Equity Partners Program

The Equity Partners (EP) Program began in 2018 as an initiative led by the ETUDE Faculty Scholars (login required), with support from the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and is open to all faculty and staff at the Berklee campuses in Boston, New York City, and Valencia, Spain. Equity partners commit to ongoing professional development and agree to intentionally center values of diversity, equity, and belonging as professionals in the larger Berklee community. Being part of the program signals to students and colleagues that you have volunteered to create spaces of social justice with intentionality and active advocacy. 

Who can be an equity partner?

Faculty and staff from all Berklee environments are invited to become equity partners. The larger the network, the more of an impact this group can make. No experience with discussing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion is required; the only requirement is an interest in such conversations.

Neither ETUDE scholars nor equity partners claim to be experts in any topic around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the EP Program does not certify anyone as such. The equity partners designation recognizes that you’ve chosen to be a part of this important conversation and set aside time to engage in (often challenging) dialogues with your colleagues. By purposefully focusing on the learning and working environments within Berklee, equity partners show their commitment to working together to make Berklee a safe place for all to learn, work, and play.

Equity partners...

• have questions;
• want to learn more from and about their colleagues and students;
• are open to examining their teaching and working practices; and
• are willing to make themselves known as agents of support and encouragement.

Becoming an equity partner entitles you to...

• be added to a list of equity partners on campus, allowing you to make yourself known as an agent of support for students, faculty, and staff, and an ambassador of the EP program and mission; and,
• add an equity partner icon to your email signature, syllabi, and online faculty bio page (if applicable) that says to the community: “This is a safe space. I am an ally.” Your use of the EP icon is contingent upon your yearly recommitment.

How do I become an equity partner?

To become an equity partner, you must attend a single, two-hour Equity Partner Foundations online workshop. The sessions are facilitated by ETUDE Faculty Scholars and are offered twice in the first seven weeks of the fall and spring semesters, and once during the summer semester.

This session is not a formalized D&I training, but instead a workshop wherein you will engage in dialogue with colleagues on topics and questions central to equity in teaching and learning, as well as discuss and unpack terminology and vocabulary fundamental to our understanding of identity, belonging, and civil and human rights. This session is intended to provoke as many questions as it answers with the hope that attendees will want to further explore—and put into practice—pedagogical practices that enhance equity in teaching and learning.

Please note that Foundations sessions are designed for community members who are new to the Equity Partners program. Although current EPs are welcome to participate again (subject to space availability), they are not required to do so. Community members who lapse or leave the program for a year or more will be asked to complete the Foundations session again before rejoining.  

Sessions are capped at 12 participants each. Faculty and staff may view and sign up for upcoming Equity Partners Foundations sessions on the ETUDE Workshops and Events page (login required).

Ongoing Commitment

Equity partners sign an annual commitment letter and are expected to attend at least one DEI-related workshop or training per semester, as a testament to their ongoing commitment to this work. At the end of the academic year, EPs are asked to complete a short reflection on the work they have done and consider how their experiences will inform their participation as Berklee community members. Equity partners are expected to go through this process every year in order to maintain their affiliation with the Equity Partners Program.

Essential questions include the following:

• How do we address the inequities of race, gender, privilege, or class?
• How do we build classroom and workplace environments that are deliberate in their inclusiveness?

Qualifying Professional Development Opportunities

Berklee Events

Berklee offers many opportunities/workshops (hereafter “event”) throughout the year that count toward equity partner development, including certain sessions at Opening Day and Berklee Teachers on Teaching (BTOT), and workshops offered through the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Human Resources, and by the ETUDE Faculty Scholars. You can access a full list of diversity, equity, and inclusion events at Berklee by subscribing to the ETUDE calendar of DEI events for faculty and staff. Please be advised that not all calendar events or events offered through these areas count towards equity partners credit; eligible events will be indicated as such.

Events Outside of Berklee

You may also identify events outside of Berklee that count for EP credit. In order to qualify, the focus of the event should be focused on diversity, equity, and/or inclusion, and you should be prepared to think about how it might inform your teaching and/or interactions as part of the Berklee community.

If you have questions about whether or not a certain event may be eligible, or if you think it's something other Equity Partners might be interested in, please feel free to send event information to etude@berklee.edu.

Reading and Research

While we absolutely encourage you to engage in reading books, articles, etc., we are only considering reading that is done in the context of a discussion group to count toward EP credit.

Current Faculty and Staff Equity Partners