Academic Program Review 2005-2006
Executive Summary
Music Department
The Music Department was included in the fourth cycle of academic program review for the
2005-2006 school year. Based upon feedback from the previous cycles, the contents of the selfstudy were modified as were some of the implementation details. Included in the process was the
composition of a self-study document based upon faculty’s analysis, a departmental retreat
where the data were reviewed and the final two sections discussed. The visitation by an external
reviewer, Dr. David Tomatz, Moores School of Music, University of Houston, who read the selfstudy, interviewed faculty, staff, administration, and students, and submitted his analysis.
The departmental self-study completed by the faculty and staff is the major document for this
program review. This complex document reveals the strengths and challenges through the
departmental perspective and reflects the commitment of the department for self-analysis,
reflection, and evaluation. The institutional expectation is that the department and college
administration will use the self-study document, the dean’s report, and the executive summary as
guides to the faculty, staff and administration for the next several academic years as the
department addresses the recommendations and continues its record of excellence.
Since this process requires an enormous amount of time and effort from all of the participants, it
is necessary to ensure that the results are used to inform decisions and future course of actions.
Therefore, the department faculty and college administration will be expected to provide a
summary of activities undertaken during the 2006-2007 academic year as a consequence of the
program review.
It should be noted that Dr. Tomatz’s analysis is very thorough and detailed and, along with the
dean’s report, provide the depth and context for the faculty and administrators to move ahead in
addressing the recommendations and celebrating the commendations.
Commendations
The self-study document as submitted by the Department of Music was extensive and
informative in nature. It was clear in reading both the summary comments of the reviewer and
Dean that the department is well regarded institutionally and nationally. After reading the self
study, I have also come to the conclusion that the department is integral to the mission of the
university and should be commended in the following areas:
Faculty: Central Washington University’s music department faculty has consistently
demonstrated outstanding professional behavior and accomplishments over the years. It should
be noted that the music faculty are certainly some of the most active on-campus. They are highly
regarded by their students (as based on SEOI data), have shown a propensity to be of service to
the institution and region, and have received various awards for excellence in the field. The
institution should continue to make a concerted effort to retain the current faculty and recruit
faculty in the future that display such positive attributes.
Departmental Goals and Plans: The department has developed very thoughtful and achievable
goals. These goals are based on national, professional, and programmatic standards (NASM).
The department has established committees and structures for achieving each goal and seems to
be making progress on all fronts.
Facilities & Equipment: The facilities on the Central Washington University campus are
outstanding and a model for others in the state. Although some equipment needs will always
exist, the purchasing of hundreds of thousands of dollars for various instruments certainly
updated many areas (percussion area among others).
Recommendations
Although the department is clearly successful and exemplary in many areas, there is a need to
continuously improve. Following are areas that should be addressed to improve the functioning
and quality of the department and its associated programs:
Programmatic Goals & Assessment: Although there are departmental goals, there is a need to
develop specific student learning outcomes in each program offered. Although all music degrees
may have some common goals, there should also be specific goals relevant to each program and
these be made known. An effort should be made to collect, analyze, and make relevant
interpretations of assessment data. Results should be explicitly linked to outcomes, include
interpretation and conclusions, and compared to established standards of mastery. Very little data
was provided throughout the review that related to student learning. Results should also be
disseminated in specific quantitative and/or qualitative terms to internal and external groups. In
addition, program improvements as related to pedagogical or curricular decisions should be
congruent with the assessment results. It should also be noted that a list of student
accomplishments was not included in the review. The department needs to develop a systematic
method for tracking current and former student accomplishments to demonstrate program
success.
Advising: An area of concern for all majors is advising. Good advising improves degree
efficiency and overall satisfaction with the program and institution. This should be an area of
increased and focused effort on the part of the Music Department. Course specific and major
advising is certainly important, although other aspects of advising and student development can
be addressed through various peer, faculty, and alumni mentoring initiatives. The extra effort in
this area will go far in improving the overall quality and satisfaction of music students.
Faculty & Staffing Needs: Although current faculty and staff are outstanding at their duties,
there appears to be a need for more of them (i.e., faculty). The university, college and
department are encouraged to analyze current resources and reallocate and/or redirect resources
as based on their priorities. The department offers five undergraduate degrees and one graduate
degree with five specializations. There needs to be discussion as based on number of student
majors and graduates as to the viability of each program. In other words, can the college and
department continue to support the varied number of undergraduate degree and graduate
specializations offered? Strategic planning and analysis should help answer this question and
provide direction for college and department actions.
Development: In an era of tightening budgets and ever-increasing needs, it is important that the
department plan and engage in fundraising initiatives. Greater attempts should be made to
connect with and involve alumni and other donors in supporting the department financially.
These attempts will help the department meet some of its needs and obtain additional resources.
Summary
Overall, the department is a vibrant component of Central Washington University and for the
region in general. The department chair and faculty are extremely competent and studentoriented. The program is clearly known for its quality and leadership. If the department
continues to improve its advising, assessment, strategic planning, and development processes, it
will certainly help in their meeting department, college, and university mission and goals.