STRATEGIC PLANNING RESPONSE Department of Music and Dance Fall 2014 1/22/15

It is important to note that the music program and dance program in the department have been considered separate units for decades—each with their own vision and mission, approach to curriculum, staff and faculty needs, budget and special events. Personnel issues—hiring, AFRs, promotions, merit, anomaly and reappointments—move through the department’s personnel committee and Chair (with input from the Director of the Dance Program). THE CREATIVE ECONOMY According to the Creative Economy report commissioned by HFA in 2009, “the creative sector employs 38 million Americans, or 30 percent of all employed people.” The Americans for the Arts organization in its 2007 report Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and their Audiences indicates that “America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity each year.” The department’s approximately 200 concerts and events with an annual average of 19,607 audience members from both on and off campus, serve the ongoing economic health of the University and the community as well as providing an attractive key segment of the region’s cultural life. In addition, just a sampling of the program’s alumni activities highlight the variety of ways our graduates have enhanced the creative economy, including: The Route 9 Chamber Orchestra, Executive Director of the Upper Valley Music Center, teaching in the Holyoke Public Schools, The Bronx, Sci Tech in Springfield; a private violin studio in Brazil, a reed company representative traveling the world, Music Director of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church/Longmeadow, Music Director at the Dudley‐Charlton Regional School District, Administration: San Francisco Opera, Texas Tech Assistant Professor, a partner in an electronic organ company in Needham, founder of the MetroWest Opera Company in Weston, and the conductor of “The President’s Own” Marine Band in Washington D.C. Dance alumni have joined outstanding dance organizations including: David Parsons, Janis Brenner, Dallas Dance, Columbia City (SC) Ballet and Garth Fagan Companies, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies/Towson Univ. and have been selected to perform on Broadway and touring shows. WHO WE ARE

MUSIC DANCE BA 9% BA 26%

BM BFA 91% 74%

Music Undergraduates: BA 9% (19) / BM 91% (192) Dance Undergraduates: BA 26% (12) / BFA 74% (34)

The Music Program From the music program’s Vision: “…a community that promotes individual growth through artistic and intellectual discovery.” From the music program’s Mission: “…provides a comprehensive education in the field of music for students from the Commonwealth and beyond through a combination of established and innovative pedagogical approaches.” ”…focusing on students and inspiring them to realize their full artistic potential while equipping them with skills to succeed in today’s world.” ”…the Department maintains visibility through broad course offerings, public appearances, and outreach activities within the University and the community at large.”

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The music program in the Department of Music and Dance is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. As a result, it must meet standards specific to all degree programs as well as a comprehensive review of all factors influencing the success of the program, including administrative, library resources, and budget and facility requirements. A Self‐Study is required every ten years with the music programs next accreditation visit and Self‐Study due in 2016‐2017. The music program recently adopted new Vision and Mission statements and will be preparing for the NASM Self‐Study and a major review of both its undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Due to the level of detail and amount of work required, the program will necessarily focus on completing these two major goals during the next three years. The music discipline also has in place a number of key points before and during a student’s academic career to assure evaluation and feedback are provided. These include: auditions for entry into any concentration, hearings to qualify for a public recital, end of the semester juries, public degree recitals, recital hour appearances as well as the traditional academic thesis for the appropriate concentration. The faculty is also organized into a variety of areas or groups, including applied study, jazz, strings, large ensemble directors, history, theory, music education, etc. This provides opportunity for regular dialogue regarding policies and curriculum that can result in change within the program. The need for a thorough review of the entire curriculum was decided by a unanimous vote of the faculty during the current fall 2014 semester. The program has a very dense required curriculum—the result of well‐intentioned faculty over many years trying to provide the most thorough education possible. Input from a variety of sources has reinforced a national discussion regarding ways curriculum may need to change to respond to the changing culture and job market. Willingness to devote the time and energy for such a study may also be a result of major changes in the personnel of the department over the past nine years. During that time, 14 new Assistant Professors have been hired in the music program with terminal degrees from Stanford, Univ. of Michigan, The Ohio State University, Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, University of Illinois/Urbana, UCLA, University of South Florida, Michigan State, Northwestern, University of Arizona and the University of Cincinnati Conservatory. The department has retained all but one of these new tenure‐stream faculty. The Dance Program The Dance Program at UMass Amherst has a well‐respected BFA/BA program in the northeast, and offers the only BFA program in New England’s public institutions of higher education. We are renowned nationally through our membership with the Five College Dance Department. The curriculum is one of the most rigorous within an academic, non‐conservatory institution. Our program is recognized for valuing aesthetic breadth, student choice and disciplinary excellence. In our mission as a dance community, we are committed to:  The highest aesthetic standards.  Being of service to our diverse campus and local community.  Excellence in creative and scholarly research.  Exemplary, experientially based teaching. In addition, the dance department strives to:  Offer a diverse range of movement techniques  Instill a deep and factual understanding of anatomical information in order to be more articulate in the body  Expose our students to artistic traditions and current trends in dance‐making  Foster critical thinking and emphasize the ability to express oneself through language  Raise social and cultural awareness  Provide a methodology for creation, editing and presentation of one’s work in order to move from conceptual idea to performance  Facilitate a high level of craft alongside a distinctive artistic voice With the surprising departure in early January of the dance program’s Director for a new job in Hong Kong, the two remaining full‐time tenure‐track Assistant Professors have been working closely with their 5 College peers, the department Chair and the Dean to plan a way forward. In November 2014, Daniel Lewis (a national dance evaluator 2

and former president of the National Association of Schools of Dance) was invited to campus to review the program and submit recommendations. In his review, two of the points he emphatically recommended were:

1. Redesign the BA and BFA programs, making sure that they are separate and clearly defined. Students in the BFA need more studio courses and more performance. They should only be allowed to have a double major with faculty approval. In the BA program students, could have a double major. In both programs, there are too many areas of focus. This should be limited to one or two in each program. 2. Adding more technology to the program in the creative process in choreography and in teaching. The next generation of students and audiences expects this. (requested by students) Both Assistant Professors bring extensive pre‐UMass professional experience to the program and are very dedicated to the process of using these recommendations as a catalyst for change. They are in the process of redesigning a curriculum established in 1978 and one that does not adequately prepare dance majors to enter the current professional field of dance. Once a new curriculum is in place, dance majors (and their parents) can be assured that the dance program prepares them with the skills needed to succeed in today’s performing arts job market. IN STATE/OUT OF STATE

MUSIC DANCE HFA UNIVERSITY OUT ‐ OUT‐ OUT‐ OUT‐ OF‐ OF‐ OF‐ OF‐

STATE STATE STATE STATE 38% 33% 26% 12%

IN‐ IN‐ IN‐ IN‐ STATE STATE STATE STATE 62% 67% 74% 88% Current music major undergraduates: In State 62% (120) / Out of State 38% (72) Dance: In State 67% (31) / Out of State 33% (15) HFA: In State 74% (1293) / Out of State 26% (456) University: In State 88% / Out of State 12%

HONORS COLLEGE MEMBERSHIP MUSIC DANCE HFA UNIVERSITY

CHC CHC CHC CHC 17% 11% 14% 15%

NON NON NON NON CHC CHC CHC CHC

83% 89% 86% 85%

Current music major undergraduates: 17% (33) Dance: 11% (5) HFA: 14% (335) University: 15% (706) The Department out‐of‐state student percentage is higher than that of the university proper. In an effort to continue to attract music students on the national level, our new Director of Admissions and Recruiting has attended multiple national music college fairs this past year, including fairs at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI,

3 the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and a NACAC college fair in Washington D.C. in addition to local college fairs at Boston University and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Dance recruiting includes: Regional High School College Fair (Central Connecticut State University), National High School Dance Festival (New World School of the Arts –Miami, FL), New Wave Dance Festival (NYC) From an undergraduate music major’s first days in class, the music program requires 1:1 private instruction, small group breakout classes to reinforce music theory and aural skill development and large ensembles. Students are immediately part of a community—not only seeing their freshman peers multiple times throughout the week, but being surrounded by upper classmen and graduate students all pursuing a wide variety of concentrations. Dance also immediately involves their majors in both small technique classes offering individual attention and their annual major productions. The attractiveness of UMass Amherst was also confirmed by the Music program’s own fall 2014 freshman music major survey, with 60% of the entering freshmen identifying UMass Amherst as their first choice. Students also indicated that their top four reasons for coming to UMass Amherst were: Department Reputation, Degree Programs, Ensemble Quality and Low Cost. The 2013 CIRP Freshman Survey also reported 61% identified UMass as their first choice (more than 1 SD above the mean for other depts.) OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMONWEALTH The large community of scholars and artists pursuing a variety of professional degrees at the bachelors and masters levels sets the UMass Amherst Music program apart from other MA public higher education institutions. The department has a long history of excellence in performance, and still requires students who wish to pursue any undergraduate concentration to audition on an instrument or voice. As clearly indicated in the music program’s new Vision and Mission statements, the program now intends to further enhance its curriculum with more emphasis on pedagogy, more flexible degree tracks to assist with individual development and practical career training. With an international expert on Music Theory Pedagogy already on the faculty and a strong Music Education program, this new commitment can already be seen in the expertise of recent tenure‐stream hires that address Music History Pedagogy and an anticipated hire for fall 2015 in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy. Of the four UMass campuses, UM Amherst offers the most comprehensive overview of the field in both the B.M. and M.M. as well as the only Ph.D. program in the discipline. UMass Dartmouth offers no music major or minor and UMass Boston offers only a B.A. and teacher certification at the Masters level. UMass Lowell does offer the B.M. with emphasis in Music Business, Music Studies, Performance and Sound Recording Technology and a M.M. in Sound Recording Technology and Music Education—with teacher licensure only available after completing the masters. The approximate enrollment breakdown of concentrations at Lowell is: Sound Recording Technology (40%), Music Studies/Pre‐Mus Ed (25%), Music Business (25%) and Performance (10%). Sound Recording Technology has traditionally been their biggest program. Of the state universities, Salem offers no music degrees and Bridgewater and Salem offer the B.A. in Music, with Bridgewater offering an add‐on option in education that can lead to licensure and a M.A. in Teaching Specialties/Music. Westfield State offers only an undergraduate non‐professional B.A. program with a variety of concentrations, including: Music, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Ed, Music History and Performance. All four institutions rely heavily on adjunct or visiting faculty, with tenured or tenure‐stream faculty making up only a modest number of positions: Bridgewater (6T, 25 Visiting), Fitchburg (4T only), Salem (4T, 10 Adj) and Westfield (6T, 6 Emeritus, 17 PT Lecturers). In addition to Performance and Music Education at the undergraduate level, UM Amherst offers the B.A., B.M. in Jazz and African American Music Studies, Music theory/composition and Music history. At the M.M., concentrations are available in Collaborative Piano, Composition, Wind/Orchestral and Choral Conducting, Music Education, Music History, Music Theory, Jazz Composition and Arranging and Performance. The Ph.D. offers two areas of concentration: Music Education and Music Theory. UMass Amherst has a unique responsibility within the public universities system. With only a handful of part‐time and adjuncts, the UMass Amherst faculty is full‐time and fully dedicated to the quality and success of the program—a major distinction when reviewing the faculty at the other State public institutions. It is also important

4 to note that the various concentrations are all served by the same core group of requirements, which include courses in music theory, music history, small and large ensembles, and private instruction. Students who elect to attend UMass Amherst instead of the other UMass institutions benefit from the wider range of concentrations along with teacher licensure at the bachelors level, access to over 20 performing ensembles, 5 College curriculum and special events. The Dance Program is able to benefit from the University’s “Tuition Break Program”. As the only BFA program in New England’s public institutions of higher education, qualified students from out of state are able to attend UMass Amherst for reduced out of state tuition. Currently 5 dance majors (11%) have taken advantage of this opportunity. SNAAP (Strategic National Arts Alumni Project) A National Arts Alumni Survey Though responses specific to the UM music and dance programs were not statistically significant, a review of the general national results and the program’s actual alumni written comments supported the need for more career training before students graduate. In addition, there was concern over the requirements between the BFA and BA degrees in Dance. FALL 2014 STUDENT/CHAIR RETREAT: MUSIC STUDENT COMMENTS In addition to many comments about the need for more and better space for practicing and classes, students noted a need for more room in their schedules, an accelerated learning plan for undergraduates, access to certificates, more practicum time, re‐working the amount and weight of theory and history classes, and more relevant courses. DELAWARE STUDY: COST OF INSTRUCTION FOR THE MUSIC MAJOR Instructional cost ratios indicate the music program costs look good. The University is spending basically the same percentage of money on instruction as other comparable institutions who desire a quality music program. Direct cost per credit hour is $391—a bargain compared to several other institutions where credit hour cost is $447, $546, and $598. Actual instructional expenditures for the music program were 6.5 million. The mean was 6.2 and the median was 6.0—leaving our program in the middle. This tends to support the UMass music program as NOT being an expensive outlier when looking at comparable institutions. Please note: the Delaware Study does not include a budgetary analysis of Dance. ATTRACTING AND RETAINING QUALITY STUDENTS One of the most significant factors that impact the following data is that both Music and Dance require entry auditions for their majors and minors. Students who are accepted and decide to attend UMass are also immediately surrounded by like‐minded peers and a foundation of major‐specific experiences that serve to provide a supportive community that will remain with them throughout their undergraduate experience. On the challenging side, both performing arts are highly competitive, with both programs loosing excellent students to regional and nationally recognized competitors. Why a student decides to attend another institution is very difficult to ascertain and is most often anecdotal. Over years of experience, however, the key reasons that both programs struggle with are the need for competitive scholarships and quality facilities. It is also important that both programs—through their curricular reviews—assure we are addressing what our 21st century students will need to succeed. Graduating Senior Survey: Satisfaction with the Major 2011‐2013, 2012‐2014 During 2011‐2013, the department was ranked 11th in the University and 3d of the College departments. During 2012‐2014, the department ranked 25th in the University and 5th in the College. It was not possible to separate the Music and Dance program in the available chart. Individually requested reports by year for Music (indicated that the weakest “Very Satisfied” responses were: “Connection to the rest of the curriculum” (30%), “Career Planning and Guidance” (39%) and “Writing Preparation” (43%). For Dance, the weakest “Very Satisfied” responses were: “Connection to the rest of the curriculum” (58%), “Academic Advising” (40%) and “Career Preparation and Guidance” (55%).

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Four and Six Year Outcomes/Retention 2006, 2007, 2008 Dance students graduate within the four year timeframe. For the Dance BFA, outcome rates for the three years were 45.5% (number of students: 11), 80% (5) and 40% (5). Bachelor of Music students tend to attend UMass longer as seen in these 4yr/6yr rates for the three years: 17.6%/58.8% (34), 31.6%/65.8% (38) and 31.7%/65.9% (41). In comparison, HFA numbers were: 30.2%/40.4% (391), 39.8%/50% (394) and 38.1%/49.2% (386) and the University: 25.7%/30.7% (4,165), 28%/32.8% (4,265) and 31.1%/36.8% (4,131). Save for Fall 2008, where Dance BFA was at 40% and the College at 49.2%, the Music and Dance programs were consistently above both the College and University retention rates for students who graduated with the same major upon entry at UMass. Factors that may also be impacting these results include transfers into the programs which would not show up according to the criteria of this report. Dance, in particular, believes this to be an important factor influencing their results. One Year Retention 2011, 2012, 2013 The Dance retention from year one to year two for the three years indicated are: 81.8%, 50% and 80%. For the Music program: 80%, 82.2% and 71.1%. HFA retention: 67.6%, 75.2% and 71.7% and the University results: 64.4%, 63.9% and 63.6%. Save again for the Dance 50% in 2012, the two programs are at or above both the College and University one year retention rates.

Acceptance/Yield Rates for First Year Students: 2012, 2013, 2014 The Dance acceptance/yield rates for the years indicated: 20.5%/14.8%, 23.9%/15.2% and 25.7%/28.6%. Music rates were: 25.5%/40.2%, 31.5%/27.4% and 35.7%/28.3%. The College rates: 53.3%/19.2%, 53.3%/17.9% and 52.3%/18.2%. The University: 62.5%/21.4%, 62/9%/20.5% and 61.3%/20.4%. Here, the Music program was consistently above the College and University yield, with Dance below the College and University yield save for 2014. HOW TO MOVE FORWARD The Undergraduate Experience CREATING A DESTINATION OF CHOICE An active cultural environment with many options to participate The impact of the department on the campus is impressive—not only enriching the cultural environment and representing the University’s commitment to quality, but providing an entry point for potential students, donors and the general community.  The department offers a number of GenEd courses with a semester average enrollment of 610 (2,417 SCH)  The music program is a critical part of the way individuals assess the quality of the institution. From the half‐time shows of the Marching Band to intimate donor dinners – to the major performance for the 150 Anniversary in Boston’s Symphony Hall and the annual University Dancers tour to regional schools – our students represent UMass Amherst in ways and in settings only these performing arts can address.  The music program annually provides music for a number of University functions, including: Commencement, Fall Faculty Convocation, Boston Alumni Recognition Ceremony, Chancellor dinners/events, HFA events, Dining Hall events, Alumni Activates, and Special Donor Dinners.  Annual special events bring potential students and their families to campus: MultiBands Concert and School Matinees, High School Jazz Festival, Band Day, Choral Festival, Honor Band, String Day, Double Reed Day, Voice Area Open House, the Saxophone Symposium and the Dance program’s University Dancers, Alive with Dance programs and hosting the Massachusetts Dance Festival.  Though all UMass Amherst students may audition for any of the department’s ensembles, the music program also offers ensemble experiences primarily focused on enhancing the residential students’ campus experience. These ensembles include: Chorale, Women’s Choir, Recital Choir, Concert Band, Hoop Band, Marching Band and the All‐University Orchestra. All dance auditions for University Dancers, Alive With Dance, and the Emerging Choreographers Series are also open to the UMass community. The semester average for non‐major enrollment

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is 382 (567 SCH) and the semester average for all music program ensembles—available to both majors and non‐ major by audition is 691 (890 SCH). An Initial Response What the Music Program will Do to Further Enhance the Undergraduate Experience:  Add new “edgy” GenEd courses  Provide non‐major course/workshop options as part of the Summer CPE program  Add new non‐major offerings (guitar, voice classes, a cappella training) as teaching opportunities for TAs in the program What the Dance Program will Do to Further Enhnace the Undergraduate Experience:  Develop new dance GenEds  Increase the effectiveness and quality of non‐major dance technique classes  Survey students on the program’s advising procedures  Revise the curriculum to meet the needs/interests of the students (non‐major)  Integrate technology into the curriculum UNDERGRADUATE RETENTION Students are drawn to and inspired by the program’s very active and honored faculty. Selected faculty honors, awards and appearances include: Downbeat’s Best CDs of 2013, UMass Distinguished Teaching Award, Whiting Fellowship, TimeOut Magazine (NYC) one of the “Best CDs of 2011”, Early Music America’s Thomas Binkley Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance and Scholarship, plus appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Handel/Haydn Society. Dance faculty honors/appearances include: performances at Fabbrica dell’Esperienza and the Accademia Teatro alla Scala’s Department in Milan, performance at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters/Peridance Capezio Center/NYC, appearance at Thailand’s Surin International Festival of Dance, Director the White Mountain Summer Dance Festival and Director of Pioneer Valley Ballet. The department’s programs are further enhanced by providing access to master classes and choreography by some of the most impressive names in the field, including in Dance: R.K. Brown, Robert Battle, Jonathan Heginbotham, Doug Verone, Joffrey Ballet as well as historical works by Jose Limon, Doris Humphrey, Pearl Primus, George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham. In Music: Nadja Salerno‐Sonnenberg, Randy Becker, Stephanie Blythe and Tomer Zvulun. Current students have also been very successful, including recognition from: Downbeat Magazine: Jazz Arrangement Award, Jazz Soloist, Chamber/Funk ensemble in Blues/Pop/Rock Category; Villanova Jazz Festival: First and Third Placer in Combo, first in Big Band Division, Best Section Awards; National Trumpet Competition semi‐finalists, National Trumpet Competition 4th Place, Collegiate Ambassador for the National Association for Music Education Eastern Regional Conference, Selected Delegate to the National Technology Instruction for Music Educators Leadership Academy, Massachusetts Music Educators Association Promising Young Music Educator Award, Avedis Zildjian Percussion Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship to Poland, Dance performances at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. for the American College Dance Conference/National College Dance Festival and the 92 Street “Y” in NYC. A Dance program graduate has also received a Bessie Award—a Dance equivalent to the Oscar. The serious study and focus these achievements require create an environment in both programs of success and opportunity— essential to retain students. An Initial Response What the Music program will do to Further Improve the Undergraduate Retention Rate:  Create more individual options in both the BA and BM degree plans  Develop with students a career pragmatics series of presentations and workshops  Provide options through the summer CPE offerings to further enhance their degree plans  Continue to develop the Arts Entrepreneurship initiative with Arts Extension

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What the Dance program will do to Further Improve the Undergraduate Retention Rate:  More comprehensive career training  Develop a clear curriculum that prepares students for the present job market  Develop a curriculum that is competitive with other university programs  Design and implement a clear degree plan  Strategize recruitment efforts CURRICULUM REVISION The Key to Our Future Critical for meaningful and long term impact on Retention and the Undergraduate Experience

With a focus on current faculty and resources, both of the department’s programs see curricular reform as the most critical element in further enhancing both the student experience and retention. Dance has already begun its effort, with the invitation and subsequent report by an expert well acquainted with dance program evaluation in higher education. The Music program faculty unanimously affirmed their intention to review the entire curriculum (undergraduate and graduate)—especially in light of forces within the discipline nationally that are advocating for major change. Music intends to invite up to two curricular change experts to assist in creating a process and assuring key topics and best practices will be included in this transformation.

In the Music program, only by reducing current requirements and/or adjusting current course content can progress be made to address interest in pedagogy, more flexible degree tracks to assist with individual development and practical career training, as well as diversity, international and co‐curricular options. The department needs to infuse the professional degrees with career enhancement options that may also be used to make the B.A. more attractive. The principal challenge will be to revise the curriculum yet still maintain the program’s identity within the Commonwealth and meet accreditation standards—as required by NASM and the Music Education accrediting organizations. The program must also weave together current faculty resources/load, space and schedule requirements. The program will also pursue implementing offerings through the CPE Summer programs to further diversify options for majors, non‐majors and the general community, adding to the undergrad experience, retention and recruitment efforts.

The Dance program is in a very unique situation of having two Assistant Professors directing the department with a possible search for an Assistant, Associate, or Full professor in the fall. The program has been in need of an internal review of its procedures for many years. The proposed plan for the program is very single focused: curriculum revision. Other important tasks will be a review and revision of advising and grading, and evaluating the non‐major classes and GenEds. A WEALTH OF OPTIONS  Department needs to look at the undergraduate years to graduation issue as it works to revise the overall curriculum. Reviewing the 10 year average, the 4 year rate is substantially below the College and University while the 5‐6 year rate is substantially higher than the College and University. However, the trend for the 4 year graduation rate in the past three years has shown a move from 34.4% to 60% while the 5 year rate moved from 59.4% to 36.7% for our BM majors. Dance majors consistently graduate within four years.  Diversity: The music education faculty are currently in discussion with the Springfield Public Schools. The intention is to establish a partnership to allow for more urban education experiences for our MusEd students and training/consultation from the UM MusEd faculty. The MusEd area also intends to expand the type of preparation to include non‐traditional instruments and ensembles to reach to 85% of secondary students who do not participate in band, choir and orchestra. The curricular review must also address challenge of attracting diversity if Western Art Music continues to serve as the sole foundation of the undergraduate’s experience.  Diversity: The dance program has a growing partnership with the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts having hosted three annual visits to the campus where students have observed/participated in dance classes as well as visited the music and theater departments and toured the Fine Arts Center. The dance program is also invested in a new initiative spearheaded by Jodi Falk, Dance Education and Community Outreach Coordinator, to expand partnerships among schools throughout the Pioneer Valley and the FCDD’s member dance departments. Jodi's

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job is to create links between communities and campuses in dance. The dance program is currently requesting a FT‐TT position in Dance Education and Community Engagement that will specifically address its outreach capability and position the dance program as a viable and attainable education destination of under exposed populations.  International Experience: The department has faculty with interest and professional experience in Germany, Italy, the Caribbean, Germany and Brazil. In the Music program, an international experience option may fit into a more tracks‐based upper level undergraduate curriculum. The dance program is currently awaiting the result of a 2015‐2016 Faculty and Staff Internationalization Grant submitted in the fall 2014 with the stated intention “in support of on‐going, and newly‐initiated, internationalization efforts to benefit the UMass campus”  Co‐curricular: Students are currently involved with a practicum in the Amherst public schools, resulting in private lessons and general assistance w/ music teaching. Music Education students are already required to observe and participate in practice teaching as a part of their music education degree plan.  Career Enhancements: Provide a distinct set of enhancements to the degree experience, including access to 5 College and UMass Amherst certificates, arts entrepreneurship, arts management, international programs and internships. Students would be able to select from a range of options during their junior and senior years. These options would ideally not be added to the degree, but integrated into the degree requirements. These enhancements would be used to bring more pragmatic options to the professional degrees and to make the B.A. more attractive. It can further be addressed through a comprehensive approach to career pragmatics as special presentations and/or workshops.  New GenEd Courses: Create a new generation of General Education courses which may include: Shakespeare in Music, Performance Art and Anti‐Art, The Faust Theme in Music, Art, Theater and Literature, The American Musical, Music and Dance. The dance program has not offered GenEd courses in many years. It is a top priority to develop these courses in the next three years. Courses could include: Dance: The Hip Hop Generation, Diaghilev: Modernism and the Ballet Russe, and Dance for the 21st Century. Dance: Community Engagement and Social Action.  Easy to Understand Curriculum: Provide easy to understand degree plans, so that the students will more readily see their options. The dance program is currently reviewing and restructuring the requirements for both BFA and BA degrees, creating a document that outlines the required distribution of credits by year for the two degree programs in Dance.  Integrating Pedagogy into Music Degree Titles: Review other comparable institutions that have Pedagogy focused degree plans. Potential is to adjust our own degree plans to reflect the pedagogy training in the degree title (i.e. MM in Performance Pedagogy).  Team Teaching: Create teams made up of cross‐disciplinary groups (Applied, History, Theory, Education) to teach, review and adjust basic foundation training.  More Non‐Major Options to Serve the Entire Campus: Expand the offerings for the non‐music major in support of providing a quality residential experience, to include: guitar ensembles, a cappella ensembles, beginning singing, drumming and computer music tech for non‐majors. These could be taught by TAs in the performance and music education programs. The dance program’s offering of non‐dance major classes, historically a very popular highlight of the program is under review and will hopefully continue with the support of adjunct faculty to replace the current practice of undergraduate TA instructors. ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS  Student Participation: Create a standing student advisory committee to assure student perspective is included in the curricular review and the Self‐Study. Dance has already created a student advisory committee for curricular review.  Career Advice from Day One: Provide career and personal success training (how to practice, how to study) in faculty and alumni team‐taught sessions available to all music and dance majors and minors, to begin with the freshmen orientation the first week of classes. The dance program takes pride in its shift away from annual (group) class juries to individual student evaluations. In concert with class participation, writing assignments, concert requirements these two semester individual evaluations, beginning with the freshmen, give students 9

individual guidance on everything from artistic feedback, off campus intensive advice to audition recommendations. The New York Professional Opportunity Program (NYPOP) for juniors and seniors (offered every two years in the fall) is specifically designed to help graduating majors navigate their transition for campus to the real world.  More Opportunities to Communicate: Create a schedule that will provide more times where students and faculty are available to participate in meetings, performances, review of the curriculum, learning modules (career ed), etc. STRATEGIC PLAN SPRING 2015 MUSIC 1. Reevaluate the current curriculum  The Undergraduate and Graduate Program Committees will identify curricular changes that will eliminate some courses and requirements in order to provide more options, including additional electives, pedagogy, new GenEds, opportunities to pursue certificates and internships and access to diversity experiences— including an international option. All changes must also be screened through the National Association of Schools of Music (and Music Education, as needed) accreditation standards.  Up to two outside curricular experts will be invited to meet with faculty and students. They will be expected to share their insight regarding the curricular change process, best practices and—through their experience‐‐ assist in refining the timeline for curricular change.  Identify a faculty member willing to create an “edgy” GenEd and seek potential CPE or other support sources to facilitate the process  A comprehensive survey will be created to identify internships and certificates already in place that would be a complimentary experience with the program’s degrees.  By May, 2015, the program committees will present to the full faculty several options for change in the degree plans at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

PLEASE NOTE: it is at this point, after outside consultation and undergraduate and graduate program committee review, that additional actions impacting the undergrad experience and retention be clarified. 2. TA Overview  As part of the program’s TA review, include ways in which the TA experience can be enriched through non‐ major teaching (guitar, voice class, a cappella). Include this in the report due in March, 2015. 3. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Continue work with Arts Extension in developing the Entrepreneurship program 4. Create Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The Chair will work with the music program’s students, including the music student service organizations to create a comprehensive approach to career pragmatics to be implemented as a pilot in 2015‐2016.  Activities in 15‐16 will include a variety of ways for students to access career information, including guest alumni, current faculty and general career planning experts. 5. CPE Course and Workshops  Individual faculty will be encouraged to develop CPE courses and workshops for a launch in Summer 2016. Potential offerings include: Summer High School Musical and A Select Choral and Wind Band Intensive. DANCE 1. Re‐evaluate its existing curriculum with reference to re‐defined and revised teaching loads. An internal review will be initiated.  Examining similar BA/BFA programs and curriculum at other universities across the country.  Evaluating and researching the current job trends in professional dance performance, choreography, and teaching.  Surveying current students and recent alumni about their experiences in the dance program and how this program could have prepared them better for work in the profession. 10

2. Develop a Dance and Technology course  Collaborating with the Information Technology Program on a course that integrates technology into live dance performance and dance video.  Course design completed by June 2015. Course offered for Spring 2016 3. Develop a cohesive rubric of student evaluation and grading 4. Review our procedures for academic and career advising  Require Spire training for all faculty  Meet with student advisory committee/ survey students on ways advising can be more effective SUMMER 2015 MUSIC 1. Reevaluate the current curriculum  Launch new Summer 2015 CPE courses, including: MUS 110 Fundamental of Music (R2 GenEd), Music Appreciation Online, Music Technology for Non‐Majors, A Comprehensive Review of the New Music Education Standards. The successful Conducting Seminar will continue in its 5th year.  The program will prepare both UMass and National Association of Schools of Music paperwork for any degree plans and/or courses that have been approved by the faculty in May 2015. 2. TA Overview  Prepare at least one TA teaching (guitar, voice class, a cappella) option for launching in Fall ‘15 3. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Continue work with Arts Extension in developing the Entrepreneurship program 4. Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The Chair will continue to refine and organize the career pragmatics pilot to be launched in 15‐16.

DANCE 1. Redesign the BA/BFA programs and revise requirements  Meet with Faculty senate for guidance in clarifying and redesigning the BA/BFA requirements. To be completed by: October 2015  Revise advising procedures and develop the career and personal success training seminars for implementation in Fall 2015 FALL 2015 MUSIC 1. Preparation for the National Association of Schools of Music Self Study  Initial writing and committee assignments will be made  Faculty will be provided NASM Standards for their areas and begin their first draft responses  Notification of all other units impacted on campus will be completed (Library, Fine Arts Center, etc) 2. Reevaluate the current curriculum  The Undergraduate and Graduate Program Committees will continue to identify curricular changes that will eliminate some courses and requirements in order to provide more options, including additional electives, pedagogy, opportunities to pursue certificates and internships and access to diversity experiences—including an international option. All changes must also be screened through the National Association of Schools of Music standards.  As needed, by November 2015, the program committees will present to the full faculty additional options for change in the degree plans at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 3. TA Overview  Launch at least one TA teaching (guitar, voice class, a cappella) option 4. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Continue work with Arts Extension in developing the Entrepreneurship program  Include information about this new program as part of the Career Advice from Day One series 11

5. Create Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The new, comprehensive career enhancement series of presentations and workshops will be launched

6. CPE Course and Workshops  Evaluation of the Summer 2015 CPE courses and workshops. A schedule for summer offerings will be established  Individual faculty will be encouraged to develop CPE courses and workshops for a launch in Summer 2016. Potential offerings include: Summer High School Musical and A Select Choral and Wind Band Intensive.

DANCE 1. Schedule career development seminars, including annual the funding of NYPOP for Juniors and Seniors, and personal success training for Freshman and Sophomores. 2. Meet with faculty on new advising procedures. 3. Continue to build the partnership with regional high schools, in particular Springfield Conservatory of the Arts and Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School to provide pathways for underserved communities to participate in the performing arts/dance as a part of a viable college education. 4. Submit by December 15 a redesigned BFA/BA curriculum to the Faculty Senate for approval.

SPRING 2016 MUSIC 1. Preparation for the National Association of Schools of Music Self Study  First drafts of sections of the Self Study will be evaluated and revised  Self Study will be completed by May 2016 2. Reevaluate the current curriculum  The Undergraduate and Graduate Program Committees will continue to identify curricular changes that will eliminate some courses and requirements in order to provide more options, including additional electives, pedagogy, opportunities to pursue certificates and internships and access to diversity experiences—including an international option. All changes must also be screened through the National Association of Schools of Music standards.  As needed, by November 2015, the program committees will present to the full faculty additional options for change in the degree plans at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 3. TA Overview  Launch at least one TA teaching (guitar, voice class, a cappella) option 4. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Continue work with Arts Extension in developing the Entrepreneurship program  Include information about this new program as part of the Career Advice from Day One series 5. Create Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The new, comprehensive career enhancement series of presentations and workshops will be launched 6. CPE Course and Workshops  Evaluation of the Summer 2015 CPE courses and workshops. Establishing a schedule for summer offerings will be established  Individual faculty will be encouraged to develop CPE courses and workshops for a launch in Summer 2016. Potential offerings include: Summer High School Musical and A Select Choral and Wind Band Intensive.

DANCE 1. Develop a new GenEd course for Spring 2017  Including the current DANCE 171 ‐ 01 Dance In The 20Th C; Dance in the community/Community Engagement; How we move: an introduction to Laban Movement Analysis 12

2. Design and implement a clear degree plan  Schedule recommended/required Dance Major courses for each of the 8 semesters in the curriculum. 3. Survey students on new advising procedures

SUMMER 2016 MUSIC 1. Preparation for the National Association of Schools of Music Self Study  The Chair will refine the Self Study as needed. The Study will need to be formatted and all degree plan charts reviewed.  The Self Study will be sent to NASM and the NASM Visitors one month prior to their visit during fall 2016 2. Reevaluate the current curriculum  The program will prepare both UMass and National Association of Schools of Music paperwork for any degree plans and/or courses that have been approved by the faculty in May 2015. 3. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Continue work with Arts Extension in developing the Entrepreneurship program 4. Create Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The new, comprehensive career enhancement series of presentations and workshops from 15‐16 will be evaluated 5. CPE Courses and Workshops  2016 Summer offerings will be launched according to the new summer schedule

DANCE 1. Assess new academic/career advising procedures and evaluation/grading rubrics 2. Strategize recruitment efforts to include at least four annual regional and national high school and college fairs/festivals including NYC, Miami, California and Philadelphia

FALL 2016 MUSIC 1. The National Association of Schools of Music Official Visit  The Music program will prepare and finalize all necessary materials and scheduling for the NASM visit. 2. Reevaluate the current curriculum  As needed, the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Committees will continue to identify curricular changes that will eliminate some courses and requirements in order to provide more options, including additional electives, pedagogy, opportunities to pursue certificates and internships and access to diversity experiences—including an international option. All changes must also be screened through the National Association of Schools of Music standards.  As needed, by November 2016, the program committees will present to the full faculty additional options for change in the degree plans at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 3. TA Overview  Launch at least two TA teaching (guitar, voice class, a cappella) options 4. Arts Entrepreneurship Program  Include information about this new program as part of the Career Advice from Day One series 5. Create Career Enhancement/Career Advice from Day One Options  The second year of the comprehensive career enhancement series of presentations and workshops begins 6. CPE Course and Workshops  Evaluation of the Summer 2016 CPE courses and workshops.  Individual faculty will be encouraged to develop CPE courses and workshops for a launch in Summer 2017, as needed.

DANCE 1. Implement the new BFA/BA curriculum 2. Implement recruitment plans 13