Do a handbook audit, amending any gender-exclusive language  

• Include a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion pledge in your handbook/syllabi that are required to be signed annually by staff and students, and the administration

• Add a pledge to follow outlined classroom best practices for inclusive teaching (see “Teaching Best Practices” for suggestions and adapt for what feels right in your program)

 

Create an anonymous feedback protocol

• All students should know how to report concerns

• Encourage dissent and discussion

• Publish the reporting protocols in the school handbook and make them visible on the website and in the studio

 

Teacher Evaluations 

• In addition to anonymous feedback, collect course evaluations from students bi-yearly or yearly to ensure classroom concerns are being addressed and teachers are held accountable using oversight provisions 

 

Hiring Practices

• Make inclusion a constant priority: diverse student bodies want to see themselves reflected in their educators and choreographers who are being hired 

• Make all adjuncts and guest teachers aware of your policies on inclusion, consent, open communication, gender affirmation, and racial equity 

  • One way of doing this is simply to have them sign the handbook your staff and students sign as part of their contract 

 

Resource Accessibility

• Ensure students are aware of outside resources available to them 

  • For example: university health services or outside support groups

 

Costuming

• Inclusive costuming requires accounting for race, religion, size, and gender expression 

  • For example, provide a wide variety of skin tone options and sizes in tights and undergarments 

• Ask students if they are comfortable in their costuming 

 

Other recommendations:

• Look into intimacy directors, and consider bringing them into the rehearsal process at your school

• Hold workshops for faculty to learn from experts/scholars on topics like consent training, working towards racial equity, and gender affirmation