McGill Music Graduate Students’ Society E-301 Strathcona Music Building, East Wing 555 rue Sherbrooke O., Montreal QC H3A 1E3 [email protected] June 15, 2020 Statement on faculty social media usage To the Schulich School of Music Faculty, In two statements released by McGill University and the Schulich School of Music earlier this month, members of the administration have called for a commitment to the principles of equity and inclusivity, and have highlighted the responsibilities that we share in building a safer community for all. In her email on June 2, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier wrote that, We are also called to consider how universities have the responsibility to confront and work to flatten social inequities through dialogue and the advancement of knowledge. Every one of us shares in this responsibility as we live through a moment in history that calls for leadership and action anchored to knowledge, compassion, and courage. The email from Dean Brenda Ravenscroft, also from June 2, invites all of us to reflect on our shared responsibility for the society we live in, and on the ways in which each of us may go beyond statements to find ways to act on this responsibility in our daily lives. Bearing these statements in mind, we would like to use this as an opportunity to remind faculty members to consider how they present themselves on social media, and to be mindful about the posts that they share, create, and comment on. At a time when the campus is closed and when social media is one of the primary avenues through which faculty and students might interact, we ask that you seriously reflect on the potential harm caused by the promotion of racially derogatory content. Specific social media posts were recently reported to us by graduate students, and we know that students have also encountered discrimination in private communications and in-person interactions with members of the Schulich community. 1 While we trust that many of you do not engage in these harmful behaviours, we encourage you to go one step further and please speak up if you see racism or bigotry expressed by someone among your colleagues, friends, or followers. Students don’t always feel safe expressing these concerns to our professors due to the inherent power dynamic of the faculty-student relationship: you hold our careers in your hands. But it is incredibly disheartening to witness professors who are unwilling to take an active role in fighting racism among their peers. While speaking out need not take place in a public comments section, do not underestimate the power of starting a conversation. We are all teachers after all, and ultimately this means that we are all still learners, too. Given that there is currently no official policy concerning the use of social media by faculty members, and that the Schulich School of Music working group currently tasked with drafting guidelines cannot do so overnight, we can only ask you to act in accordance with your personal values and consider: What does the leadership described by Principal Fortier and Dean Ravenscroft look like? What does this responsibility involve? Is “diversity” a catchword of tokenistic virtue-signaling, or is it something that the school is truly committed to? How do you use your voice and your privilege, and are they ultimately aimed at creating an inclusive environment for current and future members of the Schulich community? Yours sincerely, The MGSS Executive Council E-301 Strathcona Music Building East Wing 555 rue Sherbrooke O., Montreal QC H3A 1E3 [email protected] 2
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