The Music Department of Central Washington University serves the academic community through offering of courses, cultural activities, and degrees relevant to the needs of its students. Within this comprehensive university, the Department functions as the component of a liberal arts institution that provides education in the musical arts, provides cultural experiences for the community, and serves as a resource for music education in the state.
The Mission of the university is to “prepare students for responsible citizenship, responsible stewardship of the earth and enlightened and productive lives. Faculty, staff, students and alumni serve as an intellectual resource to assist central Washington, the state and region in solving human and environmental problems.” Since the department focuses exclusively on the arts, it would be a far reach to assert that it fosters “responsible stewardship of the earth”, or assists in the solution of environmental problems in a substantive manner. Other aspects of the Mission are much more in line with the goals of the department. There is an even more direct connection with the departments activities and the “extent to which the unit is essential to the expected operations of a comprehensive university.” Prepare students for responsible citizenship…and enlightened and productive lives. It can be argued that music degree programs are among the most effective paths toward these goals.
1. Service to the CWU academic community by: a. offering courses in musical arts for academic majors and general education b. offering cultural activities in the form of concerts and events open to the university and general public c. offering degrees relevant to the needs of its students, seeking to prepare students for advanced study and musical careers through coursework and practical experiences. d. offering resources for music education in the state in presentations and performances by faculty and students, serving on governing and advisory boards, and providing well-trained graduates who gain jobs in the field. 2. Service to the region by being a center for cultural events by: a) presenting performances by faculty, students, department ensembles and guest artists. b) presenting state and regional festivals, such as the Sonatina Festival, Festival in the various performing areas (e.g., Choral, Orchestra, Band, Jazz, Trumpet, Cello, and Composition.} c) Making the facility available to and supporting presentations by visiting professional and collegiate performing ensembles, e.g., Chanticleer, The Chieftains, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Yakima Symphony orchestra. 3. For students in degree programs: a. To provide the opportunity for all students to develop into self-sufficient, secure and well-informed musicians, b. To instill in students an aspiration for continual growth in knowledge and acquisition of skills in the areas of specialization: performance, teaching, arranging and composition. c. To embody rigorous expectations for academic achievement and applied proficiency within a nurturing environment, All (a, b, c) through 1) academic coursework 2) ensemble experience 3) applied music study 4) performance opportunities . For students as individuals: a. To acknowledge the uniqueness of each students background, goals and aptitude. b. To provide effective advising for students of department and degree expectations and to help each to succeed; c. To provide opportunities for students to assume responsibility to realize these expectations as fully as possible. 5. For faculty and staff: a. To provide a nurturing, supportive working environment b. To encourage scholarly and creative activity, both individual and collaborative c. To encourage innovative ways of teaching and other effective ways of reaching students d. To encourage active involvement in service activities, both on and off campus
1. Programs that are not sufficiently supported by faculty resources have been eliminated: ex. 1. The MM in Music History, ex 2. The BA in Music Business has been put on reserve. 2. Evolving practices in the discipline require adjustment: ex. 1 The BM in Composition/Theory is in process of being changed to BM in Composition (only) 3. The need to meet Accreditation standards resulted in a change in the Music History core, adding World Music to the core. 4. Comparing present syllabi in music education, both in department and professional education courses area leading to a major revision of the program, presently being conducted by Music Education specialists. 5. Hire of TT faculty Composition Specialist this year will result in overhaul of B.M in Composition title and curriculum.
The Department offers undergraduate curricula leading to the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees and graduate work leading to the Master of Music degree. The growing demand for the "Central Music Graduate" is a source of pride for the music faculty and an incentive for continued dedication to the training of young musicians. In addition to our traditionally strong Music Teacher Education program, the Department provides high quality training for the performer, composer, conductor and music businessperson. The Department of Music is an institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
The only substantive recommendation from the last program review (2006-2007) was to implement more rigorous assessment procedures and data-gathering. Since this developing and implement such a system has been mandated, university-wide, for this academic year, this recommendation is being currently addressed.
1) The department has a strong faculty of professional music educators who work together with rare collegiality, have a well-balanced blend of areas of expertise and professional experience both in and outside academe, and are committed to providing the highest quality of musical experiences and training for their students. The faculty is professionally active, with a wide range of on- and off-campus performances, conducting experiences, music education involvement and scholarly and service activities. 2) The department is well respected on campus, in the state and in the region. It continues to maintain its reputation as the premier music education program in the state, and its representative performing ensembles, already known for their excellence, are still increasing in stature. The recent addition of a music education specialist with strengths in research and the graduate program will enable the department to revive and even expand the graduate music education program. 3) The department concentrates its efforts on what curricular programs can be delivered with integrity, and does not try to spread itself too thin. 4) Music performed by students and faculty ranges from early music on period instruments to contemporary music. The repertoire for wind ensembles, symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra and choirs always includes contemporary works, and the formation of a contemporary chamber players ensemble give many students the opportunity to experience music not often heard in traditional ensemble concerts. 5) The department has proved ready to change to match changing circumstances in the discipline, changes in technology and changes in programmatic pressures. Examples of this include: a) the deletion of degrees no longer able to be supported b) the changes in various degree curricula to strengthen their goals, such as the change in the Music Business degree to better reflect the normal goals of the music business major, and the inclusion of World Music in the history core. c) The addition of new courses that take advantage of new faculty’s special expertise and satisfy the stated mission of the department. d) The institution of specializations to better compete in the market for talented students, such as the new B.A. Specialization in Jazz. 6) There is no hierarchy of importance within the program: faculty in all degree and program areas respect and support each other’s work. This sense of mutual respect carries over into the student body; no one area is considered superior to any other. 7) The administration of the department has been successful at creating an atmosphere of trust, fairness, candor, integrity and collegiality, while maintaining expectations of the highest academic and musical achievements. 8) The Kairos String Quartet, a Resident Ensemble supported by an endowed professorship, brings many benefits to the department. 9) The representative ensembles of the department in all areas, choral, orchestral, wind ensembles and vocal and instrumental jazz, groups that tend to project much of the image of the department to outside constituencies, are at an unparalleled level of excellence across the board. 10) The new building has given the department facilities that are superior. 11) Major roles are played by department faculty in many local, state and national music education venues: department faculty members include the President-Elect of WMEA, two other faculty members and the state student president are members of the WMEA executive board, the chair of the national MENC Special interest research committee on Assessment.
Many of the weaknesses of the program relate to the inadequacy of instructional and financial resources. 1) FTTT positions are inadequate to support the current student population and programs (see data presented on pages 5 and 6). The department believes that the program is thriving, but the inadequate number of faculty and staff has led to a number of weaknesses in the program: a) The workload of TT faculty is increasingly devoted to applied music, leaving the instruction of core academic classroom courses to adjunct faculty. This year, with the TT composition position occupied with an adjunct faculty member teaching on a per-credit, part-time basis, all but one of the six core theory sections, upper division theory and two core music history sections are being taught by part-time faculty. This problem is also coming to the fore in other areas. The trombone instructor, also hired as Associate Band Director, now has a very strong trombone studio, but can continue directing a band only by assuming an untenable overload. b) TT faculty average 1.8 contact unpaid overload workload units per quarter, resulting in annual average loads of 37.81 (36 instructional credits are the norm). The overload assumed by the faculty as a whole is equivalent to 3 full-time TT faculty members, close to the number of faculty short of national norms as suggested by HEADS data provided on page 5). c) Additional instructional staff would permit the department to enlarge and enrich general education offerings, currently only two courses per quarter. Part of this problem lies with the system of reward for credit generation in the university. All credit dollars generated by courses do not revert to the department but to a general fund. d) Instructional pressures and the dedication of the faculty to the needs of the students result in overloads, only some of which are officially acknowledged, that compromise the faculty’s ability to focus on their own professional development and scholarship, and to department program development. e) Many elective and required upper division courses are dependant on the availability of qualified part-time instructors f) Small-studio applied areas taught by adjuncts are vulnerable to the lack of consistent instruction, the difficulty of attracting highly qualified instructors and impossible recruiting conditions. 2) Based on the current department size, funding for the operational expenses of an active music program, including equipment, instruments, recruiting, ensemble music, ensemble touring, student help, administrative work, scholarships and performing expenses is inadequate. 3) Based on the size of this department, staff support is inadequate—not even equal to national averages for music units half the size of this department. 4) Scholarship availability, which at $26,000 is only 1/10 the average for comparable music units, pales even in comparison to the average of public music departments of 101-200 majors ($148,788). This puts the department at an enormous competitive disadvantage for recruiting talented high school students. 5) The administration’s stance on Professional Leaves has resulted in far fewer sabbaticals taken by music faculty than in any other discipline. That is, many faculty have unique competencies that are not duplicated by other faculty, particularly in applied music areas (e.g., violin, clarinet, flute instructors,). With no means of replacing these instructors with faculty of equal expertise, Professional Leaves in these areas will result in personally recruited students not getting the instruction promised, and potential immediate deterioration of a studio--which would have disastrous results in department ensembles.
The relationship of music department goals and objectives to those of the university are most visible in the University Shared Values that are part of the University Mission Statement. Values especially relevant to the department are the goals of: 1. Holding “the student’s highest good as our paramount concern” 2. Developing and maintaining “a community that is both supportive and challenging.” The latter goal is articulated in the Chair’s introductory statement on the department web site, in all literature sent to prospective students, and both goals can be seen in the practices and attitudes of the faculty and administrators. Retreats by performing groups, extra study sessions conducted by faculty, open-door advising and student/faculty shared performances are all examples of these values. They can also be seen in the rapid administrative response to student concerns, e.g., changes in building hours, scheduling of classes to avoid conflicts, the institution of requested courses, acquisition of technological equipment for student use and advising issues. Travis King Music minor MUS 144, 145, 146 OK MUS 104 OK MUS 171: 6 needed, have 2 need 4 more Ensemble: 6 needed, have 6 in 288 MUS electives 6 needed. Have 2 MUS154A, 2 MUS 287, 2 MUS 288 OK Needed: MUS 359: 3 Applied: 4 Winter: take 2 MUS 467 Choir Substitute for 171 (2);1 MUS 428 Men’s Choir, Substitute for 171 (1) 1 MUS 171D (Clarinet); MUS 359
· Accrediting influence on curricula: Since degree curricula are strongly influenced by guidelines established by the accrediting organization, the core courses of the majors are defined by those guidelines. When those guidelines change, curricula are altered to reflect that change. An example of this is the recent revision of the core courses in music history. NASM now requires that all music degree curricula include a course in World Music; the music history curriculum has reconfigured this year to allow for the inclusion of that course. · Historical influence on curricula: While most curricula are defined by accreditation guidelines for each degree, the history of the department and its image in the state and region plays a substantial role in determining the shape of the program. This is most evident in the area of Jazz. · New faculty influence on curricula: New opportunities for enriching the curricula with elective courses are made possible by the strengths brought to the department by new hires. Although all new hires are guided by competencies in advertised areas that mesh with long-term department goals, faculty also bring with them strengths that might be peripheral to the duties for which they were hired.
The curricula of all music degree programs are determined in large part by guidelines developed and published by the accrediting body for music units, the National Association of Schools of Music. This organization re-accredits each member unit every ten years. This is done through a detailed Self-Study, a Visitors’ Report and an Accrediting Commission Report. The department underwent re-accreditation in the spring of 2002. Following several actions taken to address issues that were identified by the Commission, the Music Department was informed on June 1, 2005 that it has been accredited as a member in good standing. Therefore, it can be stated that the curricula of all the degree programs in the Music Department meet current national standards as established by the professional accrediting organization for music in higher education.
· The intrinsic nature of the discipline is such that public demonstrations of teaching effectiveness is an almost daily occurrence, since so much of the instruction is performance-oriented, and takes the form of ensemble directing or coaching or the private tutoring associated with applied lessons. Frequent student recitals, end-of-quarter concerts by student ensembles and other events, such as opera productions, provide much evidence of teaching effectiveness. · The final exam in all applied music courses takes the form of a “jury” performance—a short performance by each student in front of a group of faculty provides a snapshot of the student’s present performing skill, and the improvement of the student in successive juries demonstrates not only the student’s work, but the effectiveness of the instruction. Each faculty observer fills in a jury report form, with comments on the performance. These reports and a jury repertoire form are kept in the student’s file in the Music Office. · For music education students, their performance in the student teaching experience provides a capstone demonstration of their success in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the field, and, by implication, the effectiveness of the instruction they received. All music student teachers are observed twice by department faculty members, who provide first-hand reports on their progress. · In a very practical sense, the effectiveness of instruction is reflected by the very presence of talented students in the program.
To provide a nurturing, supportive working environment. Weekly department meetings, led by the chair, offer opportunities for faculty to express concerns and other items for department action or consideration. Above all, it is understood that art is at its best when produced in an environment that encourages rather than criticizes. Open-door policies by department administration also contributes to this goal. Although heavy instructional loads make consistent mentoring difficult, the collaborative and collegial nature of the faculty tends to mitigate the lack of directed mentoring that is an acknowledged weakness in the department.
There are two courses that satisfy General Education requirements: MUS 101, History of Jazz (5 credits), and MUS 102, Introduction to Music (5 credits). These courses satisfy requirements for the Aesthetic Experience in the Arts and Humanities category. Entering first-year music majors satisfy the one-credit UNIV 101 General Education requirement by taking the required major course, MUS 104, Introduction to Musical Studies (3 credits).
There is one graduate degree, the Master of Music, with five areas of specialization: · Music Education · Conducting · Composition · Performance · Performance/Pedagogy The required curriculum of each specialization is presented in Appendix B. Recent changes in curricula include raising the minimum required applied music credits from 10 to 12 in the Performance Degrees and from 6 to 12 in the Performance/Pedagogy degree.
· Online Blackboard has been used in Jazz History and music theory courses to distribute course information and content. Testing and evaluation will follow. · Online resources are included in the MUS 102 course (Music Appreciation) syllabus. These resources form a substantial part of classroom and homework activity. · Online resources provided by publishers in first-year music theory sequence, which consists of drill and practice exercises via the web. · First-year music theory instructors use Blackboard to offer instructor-developed ear-training exercises.
To provide effective advising for students of department and degree expectations and to help each to succeed. Effective advising for music majors and minors is valued in the Music Department. Upon acceptance into a music degree program, faculty assume an immediate role in advising students. In addition, required classes MUS 104 and MUS 304, taken in the first quarter of enrollment, address general needs of freshmen and transfers, respectively. These are assessed with SEOIs and office staff oversight. 1. Department Chair is present at all summer orientation sessions for incoming freshman and transfer students, meets with all students and gives advisement. 2. All freshmen majors and minors are required to take MUS 104, Introduction to Musical Studies, in their initial quarter in residence in the fall. This course encompasses the curriculum of UNIV 101 and other advising content specific to the music major programs, and includes several class sessions in which department chair meets with all sections for advising purposes. 3. All incoming transfer students are required to take MUS 304, Introduction to Musical Studies for Transfer Students in their initial quarter in residence in the fall. Advising is a substantial component of the curriculum of this course. 4. All Music Education majors must have a private advising session with the faculty undergraduate Music Education specialist before the Music Education major declaration form can be submitted. 5. Composition/Theory majors are advised by the composition specialist on the faculty. 6. Bachelor of Arts majors and those with guitar as a major performing area are advised by the department chair. 7. Music Business majors are advised by the faculty Music Business specialist. 8. Performance majors are advised by their applied instructors. Those students studying with adjunct instructors are assigned T.T. faculty advisors whose specialty is close to their performing area. 9. Student teachers are observed twice during their student teaching experience by Music Department faculty, and receive advising on their work. 10. The undergraduate and graduate music handbooks are available on the department web page. Much material of an advising nature is in these handbooks. 11. The department Associate Chair is designated as the advisor for any student who seeks resolution to any kind of problem having to do with their experiences in the department. 12. The department Chair is available at any time to meet with students seeking resolution to problems outside the Associate Chair’s scope.
a) Recruiting. Many of our most talented students would not come to CWU if we did not have a jazz program of substance.
The department has a large number of active student organizations, most with direct faculty supervision. Some of these are student chapters of national organizations that focus on specific areas of music. These include: 1. The CWU student chapter of the Washington Music Educator’s Association (WMEA) 2. The CWU student chapter of the International Association Jazz Educators (IAJE 3. The CWU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) 4. The CWU student chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) 5. The CWU chapter of the Student Composers International (CSI) Other student organizations are more locally centered, and provide an opportunity for students in a particular applied area to coalesce. These include: 1. The CWU Opera Club 2. The CWU Horn Club 3. The CWU Trumpet Club 4. The CWU Trombone Club
There are some consistent sources of anecdotal evidence gathered about music education graduates and their successes: i. The annual All-State or All-Northwest MENC conferences. Aside from attending clinics and presentations, or hearing performances by ensembles directed by CWU graduates, the CWU Alumni Reception provides a venue for much informal sharing of stories of successes and teaching experiences. ii. The annual department Choral, Jazz, Orchestra and Band Festivals for High School ensembles are always attended by many CWU graduates presently teaching in the field, and the performances of their ensembles are tangible evidence of their successes. iii. Individual applied instruction faculty members maintain networks with their former students and often report back on their post-graduate experiences. iv. Many former students are among the applicants for the graduate program, and many have successfully enjoyed TA appointments.
We attempt to acknowledge the uniqueness of each students background, goals and aptitude. Great care is taken to ensure that students feel welcome and valued, through attitudes encouraged by faculty, staff, and students. Personal attention of applied instructors, major classroom teachers, and ensemble directors is critical to enabling this goal. Music students spend a lot of time alone, practicing and studying. This in itself leads many to discover their abilities to take responsibility for their actions and their own education. Tangible strategies for practice and preparation are often the primary focus in the first years of undergraduate study, in hopes that these experiences will lead to self-directed preparation in recital performances, etc.
To provide a nurturing, supportive working environment. Weekly department meetings, led by the chair, offer opportunities for faculty to express concerns and other items for department action or consideration. Above all, it is understood that art is at its best when produced in an environment that encourages rather than criticizes. Open-door policies by department administration also contributes to this goal. Although heavy instructional loads make consistent mentoring difficult, the collaborative and collegial nature of the faculty tends to mitigate the lack of directed mentoring that is an acknowledged weakness in the department.
To encourage scholarly and creative activity, both individual and collaborative. The department has a detailed outline of expectations regarding publication and other comparable activities related to tenure and promotion. Applied faculty members are expected to perform, research-oriented faculty are expected to produce a reasonable number of published articles, and value is placed on collaboration, especially in performance. This goal is assessed in peer review, annual performance reviews, and promotion and tenure considerations.
To encourage innovative ways of teaching and other effective ways of reaching students. The department places its students’ well-being and education at the top of its priorities, and faculty are expected to draw upon the innovations of the past and present to shape the future through these students. New technologies have received increasing attention, but the flow and exchange of collegial ideas seems to create the most innovative ways of reaching students. Team-teaching, interactive technologies, practicums and field opportunities are constantly explored. This goal is assessed in peer review, annual performance reviews, and promotion and tenure considerations. To encourage active involvement in service activities, both on and off campus. Music faculty have different schedules than most other university colleagues, yet all make time to contribute to department needs, university service activities, and local, state, national and international organizations. This goal is assessed in peer review, annual performance reviews, and promotion and tenure considerations.
· The SEIO forms are administered for each class every quarter. The written comments are transcribed and returned to each instructor, along with the forms and summary sheet. A copy of the comments and summary sheets are kept for evaluation in the music office. · The intrinsic nature of the discipline is such that public demonstrations of teaching effectiveness is an almost daily occurrence, since so much of the instruction is performance-oriented, and takes the form of ensemble directing or coaching or the private tutoring associated with applied lessons. Frequent student recitals, end-of-quarter concerts by student ensembles and other events, such as opera productions, provide much evidence of teaching effectiveness. · The final exam in all applied music courses takes the form of a “jury” performance—a short performance by each student in front of a group of faculty provides a snapshot of the student’s present performing skill, and the improvement of the student in successive juries demonstrates not only the student’s work, but the effectiveness of the instruction. Each faculty observer fills in a jury report form, with comments on the performance. These reports and a jury repertoire form are kept in the student’s file in the Music Office. · For music education students, their performance in the student teaching experience provides a capstone demonstration of their success in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the field, and, by implication, the effectiveness of the instruction they received. All music student teachers are observed twice by department faculty members, who provide first-hand reports on their progress.
Data provided by Instructional Research and other appropriate offices.
The Music Library is situated on the fourth floor of the university library building, about a ten-minute walk from the Music Building The music library is comprised of a score, book, and reference room for music print materials, a small conference room used by the Music Research, History Review and area-specific upper-division history classes, a Music Education resource room, and a listening area for music sound recordings. The score, book, and reference room is an “open stacks” area which houses collected editions/ historical sets, circulating music scores and books, hardbound music periodicals, and music reference books. The listening area contains listening carrels which have CD players, phonograph turntables, cassette players and tap-rhythm machines used by music theory students. All 48 carrels have electrical outlets that students can use for their own laptop computers and portable players. The conference room is equipped with a sound reproduction system and is used by classes that utilize its proximity to reference material and the recorded music collection. The music section of the Central Washington University library contains approximately 9000 books, 5500 scores, and 13200 sound recordings. The reference area contains most of the ‘standard’ music dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical compilations and indexes. The library owns all or partial holdings of the complete works of fifty major composers as well as several monuments of music collections.
The music department has an account with funds allotted for the purchase of library materials. The music library also has its own account for the acquisition of music books and scores. There is also a budget line category called “audio” which permits the purchase of music sound recordings. A “video” account is used to acquire videos and films on music.
. Acquisitions are designed to support the full range of the music department’s curriculum, which includes music history classes and the music education program, as well as providing books, scores, and recordings for music faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. Scores are purchased so that individuals or members of performing ensembles have access to study scores or performance scores with parts. Music recordings are acquired to support listening assignments of various courses and to encourage listening by individual patrons interested in all genres: including classical, jazz, blues, and world music. Three music courses provide formal music library instruction for music students: · MUS 104, Introduction to Musical Studies: One of the primary goals of this course is to provide instruction in the use of the music library and all its hard copy and electronic resources. · MUS 304: Introduction to Musical Studies for Transfer Students, is designed to be give transfer students much of the same content of the MUS 104 course, but without the university orientation material that is required for entering students. · MUS 521: Methods of Music Research, is designed to help the graduate student in music to formulate a logical approach to the process of identification, location and evaluation of the materials available for master’s level research projects. Students taking the music history sequence (Mus 359, 372, 373, 374) will normally be asked to write at least one research paper during that academic year. The instructors of the music history sequence expect the students to expand upon the material learned in either Mus 104 or Mus 304 and are ready to assist the students with these projects.
The music faculty library/liaison works with the music librarian to keep current with standard music publications and collects requests from department faculty. These requests are then forwarded to the library’s collection development librarian. The library specialist also works closely with the faculty in acquiring book, scores, and recordings, and separately orders materials for the collections. Often when new faculty members arrive on campus, they ask the library to acquire materials on their subject area before fall term starts. The library specialist orders these items through the music library’s account and often these materials are rushed through Collection Development so that new faculty and their students have access to these items during the fall term or later on in the school year. Students’ suggestions for music library acquisitions are either referred to their faculty liaison or handled directly by the library specialist.
A full-time Chair on an eleven-month contract administers the Music Department, assisted by a ½ time Associate Chair on a nine-month contract. Much of the responsibility of the Associate Chair is taken with the duties of serving as the Graduate Advisor/Coordinator. Since the department’s activities are more complex than most academic departments, the governance system is likewise more complex. There are a total of five staff members working the full time equivalent 4.25 positions during the academic year. During summer months the staff is reduced to 2.75 FTE positions. 1. Full-time Secretary Supervisor: 12 month 2. Full-time Hall Manager: 12 month 3. ¾ time Piano Technician: 11 month 3. ½ time Fiscal technician: 9 month 4. ½ time Office Assistant: 9 month 5. ½ time Recording/Audio technician: 9 month Although the total available secretarial and technical support does not match national averages even for music units much smaller than this department, the present staff members are uniformly collegial, expert and efficient, and their willingness to do their utmost to make the program successful is highly appreciated.
Faculty members participate fully in the day-to-day running of the program. Faculty meetings are held weekly, with one meeting a month reserved for committee work. The standing committees of the department, the Personnel, Curriculum, Graduate, Scholarship, Music Education and Faculty Relations committees each have at least five members, and are called upon in their areas of domain: · The Personnel Committee is chiefly responsible for governing faculty participation in Reappointment, Promotion, Tenure and Merit procedures, and developing its own independent recommendations. Other duties include confirming the qualifications of adjunct faculty and administering chair elections. · The Curriculum Committee vets each proposal involving undergraduate curriculum change, the proposals coming from faculty, students or administration, and offers a recommendation to the faculty as a whole. · The Graduate Committee deals with questions of graduate curricula, graduate policies and Graduate Teaching Assistantships. · The Scholarship Committee attempts to keep track of the Foundation Scholarship account balances, receives recommendations for scholarship from faculty in the various performing areas and develops a plan for distributing scholarship offers, primarily to entering students. · The Music Education Committee considers question of policy regarding certification, student teaching and curricular issues and the ongoing matter of the relationship with the Department of Education · The Faculty Relations Committee attends to social functions that occur in the department: receptions for retiring faculty members, gifts for support staff, organizing the fall all-faculty family picnic, etc. · Other ad hoc committees are formed as the need arises. The move into the new Music Building created a need to develop polices regarding the scheduling and use of the new performance halls, and a Concert Committee was formed to address those issues. The superb visual and acoustic properties of the new Concert Hall have created much demand for its use, and the ad hoc Concert Committee has become a de facto new standing committee of the department. Search Committees, whose members are approved by the Dean, are formed whenever the need arises, and are responsible for the complete search process.
Based on the current department size, funding for the operational expenses of an active music program, including equipment, instruments, recruiting, ensemble music, ensemble touring, student help, administrative work, scholarships and performing expenses is inadequate. The department has traditionally been under funded, at least by national norms. This is partly the result of Washington state higher education funding allocations, which traditionally are much lower than national norms. Compounding this is the fact that allocations are tied to student credit hours generated, and, unlike other states, there is no allowance made for programs in the Arts, which have a much higher student/faculty ratio than other disciplines. Music is one of eight departments and three programs in the College of Arts and Humanities, and the budgetary allotment from the university to the college does not acknowledge the higher student/faculty ratio, or the greater cost of supporting Music than other departments to any great extent.
The department is blessed with one of the finest music buildings in the country today. Completed and occupied in the fall of 2004, the department has been in the building for just over a year. The facility is designed in two building masses, an academic wing with classrooms, faculty studios, practice rooms and labs, and a performance and rehearsal wing. The two masses are joined by a circular lobby that acts as kind of an architectural fulcrum.
The equipment request for the new Music Building totaled $3.6 million, of which $2.4 million was funded. This includes everything that was not in the construction budget line. The language of the legislative appropriation specified that the funds provided could not be used for “small musical instruments,” “laptop computers” and “small printers.” The desktop printers in each office and two laptop computers were purchased with funds supplied by donations of people who bought “seats” in the Concert Hall. The question of small instruments will be addressed below. The $2.4 million purchased the following: a) Non-instruments: i. All furniture (desks, telephones, workstations, shelves, file cabinets, clothing racks, etc) ii. Computers, software and related items iii. Classroom and office equipment iv. Recording, communication and playback equipment. A complete list of technical equipment is provided in Appendix F v. Ensemble library storage units vi. Instrument storage cabinets vii. Performance equipment: stage risers, choral risers, conducting stations and moveable acoustic panels for the performance halls. b) Instruments: i. Band/orchestral instruments The language forbidding the purchase of “small musical instruments’ was frustrating both as to the reason for its inclusion in the appropriation bill (no reason was ever officially offered), and its intended parameters. Repeated requests for a definition of “small” failed to elicit a response. Eventually, only after the complete list was submitted, it came to mean any woodwind smaller than a bassoon, any brass smaller than a euphonium and any string instrument smaller than a cello. Thus: · We are now well equipped with bassoons, baritone and bass saxophones and bass clarinets, we still have a need for tenor alto and soprano saxophones, clarinets, oboes, English horns, and piccolos. · We now are well equipped with tubas and euphoniums, we still have a need for trombones, trumpets and French horns. · We are now well equipped with cellos and string basses, we still have a need for violins and violas. Some of these needs are critical, some less so, and the function of the needs vary. For example, E flat trumpets, E flat clarinets, piccolos, English horns, horns and alto/bass trombones are needed for use in ensembles, violins and violas are needed for use in music education methods courses. ii. Percussion Instruments. The percussion area profited greatly from the particular language of the legislation. In addition to being able to purchase multiple sets of timpani (including a pair of classical timpani), marimbas, xylophones and drumsets, the strategy of combining many small instruments, such as snares, tom toms, cymbals, wood blocks, bongos, sirens, etc) into “Concert Drum Sets” facilitated the purchase of literally dozens of small percussion instruments that would not have been possible to purchase singly. The amount spent on percussion instruments totaled around $200K. iii. Keyboard, miscellaneous instruments. All keyboard instruments were considered “large,” so this area also profited from the legislative language. Most of the pianos purchased have been described above. The amount spent on all pianos totaled around $570K. In addition to those pianos, 16 grand pianos and 3 uprights were retained and moved from the old music building. Most will be rebuilt by the department piano technician Other instruments acquired include: · A large Italian harpsichord, made by Owen Daly, of Salem, OR · A single 8’ stop chamber (continuo) organ, made by John Bennett of Boston, MA · A 5-octave Yamaha celeste · A Lyon and Healey Style 15, 46 string harp