Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Musicians Institute (DEIMI)

Mission Statement

The Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Musicians Institute (DEIMI) is committed to supporting diversity by creating safe environments that allow all people to be heard, communicating on behalf of our community on issues that affect our campus, the music industry at large, and the world, educating our community on how to be more inclusive, and advocating for changes at Musicians Institute to make our educational experience more equitable for all.

Vision Statements

Create an environment that values listening and communication by creating regular opportunities for faculty, administration, students, and alumni to voice any issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Represent the community as a whole in matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion as students, faculty, and administrators to ensure equity and inclusion at all levels of the organization.

Lead and develop educational efforts that will foster a culture of inclusivity in our day-to-day life both on and off campus.

Communicate the priorities of the committee and address any issues related to our campus and the world.”

Committee Membership

Casey Burgess, Director of Library Services (Chair)
Debra Byrd, Program Chair Emeritus, Vocal Program
Ann Chung, Vocal Faculty (Faculty Liaison)
Ron Dziubla, Dean of Performance Studies
Victor Hurtado, Music Business Faculty
Jonathan Newkirk, Dean of Industry Studies
Albert Shaw, Music Business Faculty
Melinda Parker, Student Services Events Coordinator (Event Coordinator)
Kritika Malhotra, Student Representative
Sandy Keller, Student Representative
Ashely DiBuduo, Career Development Coordinator (Marketing Officer)
Lacey Harris, Director of Industry Programs
Paloma Hernandez, Faculty

Community Liaisons

Victor Hurtado, Music Business Faculty
Albert Shaw, Music Business Faculty

To contact the committee, please email diversity@mi.edu

Safe Space has many definitions, but for discussions related to DEIMI we’ll use this one:

A safe space is a boundary during the course of a discussion or conversation where certain rules of engagement are decided and agreed upon by all participants to ensure a respectful discussion. People are allowed to speak their mind, question others, and make mistakes in an effort to learn and without the fear of belittlement so long as they keep an open mind and do not intentionally attack others for their beliefs or identity. Those who do not respect the space or the rules will be expelled from the conversation and will be allowed to re-enter after consideration by the committee of Diversity. Equity, and Inclusion at MI (DEIMI).

This is a space of education and challenge. We cannot guarantee that someone will not say something you disagree with or that might offend you. We can guarantee that if someone says something offensive, we will discuss why that is offensive with that person and the committee will decide whether or not to remove that person from future DEIMI meetings.

Students do not have to fear for repercussions of any kind for anything said during these discussions. These conversations, while not completely private, will be kept confidential and will not affect grades, enrollment, graduation, or anything related to academics at MI.

Resources for More Information

For books, eBooks, media, and more related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to see past presentations from the committee, please visit the DEIMI Resources Page.