School of Music Bylaws

Section I. Membership

The voting membership of the School shall consist of all faculty, including Lecturer faculty holding a 50% FTE or higher appointment.

Section II. Meetings of the School

The faculty shall meet once each month during the fall and spring semesters. The Dean may call additional meetings when necessary or he may cancel meetings for lack of sufficient business.  Additional meetings may also be called by a quorum of one-third of the voting membership.  Generally speaking, an agenda shall be circulated to the members no later than twenty-four hours prior to each meeting.

A quorum of one-third of the voting membership shall be present before any business may be transacted.  Although staff, non-voting faculty and invited visitors may attend faculty meetings, a meeting may be closed by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership present.

Section III. Officers of the School

A.    The Dean, Associate or Assistant Dean or their designated representative shall preside at all meetings of the faculty.

B.    The School shall have fourteen areas: Bands, Brass and Percussion, Choral Music, Jazz, Music Education, Music Therapy, Musicology, Music Theory and Composition, Orchestra, Organ, Piano, Strings, Voice/Opera, and Woodwinds. The coordinator of each area shall be appointed by the Dean, in consultation with the appropriate faculty. Terms of appointment are for three years and may be renewed in consultation with the area faculty.

Section IV. Standing Committees of the School
 
A.    There shall be the following committees:

1. Faculty Advisory Council

2. Student Advisory Council

3. Committee on Undergraduate Studies (CUS)

4. Committee on Graduate Studies in Music (COGSIM)

5. Committee on Promotion and Tenure (P&T)

6. Honors Recitals Committee

7. Thomas Gorton Library Committee

8. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Committee (DEIB)

9. Committee on Faculty Evaluation

10. Area Coordinators Committee

11. Awards and Recognition Committee

B.    Membership

1.    The Faculty Advisory Council shall consist of five (5) tenured faculty members elected by their respective area blocks.  The area blocks represented on the Council shall be: a) Musicology/Music Theory, b) Music Education/Music Therapy, c) Organ, Piano, Voice, d) Orchestral Instruments (Brass/Percussion, Strings, Woodwinds), and e) Ensembles (Bands, Choirs, Jazz Studies, Orchestra).  Faculty representatives serve overlapping three-year terms and may serve consecutive full terms.  The Dean of the School of Music shall serve as chair.

2.    The Student Advisory Council (SAC) shall consist of fourteen (14) members, one from each area of the School. Members shall be selected annually by each area of the School.  Members must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students.

3.    The Committee on Undergraduate Studies shall consist of five members of the faculty of the School of Music, one from the areas of Music Education and Music Therapy, one from the areas of Musicology and Music Theory & Composition, and three from the performance and ensemble areas; and two undergraduate students in the School. Faculty shall be elected to overlapping three-year terms; the student representatives shall be selected annually by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in consultation with the faculty. Faculty members may not serve consecutive full terms. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or their representative, and the Director of Student Services, will attend meetings as ex officio, non-voting members. The committee shall elect its own faculty chair and shall post minutes of its meetings.

4.    The Committee on Graduate Studies in Music shall consist of five members of the faculty of the School of Music, one from the areas of Music Education and Music Therapy, one from the areas of Musicology and Music Theory & Composition, and three from the performance and ensemble areas; and two graduate students in the School. Faculty shall be elected to overlapping three-year terms; the student representatives shall be selected annually by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in consultation with the faculty. Faculty members may not serve consecutive full terms. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Graduate Student Services Coordinator, will participate as ex officio, nonvoting members. The committee shall elect its own faculty chair and shall post minutes of its meetings.

5.    The Committee on Promotion and Tenure shall consist of five tenured members of the faculty, elected to overlapping three-year terms.  There shall be at least two alternates.  Any member of the committee who is being considered for promotion, tenure, or sabbatical leave shall be replaced by an alternate during the semester in which they are being considered. Members may not serve consecutive full terms.

6.    The Honors Recitals Committee shall consist of five faculty members elected to overlapping three-year terms.

7.    The Thomas Gorton Library Committee shall consist of five faculty members (including one from the Department of Dance) and two students, one undergraduate and one graduate. The members from the School of Music shall be appointed by the Dean.  Faculty appointments shall be for overlapping three-year terms and the students will be appointed yearly. Members may serve consecutive full terms. The committee shall be chaired by the Librarian, shall elect its secretary, and shall post minutes of its meetings.

8.    The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Committee is an essential catalyst for propelling our School and University forward to be a more welcoming and inclusive community for individuals of all races, ethnicities, and orientations. Membership is voluntary and includes a minimum of two student representatives (one undergraduate and one graduate), two staff, and two faculty in the School of Music. Members of this committee need not be tenured; and the chair is the acting DEIB Associate Dean.

9.    The Committee on Faculty Evaluation shall consist of five tenured members of the faculty, four elected to overlapping two-year terms, and one appointed yearly to a one-year term by the Dean. There shall be two alternates. Members may not serve consecutive full terms.

10.    The Area Coordinators Committee shall consist of the fourteen (14) area coordinators in the School of Music.  The coordinator of each area shall be appointed by the Dean in consultation with the appropriate faculty.  Terms of appointment shall not exceed three years and may be renewed in consultation with the area faculty.  

11.    The Awards and Recognition Committee shall consist of three faculty members, elected to overlapping three-year terms. The purpose of the committee is to ensure that music faculty members are nominated for appropriate university and community awards and recognition on a regular basis.  Members of this committee need not be tenured; but the chair shall be a member of tenured faculty.

Faculty membership on all committees in Section IV.B. shall be determined prior to the end of each spring semester, terms to begin with the following academic year. Vacancies occurring during an academic year shall be filled on a temporary basis by alternates; temporary replacements may also be appointed by the Dean.

The membership and officers on all committees in Section IV. shall be communicated to the Dean at the beginning of each academic year; any changes in membership or officers shall be communicated to the Dean as they occur.

C.    Responsibilities

1.    The Faculty Advisory Council shall work with the Dean as the central planning committee for the future.  The Faculty Advisory Council shall:

a)    advise the Dean on issues of budget, including standard allocations, other expenditures, and rescissions;
b)    consider and make recommendations regarding the prioritization of needs and goals of the  School , including personnel, equipment, building and remodeling projects, and fundraising objectives;
c)    consider and make recommendations regarding the future size and scope of the School;
d)    consider and make recommendations regarding exchange programs with foreign institutions; and
e)    consider other matters relevant to the mission, goals, and objectives of the School presented to it by members of the faculty or student body.
f)    lead meetings of area blocks and serve as a facilitator of information/idea exchange between their area block and the Faculty Advisory Council.

At the beginning of each academic year, the Dean of the School of Music will provide a “State of the School” presentation concerning important issues for the coming year.  The Council will meet at least once a month throughout the academic year.

2.    The Student Advisory Council shall advise the Dean on issues of interest and importance to students, including curricular development and related activities, safety and security, policy and procedures, and any other matter related to their education.

3.    The Committee on Undergraduate Studies shall:

a)    recommend matters of educational policy and procedure to the faculty;
b)    review and make recommendations to the faculty regarding proposed changes in curriculum and/or degree requirements received from the areas;
c)    review and act upon petitions from undergraduate students, and communicate such action to the student with copies to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs;
d)    meet in consultation with area representatives when appropriate;
e)    serve as a grievance committee for undergraduate students when necessary, referring unresolved grievances to the Dean of the School or the University Judicial Board (see Rules and Regulations of the University Senate 5.33 and 5.34).

4.    The Committee on Graduate Studies shall:

a)    recommend matters of educational policy and procedure to the faculty;
b)    monitor artistic and academic requirements and standards of graduate programs in cooperation with the areas;
c)    consider requests for curricular changes and changes in degree requirements from the areas and make recommendations to the Faculty;
d)    act on petitions from graduate students and communicate such actions to the student with copies to the appropriate area coordinator, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and to the Office of the Dean;
e)    act as a grievance committee for graduate students when necessary, referring any unresolved grievances to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies or to the University Judicial Board (see Rules and Regulations of the University Senate 5.33 and 5.34).

5.     The Committee on Promotion and Tenure shall:         

a)    conform at all times to the guidelines and criteria of the School, as well as to the University policy as outlined in the Handbook for Faculty and Other Unclassified Staff (Appendix) and the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty Senate, Article VI;
b)    review and evaluate dossiers on all faculty within the School who have been recommended for advancement in academic rank and/or continuous tenure, then forward dossiers to the Dean.                                         
c)    review and evaluate dossiers of newly appointed faculty who are being recommended at ranks of associate or full professor, or for new faculty appointments with tenure, and forward the results to the Dean;
d)    review all applications from faculty for sabbatical leaves and submit recommendations to the Dean.
e)    A mid-probationary review (PTTR) will be required of all tenure-track faculty.

6.    The Honors Recitals Committee shall choose the performers for Honors Recitals, according to guidelines established by the faculty.

7.    The Thomas Gorton Library Committee shall advise the Librarian on matters related to acquisitions, technology, and planning.

8.    The DEIB Committee shall manage and update the DEIB Strategic Plan (goals and initiatives) in collaboration with the School of Music faculty, staff, and student body.

9.    The Committee on Faculty Evaluation shall review all faculty members annually, according to established policy (Faculty Evaluation Plan, Revised November 2013).   Members of the Committee will be excused during discussions of their respective dossiers.

10.    The Area Coordinators Committee shall work with the Dean to facilitate current operation of the School.  The Area Coordinators Committee shall:

a)    consider and make recommendations to the appropriate committees regarding curricular issues and related activities;
b)    consider and make recommendations regarding current operations and other programmatic concerns;
c)    foster communication among areas and throughout the School.

D.    The Dean is responsible for establishing a meeting schedule each semester for standing committees of the School.  When appropriate, s/he may convene the first annual meeting of each standing committees for the purpose of establishing procedures, and electing officers, delivering a charge, and/or discussing other matters related to the work of the committee. With the exception of the Faculty Evaluation Committee, all standing committees shall meet at least once each semester during the academic year. Members of standing committees are responsible for communicating with other faculty members regarding their committee work, except when such information is restricted.

Section V. Other Committees

A.    The Dean may appoint such committees as the business of the School may require, and the membership, charge, and recommendations of such committees shall be made known to the faculty.

B.    The faculty may establish committees and elect members to such committees as its business may require.

Section VI. Changes in Bylaws

Changes in the Bylaws requires a two-thirds majority vote of voting-eligible faculty. Changes in the Bylaws will be presented to the full faculty at least one week in advance of a vote being taken.