Dean’s Forum Fall 2011 Questions:
1.
Semester Conversion a.
Are there issues specific to CCM that exist as a result of this conversion? i.
How do we overcome these issues?
1.
The semester conversion is mostly handled out of Dean
Finney’s office from the college office. The advising profile from the College Office and is happening one person at a time, manually. Dean Landgren has been to meetings with ensemble directors and division heads. The students will be affected by 2 fourteen-week semesters because it does not evenly divide.
2.
Class duration and passing times will change next year.
Each class will be 55 minutes with 10 minutes passing between. Ensemble blocks don’t want to move later, one fewer class block than currently scheduled. Be weary of scheduling issues. DO NOT wait to register for classes.
3.
Smaller seminar classes: Some will become minimesters, 7 weeks. See Dean Finney for concerns.
4.
Ensembles rotation: They’ll try to keep it as similar as possible to what it currently will. Details unknown now.
Audition process will probably stay the same. Faculty is taking care of it – ask your professors.
2.
What are the best things about CCM? a.
How do we plan on continuing these things?
3.
What are the worst things about CCM? a.
How do we plan on fixing these things? i.
Student responses: They would’ve liked to know more clearly what would be on the grad student theory and music history placement exams. How could new students be better prepared?
Time and money could be saved. Would students take a review course online? Student wants powerpoints to be online prior to the test to prepare. For history, the class was very detail oriented and student would have liked to know more about how to prepare. The tests tested specifics more than aptitude. Short answer or essay questions would have been preferred. Currently it’s 180 multiplechoice questions. ii.
Some faults are found in the honors theory track. The regular freshmen theory track might be more beneficial, though time consuming.
4.
Student life a.
What are you doing about the lack of practice rooms and rehearsal spaces for students?

i.
Are there plans for expansion?
1.
Dean Landgren wants to make more gathering spaces for students. John McDonough has contacted him with the architects office and maintenance. ii.
Could piano practice rooms be available to non-piano majors?
1.
The piano faculty wants more practice rooms for piano majors. No plan in place for more piano majors. Opening piano rooms to non-piano majors would probably a looseloose situation. The quality of the “good” pianos could go down.
2.
Dean Landgren suggests going early in the morning when the rooms are relatively empty.
3.
CCM Tribunal went though Memorial and inventoried every practice room for problems to fix. iii.
How often are the large rehearsal rooms inventoried? a.
Question will be answered in full soon. Ray Dobson goes though CCM over the summer and December break. Ordered 50 some chairs and stands recently. iv.
Any possibility of giving students to fix stands or chairs? a.
Good suggestion. The Deans will see what Building
Operations says. Ray Dobson and John McDonagh are who to see for maintenance concerns. John is the contact person. v.
Could practice room sign ups be feasible?
1.
Practice rooms are scarce. Over 1000 available practice hours in memorial. Practice room access is an issue. a.
At Peabody, if students didn’t show up within 10 minutes of the signed up practice time, they lost it. b.
How do we initiate a sign up policy and how patrols it? i.
It used to be at CCM, but students didn’t want to be tied down. Could possibly work better on the semesters. vi.
Why is the calendar for reserving rooms only in performance management? Could it be online?
1.
It would be helpful, at least viewing the schedule. Currently we don’t have the most efficient system. Dean Landgren will forward the question to John. R25 is used by the university for scheduling. Performances show up on R25, but not scheduled rehearsals. Memorial 250 is a common place to record. b.
Are there any upcoming plans for the YMCA? i.
Dean Landgren has asked around, he’s on a committee that decides how spaces on the university are used. 5 million dollar problem to

get it to a useable space. Tour of building is scheduled, but it is asbestos laded. It was closed because it is deteriorating. c.
How can students be more visible to the Friends of CCM? i.
Students are the first priority in conversations. d.
In what ways can students make themselves more eligible for scholarship? i.
Why are student jobs mostly given to work-study students? e.
What are the budget priorities? i.
What kind of fundraising projects are currently happening?
1.
In 3 months, 1.6 million has been raised. A 2-3 million scholarship in the works. The Friends of CCM help bring back people to CCM. Priorities: scholarship, faculty support and students. One of the largest sources of income is tuition. Students need enough scholarship so college is more affordable.
2.
31 million is the budget per year. Increase tuition, get more students, or be better about fundraising are the options to increase scholarship. The school can only hold so many people. Fundraising is the most reasonable: more scholarship, endowed chairs. Connecting with donors.
Looking to expand network out of town. Music hall is going though a renovation, and the arts community is competing.
3.
We’re behind on budget. Fundraising was off more than budgeted. Working with Provost Ono. Working on rerollment possibilities for winter and spring. Blue Ash
(Raymond walters) offering music courses for non-majors that would bring income to CCM. f.
What can you do, as Dean, to make CCM more symbiotic between the disciplines? i.
Dean Landgren sees that the disciplines are not incredibly symbiotic. He treats the school as one CCM, not specific areas. He wants people to understand breadth and diversity and to celebrate it. He doesn’t know of any other school that has this breadth of programs offered. Wants to try to get divisions to work together more. A victory in one area helps the entire school. ii.
Follow Dean Landgren on Twitter @ccmdean g.
How soon will university-wide Wi-Fi be set up? i.
Where is it?
1.
Mary Emery and most of Corbett is already wireless. CCM is ahead of most of the university. In early January,

Memorial should be fully wireless. UCIT is behind, but they’re catching up university-wide. h.
How do you think concert attendance can be increased? i.
What all does Mainstage ticket money go towards?
1.
Each area that has ticketed performances, the money goes towards that department. Stays locally in the school and specific departments. i.
Why do the music performing ensembles use paper folders? i.
Could long-term folders be an option?
1.
Ensembles used to have nice folders, but they were expensive and only lasted one year. Paper folders last one year and are better on the budget. Dean Landgren is talking to donors, but leather folders probably aren’t among the top needs for the school. Chorale uses binders they are supplied, and has a similar problem. Music is generally more important and expensive than the folder.
2.
Looking to fund a resident string quartet. a.
$300,000 to bring them here, but it is new money.
3.
TDP needs new materials because they are learning on 30 year old equipment. j.
Why is the Dance department not part of OMDA? i.
How can we move forward into making that a possibility? k.
CCM is a large building, high traffic area. What about security in lieu of the robbery near DVAC? i.
New chief of police starting in December, Dean Landgren is meeting with him next week. Students here at all hours, and safety is important. He wants to provide students opportunities for performance in other places. Dean Landgren talked with Ray
Dobson and he want to make sure Memorial is locked at appropriate times. Audiences are important and we need to make sure they know they’ll be safe. Not all practice rooms are able to be locked from the inside. l.
What kind of outreach programs are available? i.
CCM Prep has a decent amount of scholarship money for students in need. Prep has extended out to the Blue Ash area. Student
Services Office, Alex Ignatiou has expanded. Aging homes, hospitals, hospice, schools, are where students can play. Outreach.
Dean Landgren eliminated fee to be put on the list. Managed though the same office. Landgren doesn’t think that CCM does enough with the greater Cincinnati area – SCPA. CCM needs to reach out to more people in general. Locally and throughout the

nation. Whiz Kids – Sarah Taylor is working with the program. ii.
Google: Times Three. iii.
Interfaith outreach program – could use volunteers.
1300 volunteers. She presented to the CCM Alumni group about the program. They talk to students as well as perform. m.
Could a pops concert be an option to increase concert attendance and funding? i.
Brings a new diversity of audience. Dean Landgren will pose the idea to faculty. Ensembles and musicians should get used to less time for rehearsal – more on a professional schedule. n.
What going on with performing groups? Could we as CCM work with them? Can we get exposed with them? i.
Dean Landgren is in many committees in town, in arts related groups. They are good connection points for CCM. CCM has a good relationship with opera fusion. Symphony has a new president, they’re working together. Arts wave is a fine arts fundraising umbrella, but CCM is exempt. Dean Landgren is working on getting in the door. SCPA has great outlets for contact for future and current students.