Diversity & Inclusion
OUR COMMITMENT
Statement on Diversity & Inclusion
Tsai Performance Center is a multipurpose venue that supports a wide variety of programming. As such, we strive to create an environment where all people – staff, students, faculty, clients, and patrons – feel welcome and safe and in which all employees are empowered to do their best work. Tsai Performance Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, country of origin, or immigration status. We believe that fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace makes us stronger, and we hold all staff accountable for upholding these values.
OUR PROGRESS
Ongoing Projects & Accountability
We are continuously working to uphold this stated commitment through our policies, operations, and workplace culture. Our success is dependent on our impact, not only our intention, so we focus our efforts on measurable goals. The nature of this work is iterative and ongoing. We encourage you to check this page periodically to keep up with our progress.
- Revised job descriptions and promotion criteria for student staff increase advancement opportunities for all student employees and minimize the role of unconscious bias in promotion. (Revisions completed June 2021, implemented Fall 2021.)
- Revised application and standardized, rubric-based interview process for student staff moves us toward greater equity in student hiring. (Revisions completed December 2021, implemented December 2021.)
- Removal of racist and needlessly gendered language from our internal documents, labels, and signage. (Began Fall 2018, ongoing.)
- Renewed commitment to multi-modal training for all student staff. Student Production Assistants have verbal, written, video, and hands-on training resources available to them. In-person training conducted in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one as requested. (Began Fall 2017, ongoing.)
- Standardization of new hire training for Production Assistants equips student staff with an equal starting point in knowledge and skills by limiting biases and inconsistencies between trainers. (Began Fall 2023, ongoing.)
- Independent D&I-related training through readings, workshops, and webinars officially classified as professional development among full-time staff, who are tasked with tracking their completed work and sharing their new knowledge when they are comfortable doing so. (Began Fall 2017, ongoing.)
- D&I formalized as a regular topic at production meetings for full-time staff. (Began Fall 2017, ongoing.)
OUR COLLABORATORS
Resources at BU
Explore resources in the BU community that inform and resonate with our own work. If you would like to provide feedback or get involved in our efforts, feel free to reach out to our full-time staff.
Boston University Statement on Diversity
BU Disability & Access Services
The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff
LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center
The Newbury Center for first-generation BU students