The College Music Society is excited to announce the implementation of CMS Cohorts, a new initiative that will allow CMS members to connect with one another through shared professional goals, academic affinities, pedagogical initiatives, and career experiences.
With plans to expand in scope and range of disciplines, the first CMS Cohorts will encompass the following areas of focus:
- Aspiring Academic Leaders Cohort - The Aspiring Academic Leaders Cohort aims to nurture and prepare future academic leaders with a music focus in higher education. This cohort will focus on professional development, fostering essential leadership skills, and exploring the responsibilities of academic leadership roles.
- Early-Career Music Faculty Cohort - The Early Music Faculty Cohort aims to support and empower early-career music faculty members in their professional development. For the purposes of this cohort, “early-career” faculty are defined as those who are within 5-7 years of completion of their terminal degree. This cohort will provide a platform for peer mentorship, networking, and skill-building to navigate the challenges of the early stages of an academic career.
- Inclusive Pedagogy Cohort - The Inclusive Pedagogy Cohort aims to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist pedagogy in music education. This cohort will serve as a platform for educators to learn about and discuss inclusive teaching practices, exchange ideas, and collaborate on fostering equitable learning environments.
- Music Administrators Cohort - The Music Administrators Cohort aims to create a supportive network for music administrators within The College Music Society. This cohort will focus on addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by administrators in music units, facilitating professional development, and promoting best practices in music administration.
- Collegiate Music Student Cohort - The Collegiate Music Student Cohort aims to bring CMS student members together across disciplines to foster conversation and bring attention to timely issues facing students in institutions of music higher education. This cohort will be facilitated by members of the CMS Student Advisory Council.
Each cohort will be designed to foster a sense of community and provide a receptive environment for CMS members to share their experiences while advancing their professional growth within music higher education.
What to Expect:
- Dedicated platform: Cohort members will communicate with one another via Basecamp.
- Monthly virtual meetings: Meetings will be held via Zoom and will be logistically facilitated by CMS Staff.
How to Join:
CMS is currently seeking both facilitators and participants for the cohorts outlined above. Please complete this form to specify which cohort(s) you are interested in joining and which role you are looking to hold. If you are unsure whether you’d like to join a cohort as a participant or as a facilitator, or if you would be interested in holding either role, you will be able to note this in the form.
Please submit the form linked above by Tuesday, October 17 to participate in this first cohort meeting session.
Please note: You must hold current CMS membership to engage with CMS Cohorts, whether as a participant or facilitator. If you are unsure of your current membership status, please contact Shannon Devlin at [email protected].