1. Our teaching is engaged, inclusive, and research-led. We seek to cultivate a synergy between academic and creative pursuits.

2. We welcome risk-takers. We strive to experiment and invest in new creations while critically examining existing work.

3. We look for opportunities to share music-dance knowledge and value all lived experience, all forms of education, and all fields of study that inform our artistic pursuits. We work to build and maintain a supportive environment so that our musicians and dancers feel safe to explore and flourish.

4. The community is our classroom. Our area is full of off-campus arts organizations, performance venues, and creative opportunities, connecting student artists with the skills and information they need to effect positive change within their communities and move the fields of music and dance forward.