Brenda Ravenscroft

                 
                                                   2022 Angela Hildyard Recognition Award Winner
 
​                                                                   Influential Leader

Brenda Ravenscroft is Dean of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and Professor of Music Theory.
 
She holds a Ph.D. in Musicology (University of British Columbia), an M.Mus. in Theory and Analysis (King’s College, London), and a B.Mus. from the University of Cape Town.
 
For the past decade she has focused her research on music by women composers, and is co-editor of an award-winning four-volume book series, Analytical Essays on Music by Women Composers (OUP). Spanning the scope of Western art music from 1200 to today, each volume presents in-depth analyses of works by female composers, intended to stimulate the inclusion and further exploration of outstanding but overlooked music in research and scholarship, in performance and broadcasting, and in pedagogy. 
 
Brenda’s first academic position was at McGill University, after which she moved to Queen’s University, Kingston. As of 2007 she held full-time administrative positions in the Faculty of Arts and Science, first as the Associate Dean Academic and then as the inaugural Associate Dean Teaching and Learning. During her tenure she established Queen’s University as a leader in blended and online learning in Ontario. She returned to McGill in 2017 in the position of Dean of Music.
 
In all her work, Brenda demonstrates an unwavering commitment to principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. As Dean she has been devoted to finding ways to build an inclusive environment, to remove structural barriers and inequities, and to enhance the perspectives of people from underrepresented groups. Examples include establishing an Accessibility Working Group, which evolved into a standing EDI Committee with a broad mandate, working with Black alumni on improving the climate for Black colleagues and students, creating community outreach activities, and expanding the diversity of the professoriate. She is a passionate advocate for women in everything she does.

                                       About the Recognition Awards

​SWAAC RECOGNITION AWARDS

The annual Angela Hildyard SWAAC Recognition Awards, of $1,000 each,  recognize an influential and an emerging leader who have continually demonstrated innovative and impactful leadership in advancing the mission of, and achieving outstanding contributions to, their institution and/or to higher education.  A donation will be made on each recipient’s behalf to an institution of their choice, in the form of a contribution to an endowment or fund that supports students, or to a registered charitable organization supporting educational initiatives. 

Eligibility

All SWAAC members in post-secondary institutions.

Influential Leader Selection Criteria

Evidence of leadership, through:

• Rich and meaningful contributions at an institutional, community and/or system level
• Demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of institutional vision, mission, values and major goals
• Improving the educational experiences of post secondary students at all levels  
• Promoting and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion within institutions
• Engaging the community of institutional stakeholders
• Communicating a vision and commitment to new initiatives and continually contributing to innovation
• Demonstrating exemplary support for administration and/or teaching and research endeavours, and held in high regard by colleagues, staff, students and faculty
• Fostering positive and lasting impact on the department/division/institution, colleagues, faculty, students and alumni
• Consistently and demonstrably coaching and mentoring the next generation of Canadian educators by providing them with the opportunity, inspiration, and/or best practice tools to pursue professional excellence
• Enhancing the experience of peers by employing innovative techniques to motivate, mentor and inspire others to realize their potential
• Providing students with academically challenging, exciting, well-taught programs

Emerging Leader Selection Criteria

Evidence of leadership, through:

• Demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of institutional vision, mission, values and major goals
• Promoting and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion
• Demonstrating leadership on the engagement of the community in relationship to  institutional priorities
• Communicating a vision and commitment to new initiatives and continually contributing to innovation
• Held in high regard by colleagues, student, staff
• Recognized as an outstanding and inspiring mentor within the institution

Each nomination must address the key areas that form the basis for nomination

The nomination should be accompanied by a one page summary and two letters of support from senior colleagues, one of which is written by a constituency that has benefited from the work of the nominee.

The deadline for submission of nominations: March 1, 2023.

The Selection Committee shall be the elected members of the Executive.

Nominations for the 2023 award must be sent via electronic mail to:

Donna Kotsopoulos
SWAAC President
swaacadmin@utoronto.ca