Vision

To always meet the highest standards of excellence, while continuing to chart new and innovative directions, securing Peabody’s leadership at the forefront of performing arts education now and in the future.

Goals and Progress

Goal: Ensure continued nurturing of Conservatory core programs representing areas of excellence while addressing any area that may fall short of Peabody’s standards of excellence using key metrics for assessment with initial focus on internal review and status check of programs to establish baselines.

July 2025 Updates:

• An ongoing review of select academic departments has resulted in streamlined curricular offerings and revised requirements to better address the evolving needs of students. A revision of the External Review process is under way.
• Ensemble program improvements, including a new rotation system, enhanced repertoire balance, and increased faculty engagement in sectionals, have been successfully implemented.
• A new flexible modality MM in Music Education is planned for implementation in Fall 2026.

Goal: Leverage Peabody’s investment in Music, Engineering and Technology (MET), and recent enrollment growth across these areas, to build the next generation of related programs beginning with the launch of a first ever degree program in Hip-Hop, and expansion of Peabody’s Recording Arts program with new Production track in 2025.

July 2025 Updates:

• The BM in Hip Hop received State of MD approval; key faculty on board include Wendel Patrick, Lupe Fiasco, and Max Bent; the inaugural incoming class for Fall 2025 is confirmed.
• A new (stand-alone) BM in Recording Arts will launch in Fall 2025 with an inaugural class confirmed.

Goal: Explore and incorporate the growing impact of AI on the creative process and the performing arts through MET, Composition and other programs, leveraging major AI investment made by the University.

July 2025 Updates:

• A multi-year Exploration and Engagement for AI and the Arts plan is in progress, with initial roll out in the 2025-26 Academic Year featuring curriculum integration, AI technology open houses in the library, and a speaker series.

Goal: Further strengthen the DMA degree program by ensuring flexibility for specialization beginning with launch of an Arts & Health track, enhancing practicum experiences through augmented teaching experiences, and by fully leveraging new DMA tuition-free 2-year residency commitment to increase access and further bolster the program’s competitive position as measured by selectivity and yield.

July 2025 Updates:

• A DMA Degree Track in Performing Arts & Health is projected to launch in Fall 2027.
• Improvements to the DMA program—including a streamlined path to 5-year completion, the establishment of a framework for appending secondary studies and cognates (e.g. Business of Music, Pedagogy), and streamlining recital requirements—have been implemented.
• Teaching experiences for DMA candidates will be expanded with a required pedagogy class beginning in Fall 2027 and planning is under way for additional curated teaching opportunities.
• The tuition-free model, implemented for Fall 2025, dramatically increased the competitiveness of the DMA in one year, with a 54% increase in applications, a drop in the admit rate from 27% to 7% indicating greater selectivity, and yield improving from 39% to 78%.

Goal: As an important measure of student success, and through increased resources dedicated to academic advising including robust communications among constituencies supporting students, financial aid, and performance health, and aligned with JHU student success initiatives, increase six-year graduation rates that have ranged from 71% to 83%, to over 90% within five years, placing Peabody at the high end of its peer set.

July 2025 Updates:

• A comprehensive Student Success Plan was completed in 2024-25, with multi-year goals and strategies for improved retention and graduation rates by 2030.
• The first-to-second year retention rate is projected to increase to 97% in Fall 2025, up from 92% in Fall 2024.
• An External Review of the Academic Advising program completed in Spring 2025 recommended improvements in operations, enhanced staffing, training, and learning outcomes to strengthen advising and improve persistence and student success.

Goal: Build Peabody’s Performing Arts and Health department and future Center’s research enterprise, academic programs, service lines, and advocacy strategy leveraging JHU and JHM to further elevate Peabody’s profile across the university and establish JHU/Peabody as an international leader at the intersection of arts and health, consistent with the Performing Arts and Health strategic plan developed in 2024-25.

July 2025 Updates:

• A DMA Degree Track in Performing Arts & Health is projected to launch in Fall 2027.
• The inaugural Power of Music in Healthcare professional development course ran successfully in June 2025, providing proof-of-concept both for a future certificate offering and a curriculum model for Conservatory students beginning in 2026.

Goal: Benchmark and expand the range of culturally diverse repertoire, techniques, and critical perspectives studied and performed at Peabody in new and existing academic programs and co-curricular initiatives, beginning with implementation of 2024-25 Culturally Responsive Curriculum Group recommendations including a growing focus on a wide range of historic and current American music genres.

July 2025 Updates:

• The Creative Voices Advisory Committee met during the 2024-25 Academic Year and crafted a plan for a Common Theme to be integrated into performance activities and classroom academic areas beginning in Fall 2026, while providing funding opportunities for faculty to create projects as well as development of faculty learning modules.

Goal: In collaboration with Homewood schools, expand existing academic initiatives and open new academic avenues while removing barriers for students at Peabody and Homewood to fully experience JHU, to meet growing demand from students seeking a broader, more holistic undergraduate experience, as measured by increased numbers of double degree candidates, directed minors, exploration of a BA in music, Peabody student access to Homewood classes, Homewood student access to Peabody faculty both through Peabody at Homewood program and on the Peabody campus, and cultivated Peabody student participation at Homewood student events.

July 2025 Updates:

• Enrollment in the double degree program is projected to increase to more than 60 students in Fall 2025, up from 50 in prior year.
• In collaboration with the JHU Registrar, work is ongoing to increase access to Homewood classes and improve the Interdivisional Registration process.