Dear friends,  

The top priority of the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music remains the health, safety and well-being of its community. Accordingly, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, we took decisive and informed action to limit the spread of the disease while ensuring the continuity of our teaching mission. I was inspired by the way our students, faculty and staff responded to the unique challenges presented by the rapid move to remote teaching and learning and the cancellation of public events. The changes we’ve experienced during this pandemic were not the way we wanted to celebrate the college’s 2020 Centennial, but I believe the way in which the college responded is something of which we can all be proud.

In the midst of planning for the fall semester, our attention—along with that of so many others around the world—was drawn to the murder of George Floyd (in the context of other violent acts) and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests. I concluded, along with other campus leaders, that we have not done enough to address racism and bias in our own community. But perhaps finally some inertia has been dislodged. Over the past several months, College of Music stakeholders have been involved in wide-ranging conversations, reflecting on our curriculum, concerts, student recruitment and faculty hiring. We must be persistent in seeking real change this time—through our actions in addition to our words.

Work on the new addition to the south end of the Imig Music Building has been completed, but we are taking some time to fully settle in. Some 60,000 new square feet over three levels will greatly enhance our teaching, rehearsal and performance activities, and a state-of-the-art recording studio and dedicated suites for the Entrepreneurship Center for Music and Musicians’ Wellness Program will allow us to expand our offerings. 

Finally, our community is preparing for new leadership to step in, as this fall marks my last semester as dean of the College of Music. I am looking forward to joining the faculty this spring and to devoting my energies to teaching and research. While I am proud to have helped facilitate numerous activities and projects during my tenure as dean, including the College of Music Advantage strategic plan, the new addition to the Imig Music Building and the $50 million music+ campaign, it has been my greatest honor to take part in the special sense of community at the College of Music. We support one another in ways that are rare at our peer institutions. It’s something I have felt keenly during my six-and-a-half years as dean, and it is truly a strategic asset for the college as we face the changes ahead of us. 

With warm regards,

Robert Shay
Dean, College of Music
Professor of Musicology