Our Action Plan
In spring 2017, USC Thornton developed a five-year diversity, equity and inclusion plan and continued to mark progress in established priority areas. In a series of town halls and listening sessions across the school, our faculty and students expressed bold, new visions for how we can better embody these principles. With the collective visions of our faculty, students and school leadership, USC Thornton continues to develop new strategies and measure progress in key change areas such as curriculum, faculty recruitment and retention, student recruitment and retention, and the climate for BIPOC students at Thornton. Before stepping down from his position in spring 2022, former USC Thornton School of Music Dean Robert Cutietta tasked each division, department and program within the school to commit to serious investigation of their own culture, curriculum and programs and establish individualized action plans. That work is ongoing.
J.E.D.I. Committee Members
Ron McCurdy – Professor of jazz studies and assistant dean of the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Andy Abad – Adjunct instructor, popular music program
Jeffrey Allen – Associate professor of practice, popular music program and musical theatre program
Lina Bahn – Associate professor of practice and chair, Strings Department
Nicolas Lell Benavides – Lecturer/DMA candidate, Composition program
Angelica Brooks – DMA candidate in Music Teaching & Learning program
Viet Bui – Associate director of student affairs
Christian Chico – Departmental coordinator, Arts Leadership program, Music Teaching & Learning Program and J.E.D.I. Committee
William Coppola – Assistant Professor, Music Teaching & Learning program
Jeanine Cowen – Professor and screen scoring chair
Justin Gilmore-Gresham – Student working toward a bachelor’s degree in jazz trumpet performance
Susan Helfter – Associate professor of practice, Music Teaching & Learning program and director of Thornton Community Engagement Programs
Sean Holt – Associate professor of practice, Popular Music program and vice dean of the division of contemporary music
Lyndia Johnson – Associate professor of practice, Popular Music and Musical Theatre programs
Will Kennedy – Assistant professor of practice, Popular Music program
Larry J. Livingston – Professor of conducting studies
Kevin Lyman – Associate professor of practice, Music Industry program
Cindy Montes – Human resources manager (ex officio)
Yesenia Nava – Student services assistant
Koji Sakano – Student working toward a bachelor’s degree in choral music
Aarón Serfaty – Senior lecturer, Jazz Studies Department
Tram Sparks – Associate professor of practice, Department of Choral & Sacred Music, Conducting program
Scott Spencer – Assistant professor, Musicology program
Rachel Tan – Student working toward a bachelor’s degree in choral music
Matthew Weaver – Student working toward a master’s degree in arts leadership
Mark Weiser – Assistant professor of practice, Composition program and director, Undergraduate Music Theory Program
Seth Parker Woods – Assistant professor of practice, string chamber music and cello
University Resources
- USC Office of Equity and Diversity: A central resource for submitting reports of incidents involving assault, discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics in which the respondent is a faculty or staff member.
- USC Office of Professionalism and Ethics: A central resource for submitting incidence of protected and non-protected class complaints.
- USC Title IX Office: Responds to complaints related to assault, discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics in which the respondent is a student.
- USC Race and Equity Center: Home to a dynamic research and organizational improvement center that works with professionals in educational institutions, corporations, and other contexts.