The Manhattan School of Music's Cultural Inclusion Initiative (CII) was launched in August 2019 as part of MSM's Strategic Plan 2019-2024.
The mission of the CII is to foster inclusion and equal access for all by auditing current practices, identifying areas where additional attention is needed to achieve change, and creating regular discussion forums for students, faculty, and staff.
The CII provides support and opportunities for each of us in the MSM Community to:
- Develop a greater understanding about our own worldview and how it influences our actions
- Consider how we are positioned in relation to others and recognize differences based on our respective worldviews
- Seek out opportunities for greater openness to new and unfamiliar ideas and behaviors, to diverse cultures and cultural backgrounds, and to all identities
- Take risks in our learning by developing greater openness and to learn more about ourselves and those in our community
Priorities Going Forward
- Create time and space for academic and artistic curiosity about diverse cultures and cultural backgrounds
- Better understand the identities, concerns, and engagement of our student body
- Expand work with peer institutions for improvement in our applicant experience and collegial connections
- Connect with our Harlem community through new partnerships and community engagement
Contact Information
Nicolas Gonzalez
(he/him/él)
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives
ngonzalez@taogoods.net
Room A-411
Two student organizations, The Black Student Union and Queer People for the Betterment of Society, hold a joint meeting with Alexa Smith, former AVP for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives, and President James Gandre, with his husband, Dr. Boris Thomas.
Student Resources
Messages from President Gandre & MSM Community
- Response to Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision
- Happy Pride and Juneteenth
- MSM’s Black Student Union hosts the Black History Month Concert
- Response to the rise in Asian American hate crimes in the United States
- Celebrating Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
The CII in action:
Alexa Smith, MM'10, former AVP for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives, holds her first town hall for MSM with guest artists.
Land Acknowledgement
We want to acknowledge that we gather as Manhattan School of Music on the traditional land of the Lenape and Wappinger past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit as well.
