Equity, Safety & Resources

The Curtis Institute of Music provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The Curtis Institute of Music is dedicated to being a community that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming to all. This dedication is integral to Curtis’ mission to train and educate the musicians of tomorrow. Widely held values in the Curtis community, including compassion, respect, openness, and empathy, are driving our efforts.

Learn more about diversity at Curtis.

The Curtis Institute of Music is committed to a rich and diverse environment, free of discrimination. Curtis does not discriminate based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status in the administration of any of its programs or activities, including admissions, financial aid, educational programs, or other Curtis-administered programs and activities or in its employment practices.

1. Creating a trauma fund to provide free counseling for any member of the Curtis community who has experienced sexual abuse.
2. Establishing new and maintaining existing confidential reporting hotlines, and deepening relationships with organizations such as Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR).
3. Expanding the Young Alumni Fund to help young alumni who may be experiencing obstacles in pursuit of their musical careers.
4. Hiring an experienced Title IX coordinator to lead the school’s human resource initiatives and foster a safe and welcoming environment for the entire Curtis community.
5. Addressing and improving the school’s community culture to address issues including power dynamics, mental health, and equity and inclusion; to provide training and resources for the community; and to foster a welcoming environment for all.
6. Creating stronger and more effective policies to prevent harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation; communicating with the community about resources and reporting options; and emphasizing reporting requirements for employees.
7. Publicly releasing an Annual Outcomes Report that provides transparent (but anonymized) information about any sexual misconduct reported in the prior year and the actions taken in response.

• Title IX Coordinator and Vice President of People and Culture Kimberly Gould joined the school in early 2021. Ms. Gould brings tremendous experience, expertise, and empathy to these roles, and is a vital resource for students, faculty, staff, and trustees alike. During Ms. Gould’s tenure, she and her team have transformed Curtis’ policies and procedures and helped lead the creation of a safe and nurturing campus environment.
• In collaboration with RAINN—the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization—Curtis maintains a trauma fund to provide free counseling for former students and alumni of Curtis who have experienced sexual misconduct. Curtis established the fund in 2020 and commits to maintain it for as long as it is needed.
• Since 2019 Curtis has partnered with Lighthouse Services to establish a confidential reporting hotline for any kind of misconduct. This hotline remains open and available to the community.
  • Curtis also deepened its relationship with RAINN and WOAR (as promised in the 2020 statement) to offer an additional hotline option to the Curtis community, which remains open and available. The school has since further engaged WOAR to offer victim advocacy services to members of the Curtis community.
  • Curtis maintains an anonymous feedback form, regularly sent to faculty and staff, to provide a safe, anonymous place to raise concerns. All submissions are addressed, with responses provided to all faculty and staff to increase transparency.
• Curtis engages Vector Solutions (formerly SafeColleges) to provide annual required training for faculty, staff, and students in areas of Title IX, mandatory reporting, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination.
  • Curtis has created a new campus safety authority staff position to lead the campus security team and oversee all issues relating to safety on and around campus.
  • The school also runs annual mandatory in-person training programs—such as active shooter, personal safety, fire safety, financial and identity safety, and online safety—reinforcing and expanding our community’s knowledge in these areas.
• Curtis has implemented Meyestro, a leading incident tracking platform built specifically for higher education by experts in the field, to support expert response to reports of sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and the protection of minors. Meyestro is currently utilized by Title IX and Human Resources to support students, faculty, and staff by ensuring that concerns are promptly documented, consistently reviewed, and addressed with care and accountability. Streamlining incident tracking ensures compliance with federal regulations and strengthens protections for all community members.
• Curtis has new and stronger policies against sexual discrimination and violence, upholding community conduct, and reinforcing reporting obligations. These policies, available on the Curtis website, are regularly evaluated, updated, and emphasized with community members.
  • Curtis’ Annual Outcomes Report summarizes accounts of misconduct brought to the attention of Curtis officials, and the status of those accounts. In addition to the Annual Fire and Safety Report, the Annual Outcomes Report is made available to the public and the Curtis community to increase awareness of these topics and promote transparency.
• During the renovation of the school’s historic home at 1726 Locust Street during the pandemic, numerous safety measures were implemented. These include doors requiring keycard access, gender-inclusive bathrooms, a security control room, and life safety and emergency response systems.
• Curtis’ board of trustees is highly invested in ensuring that the school upholds its commitment to the health and safety of our students. Staff and administrators regularly report to the full board and to the executive and education committees, providing accountability and guidance, and ensuring resource availability.
  • The board of trustees recently adopted its first honorary degree policy, to make sure that honorees are not in conflict with the values of the school.

For more information, visit the Institutional Policies section of our site.

• Within the school’s new provost’s office, several new leadership positions enhance the total student experience and advance its commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.
• Curtis has dedicated more resources towards and expanded its student services offerings, adding staff, providing new resources, and continuously investing in a strong sense of community belonging.
• The school created and continues to strengthen initiatives specifically designed to provide support for international students and younger students and their parents or guardians. These groups, identified by Cozen O’Connor as being more vulnerable and less likely to report incidents, now have a dedicated support system with resources and staff tailored for their unique needs. To support its young artists (students under 18), Curtis’ Young Artist Initiative (YAI) provides:
  • Young artist-specific information sessions for potential applicants, cohosted by admissions and student life. Young artists who have been accepted, along with their parents, are invited to personal online meetings with student life and other relevant staff in advance of orientation.
  • New Student Orientation (NSO) programming for parents and families of young artists such as campus tours, Q&A sessions with department heads, and social receptions.
  • Young Artist programming during NSO that covers balancing schoolwork and artistic responsibilities, youth-specific safety information, and transportation concerns unique to their age group.
  • Guidance on middle school and high school programs that offer a high standard of education along with schedule flexibility. Student Services maintains regular communication with each student’s enrolled academic school.
  • Quarterly 1:1 meetings with young artists to review academic and artistic progress and address their concerns and needs.
  • Young artist-specific student services programming throughout the year that includes trips, YAI and family receptions, and specific elements of Wellness Day designed for young artists.
  • Special curricular initiatives for young artists including dedicated musical studies, chamber music, and orchestral training opportunities.
• In partnership with the Title IX and people and culture offices, the student services team organizes workshops and trainings for students during New Student Orientation and continuing throughout their time at Curtis. Teams of students are trained and empowered to provide peer support to their fellow students during orientation and throughout the year:
  • As the primary point of contact between the security and facilities teams and our resident students, Resident Assistants (RAs) participate in specialized training highlighting physical, social, and emotional support for students including CPR/first aid, alcohol awareness, mental health first aid (MHFA), and crisis response training based on the updated crisis manual procedures. RAs organize residential programming throughout the academic year which draws on this extensive training.
  • Peer Ambassadors (PAs) assist in designing, leading, and implementing New Student Orientation as well as programming and events throughout the year—including bi-annual Wellness Days. They create events that address areas of concern for the student population including mental health support awareness, suicide awareness, LGBTQIA+ support, physical health engagement, financial education and safety, and alcohol and drug awareness.
• The Curtis Coordination, Assessment, Response, and Education (CARE) Team helps facilitate our students’ well-being. This group of administrators, led by the office of student services, is poised to respond to any health or safety crises a student may face, review the situation, and coordinate an action plan to support the student.
• Curtis’ ombuds team serves as a neutral and accessible point of contact for members of Curtis community to explore matters of concern.
• Expanded training for faculty and staff includes expert consultants who lead workshops on anti-bias, equity and inclusion, psychological safety, and more.
• A cross-departmental team from student services, provost’s office, and people and culture leads the school’s continued diversity, equity, inclusion, and excellence efforts.
• The Student Wellness Guide, updated at least annually, gives students access to information on the full array of health and wellness resources available to them.

• Curtis continues to address real and perceived power imbalances between faculty and students—a key issue identified by Cozen O’Connor in its 2020 report.
  • As of the 2025–26 school year, Curtis has at least two faculty members in all instrumental departments. This provides every student with options when it comes to faculty; not only does this allow students to feel comfortable in their learning environment, but students will also benefit from the increased access and diverse experiences available to them. In addition to multiple major faculty, students also work with members of the school’s resident ensembles, including Imani Winds and the Dover Quartet.
  • Curtis no longer permits faculty to teach lessons in their homes and similar personal spaces, or for students to travel to lessons in other cities. Knowing that students may not have felt comfortable objecting to these practices with teachers, Curtis mandated the changes.
• Curtis strives to support students throughout their Curtis experience—as they progress from potential applicants to students to alumni—by establishing relationships built on trust.
  • In several other administrative departments at Curtis, new staff positions focus on building and strengthening relationships with alumni.
• The new Curtis Council, a comprehensive leadership group of faculty and academic administrators from across the school, helps identify potential issues and enables collaborative efforts to address them.
• Inspired by the strength of Ms. St. John, Curtis greatly expanded its Young Alumni Fund to help young alumni overcome obstacles or explore experimental projects in the early stage of their careers. Since 2021 more than $267,000 in funding has been awarded to 75 young alumni.

These efforts and initiatives are part of the school’s ongoing efforts to improve the campus environment and safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of our community—especially our students. These priorities are a key part of every department at Curtis, and they inform every decision and program at the school.

Once again, we at Curtis express our thanks to Ms. St. John and the Philadelphia Inquirer for prompting the comprehensive inquiry in 2019. The resulting ongoing efforts, outlined above, make Curtis an incredibly safe and nurturing place. Curtis is committed to these ongoing efforts, always striving to provide the safest, most welcoming environment for our students and the entire Curtis community.

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.
• WOAR (Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence) works to educate, advocate, and ultimately prevent sexual assault across Philadelphia.

Explore online training for students, faculty, and staff in the areas of

• anti-discrimination,
• anti-harassment, and
• anti-bias training.

Further and more specified training is also available throughout the year.

Recent and upcoming training at Curtis includes

• Mental Health First Aid,
• Blueprint Evolution Safe Zone,
• RAINN Key Responder, and
• active shooter and/or shelter in place.