment, retention, and community building are priorities for �鶹��Ƶ's new director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-05-08T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/08/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2551">Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Kristen Surla, �鶹��Ƶ's inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>John Petrucelli Named �鶹��Ƶ’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:48:19 +0000</p> <span>John Petrucelli Named �鶹��Ƶ’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-23T16:48:19-04:00" title="Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 16:48">Thu, 06/23/2022 - 16:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The position was made possible by James and Susan Neumann, whose <a href="/news/16m-gift-supports-endowed-fellowship-jazz-history-oberlin-conservatory">recent $1.6 million gift</a> to the conservatory supports the endowment of the fellowship in jazz history. The Neumanns’ generosity also provided for the 2011 gift of an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz.</p> <p>Beginning with Petrucelli, each postdoctoral fellow will be hired for a two-year term to teach courses on specialized topics in jazz history and prepare research involving �鶹��Ƶ students. The conservatory’s expansive archival materials, including those provided by the Neumanns, will play an integral role in both coursework and research.</p> <p>Petrucelli arrives after serving as visiting director of jazz at the University of Utah. At �鶹��Ƶ, he will interact with students interested in jazz and contemporary American music.</p> <p>“�鶹��Ƶ is fortunate to have John Petrucelli join us on campus,” says Deborah Campana, head of the Conservatory Library and chair of the search committee. “As someone fairly new to the college classroom, John impressed the committee by his devotion to the art of jazz performance. At the same time, it was also evident that he holds respect for its history and impact on society. His ability to share this wisdom and enthusiasm while engaging with the resources provided in our special collections will benefit our entire community.”</p> <p>Petrucelli earned master’s degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, followed by a PhD in music from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. In 2019, he was honored by the Jazz Education Network for outstanding contributions to jazz education.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s interests span the history of jazz. He has performed with and learned from a long list of luminaries including Geri Allen, Charles Tolliver, Terence Blanchard, and <a href="/node/314401">late �鶹��Ƶ alumnus Stanley Cowell ’62</a>, his mentor at Rutgers. His research interests include the music of underrepresented saxophonists, and he hopes to complete a book on one of them, Clifford Jordan, during his fellowship.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s three recordings to date reveal his devotion to the jazz tradition as well as his penchant for exploring realms of contemporary classical and new music, and seeking points of intersection between the varied musical languages. He continues to perform with duos and ensembles of various sizes.</p> <p>“I feel as though I'm coming to �鶹��Ƶ with a blank slate,” says Petrucelli. “What is most intriguing about this opportunity is the ability to collaborate with world-class faculty across the college and conservatory while pursuing new avenues in my research, pedagogy, and performance practice that will be inspired through the Neumann Collection. I’m hoping to make the most of the these two years and to contribute as much as I can to the �鶹��Ƶ community.”</p> <p>The endowment of �鶹��Ƶ’s jazz history postdoctoral fellowship coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor in African American music</a>, created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. In spring, the conservatory appointed musicologist <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> to a <a href="/node/413236">new tenure-track faculty position</a> in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <hr> <p><em>�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory’s newly endowed postdoctoral fellowship in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about �鶹��Ƶ's commitment in the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the conservatory’s <a href="/node/306446">Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Educator and performer to teach courses and guide student research.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-27T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/27/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/john-petrucelli">John Petrucelli</a>, a jazz saxophonist, composer, scholar, and educator, has been named the first James R. '58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow of Jazz History at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory, a two-year appointment that begins in fall 2022.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of John Petrucelli</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Courtney-Savali Andrews Appointed to Newly Created Faculty Position at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:03:37 +0000</p> <span>Courtney-Savali Andrews Appointed to Newly Created Faculty Position at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-06T10:03:37-04:00" title="Monday, June 6, 2022 - 10:03">Mon, 06/06/2022 - 10:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ethnomusicologist and pianist <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> has been named Assistant Professor of African American and African Diasporic Musics at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory. The newly created, interdisciplinary position, which spans the conservatory’s <a href="/node/3231">jazz studies</a> and <a href="/node/3331">musicology</a> divisions and is supported by the college’s <a href="/node/3431">Department of Africana Studies</a>, begins with the 2022-23 academic year.</p> <p>The appointment follows a two-year period in which Andrews served as a visiting assistant professor of ethnomusicology at �鶹��Ƶ, a role in which she taught courses in both the college and conservatory.</p> <p>Andrews is a 2004 double-degree graduate of �鶹��Ƶ, with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance—under the mentorship of Alvin Chow and Francis Walker Slocum—and a Bachelor of Arts in Africana studies. She completed a doctorate in musical direction for theater and opera at Arizona State University and anticipates a PhD in ethnomusicology this fall from Victoria University of New Zealand, where her research focused on the notable musical families in classical music of the Samoan Islands. Other current research projects include the reconstruction of operas by early 20th century African American composers and alumni of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory, and another articulating water drumming practices between the Black Atlantic and Black Pacific (Melanesia).</p> <p>In the past two years as a visiting faculty member in the conservatory, Andrews taught seminars on African American classical composers and introductory courses on African American music history in the conservatory and Black Arts Workshop in the College of Arts and Sciences, among other courses. In addition, she served as musical director consultant for the debuts of two African American theater mainstage productions and as a guest speaker on numerous �鶹��Ƶ panels related to Black music and culture, as well as topics pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is the faculty advisor to �鶹��Ƶ’s student-run �鶹��Ƶ Jazz Society.</p> <p>The newly created faculty position is �鶹��Ƶ’s first appointment dedicated to Black music since the 2010 death of Wendell Logan, a beloved professor of African American music and founder of �鶹��Ƶ’s jazz studies division. Logan, a highly influential mentor to �鶹��Ƶ musicians of all stripes and across generations, counted Andrews among his students.</p> <p>“Courtney-Savali Andrews brings a unique combination of experiences and scholarship that will greatly enrich the education and artistic experiences of our students,” says <a href="/node/30061">Chris Jenkins</a>, the conservatory’s associate dean for academic support and liaison to the <a href="/node/320546">Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion</a>. Jenkins also chaired the committee that conducted the search for the position. “It is particularly fitting that students will retain a connection to the legacy of Dr. Logan through their work with one of his students.”</p> <p>"For the past two years, I have taken up with high regard the responsibility of teaching the year-long legacy course Introduction to African American Music to a diverse cross section of students seeking the best of what �鶹��Ƶ have to offer, considering a critical study of musical traditions out of the Black experience,” says Andrews. “As an inheritor of the deep vision and hard labor of Wendell Logan, I am honored to continue his position to privilege the histories of Africana peoples and cultures as the rich context from which various musical expressions are rooted.”</p> <p>Prior to joining the �鶹��Ƶ faculty, Andrews was a conductor and guest lecturer in Samoan studies at the National University of Samoa, and a teaching fellow in ethnomusicology at Victoria University. Since 2018, she has also served as a teaching artist and collaborative pianist at Seattle Opera.</p> <p>“For students of both the college and conservatory, I look forward to building more capacity for the study of music and music research that include vernacular expressions more familiar to the general body of music-makers on campus,” she says. “Through courses and programming, I would like to see opportunities for students to work out their growing interests in music production and songwriting, music business, and promotion with a focus on popular musics out of the Africana diaspora: regional hip-hop studies, Afro-beat, Afro-punk, reggae, folk, and gospel.</p> <p>“In other ways, I would also like to create a space for the visibility of our students who identify as Pacific Islander and offer courses that center our histories and cultural legacies within the U.S. and abroad. Much to my surprise upon my return to �鶹��Ƶ, I have connected with more than a few students who share my respective heritages as a Pacific Islander or Africana Polynesian. Twenty years ago, I was encouraged to stand boldly and give significant attention to the study of my cultural heritages by Dr. Logan and Professor <a href="/node/6551">Caroline Jackson Smith</a> in Africana studies. I move with the same intention for our students connected to this region of the world who seek to find themselves in their studies and this college community.”</p> <p>Andrews’ permanent appointment to the conservatory faculty coincides with the creation of <a href="/news/oberlin-establishes-minor-african-american-music">�鶹��Ƶ’s new minor course of study in African American music</a>, which was established in February 2022 and is available to all �鶹��Ƶ students.</p> <hr> <p><em>�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory’s newly created position dedicated to African American and African diasporic musics continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about �鶹��Ƶ's commitment in the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/racial-equity-diversity-action-plan">conservatory’s Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Role focuses on African American and African diasporic musics, aligns with studies in both the college and conservatory.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-06T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/06/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/courtney-savali-andrews" hreflang="und">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Courtney-Savali Andrews</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>World Events Inspire Conservatory Programming</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:16:58 +0000</p> <span>World Events Inspire Conservatory Programming</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-10-27T20:16:58-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 27, 2020 - 20:16">Tue, 10/27/2020 - 20:16</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After a summer of anguish and protests in reaction to the killing of unarmed Black people, �鶹��Ƶ President Carmen Twillie Ambar drew focus for the campus with her declaration of the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity/declaration">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a>. The charge to the college and conservatory: Elevate �鶹��Ƶ’s longstanding commitment to equity for Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and women.</p> <p>Conversations and work in the conservatory began early in the summer. Dean William Quillen engaged with students and alumni—principally members of the �鶹��Ƶ College Black Musicians Guild—who were organizing webinars and panel discussions, meeting with faculty and administrators, and sending letters and petitions. Quillen also activated the faculty, who met within their divisions to craft plans for substantive, immediate action and for ongoing structural transformation.</p> <p>The conservatory’s resulting commitment—to create a more diverse teaching and learning environment and to amplify the contributions of artists and scholars from historically marginalized communities—is evident in the music being played on campus this semester in large ensembles, by faculty, and on student degree recitals.</p> <p>The <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/faculty_recital_david_bowlin_00_sibbi_bernhardsson_95_and_francesca_depasquale_violinists">October 30 livestreamed performance</a> on <a href="/conservatory/stage-left">�鶹��Ƶ Stage Left</a> features works for violin and piano by William Grant Still, one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century and an alumnus of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory.</p> <p>The recital will be broadcast live from Warner Concert Hall at 8:30 p.m., following the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/presidents_lecture_embarking_on_new_beginningsthe_responsibility_of_classical_music_programming">President’s Lecture</a>, which begins at 7 p.m.</p> <p>The lecture, titled “Embarking on New Beginnings—The Responsibility of Classical Music Programming” will be delivered by <a href="/timothy-weiss">Timothy Weiss</a>, professor of conducting and ensembles. Weiss will address the question of how classical music can maintain relevance and adequately reflect the human experience.</p> <p>Faculty members <a href="/node/6956">David Bowlin</a>, <a href="/node/44016">Sibbi Bernhardsson</a>, <a href="/node/182896">Francesca dePasquale</a>, <a href="/node/6786">Haewon Song</a>, and <a href="/node/175206">James Howsmon</a> will collaborate on Still's Suite for Violin and Piano (1943), <em>Pastorela</em> (1946), <em>Quit Dat Fool’nish</em> (1938), and “Summerland” from the <em>Three Visions Suite</em> for Piano (1936), among other works.</p> <p>Bowlin, also director of the Division of Strings, spearheaded this project and shares that the conservatory’s violin faculty “are excited to present these pieces in Still’s 125th birthday year.”</p> <p>“Still was a composer of many firsts,” he says. “He was the first American to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera, and up until 1950, his Symphony No. 1 was the most frequently performed symphony by an American. He was also the first African American to conduct a major U.S. orchestra, in a concert of his own works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936.”</p> <p>James Howsmon, professor of instrumental accompanying, adds: “Still was part of the early to mid-20th-century group of African American artists known as the ‘Harlem Renaissance.’ The loosely knit group included composers, writers, and artists.”</p> <p>Though Still’s work was recognized in his lifetime and enjoys a certain profile today, Howsmon explains the need for concentrated efforts to bring this repertoire to concert halls. “Celebrating diversity is not something the classical music world does easily. Even today, Black composers remain on the fringes of the classical music establishment. Social prejudices and other factors have excluded them from entering the classical canon, which continues to be largely dominated by white, male composers.”</p> <p>In describing what makes Still's writing for the violin and piano duo compelling, Bowlin says, “In general, his writing reflects brilliantly his own musical viewpoints as well as distillations and reflections on the various influences from his childhood; in particular, classical music, the blues, and spirituals. His violin and piano music is cast in a gorgeous, subtle, and unexpected tonality, with a lyrical quality.”</p> <p>Howsmon, who will perform with dePasquale on the three-movement Suite for Violin and Piano, describes Still’s writing as “beautiful and idiomatic for both instruments. Each movement was inspired by the sculptures and painting of three contemporaneous Black artists—Augusta Savage, Sargent Johnson, and Richmond Barthe. The piece combines a vivid rhythmicality with a sensitive, expressive melodic gift. He successfully blends a classical approach to form with easily identified elements of jazz, spiritual, and dance.”</p> <p>During the summer, the �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Library compiled <a href="https://libguides.oberlin.edu/music/diversify-your-repertoire">resources</a> to assist faculty and students in their search to diversify the music they study and perform.</p> <p>The explorations made possible by these resources have given students the opportunity to unearth and perform remarkable contributions by Black alumni such as <a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/violinist-par-excellent-clarence-cameron-white/">Clarence Cameron White</a> (1901).</p> <p>Student degree recitals have also included pieces by French composer Édith Canat de Chizy, Peruvian French hornist and composer Dante Yenque, Black American composer and violist Sakari Dixon Vanderveer, and Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh.</p> <p>The pivot required by COVID-19 to smaller groups of performing musicians gave conducting faculty the opportunity to program unusually scored works for the conservatory’s large ensembles. In the last five weeks, they have performed works by Jonathan Bailey Holland, Trevor Weston, Alvin Singleton, Alejandro García Caturla, Arlene Sierra ’92, Cindy McTee, Julia Adolphe, Asha Srinivasan, and Viet Cuong. The �鶹��Ƶ College Choir's October 24 performance showcased works by Joel Thompson, Adolphus Hailstork, and Margaret Bonds, alongside pieces by Mendelssohn and Saint-Saëns. Together, these performances and others signify a shift in �鶹��Ƶ programming that will extend through the semester and into the years to come.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-10-27T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/27/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>October 30 faculty recital to feature works by William Grant Still.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35116">Violin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=29541">Piano</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/timothy-weiss" hreflang="und">Timothy Weiss</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">�鶹��Ƶ faculty violinists David Bowlin, Sibbi Bernhardsson, and Francesca dePasquale (from left).</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty Issues Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 01:08:53 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty Issues Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-09-08T21:08:53-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - 21:08">Tue, 09/08/2020 - 21:08</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen has announced the launch of the <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/towards-more-equitable-and-diverse-conservatory-education">�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>, which was developed through months of reflection and discussion among conservatory faculty and which signals the beginning of an ongoing effort to achieve lasting change in the culture, values, and norms of �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory. The plan was created in conjunction with �鶹��Ƶ’s <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a>, which was announced in May this year by �鶹��Ƶ College President Carmen Twillie Ambar and <a href="/news/oberlin-college-establishes-presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity-response-0">launched</a> in late August.</p> <p>This morning, Dean Quillen shared the conservatory’s Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan with �鶹��Ƶ students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni. “This is an important document that helps frame the work of the Conservatory right now and helps light a path to the future,” Quillen noted in an introductory message. “This is an important step for the Conservatory.”</p> <p>For the complete statement from the �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory faculty, including a plan for immediate actions and next steps, please see <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/towards-more-equitable-and-diverse-conservatory-education">Towards a More Equitable and Diverse Conservatory Education: Statement from the �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-09-09T12:00:00Z">Wed, 09/09/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Document complements �鶹��Ƶ College's Presidential Initiative.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>