Article I

Name

This body shall be known as the faculty of the School of Music hereinafter referred to as the faculty.

Article II

Mission

Now in its second century, the School of Music affirms its fundamental belief that music and the arts are essential components of the human experience. The School of Music prepares students for professional careers in music by combining instruction of the highest quality with outstanding performance opportunities. To this end, the School of Music:

• Provides an environment that fosters the highest level of musical expression through performing, teaching, and writing music.
  
• Equips students with professional skills and knowledge in music and a foundation in the liberal arts that work together to provide a comprehensive education for the 21st century.
  
• Attracts and cultivates a faculty of dedicated teachers and artists who are actively committed to their profession, the School of Music, and the College.
  
• Provides an outlet for musical performances and study for non-music majors throughout the College and instills in them an awareness of the larger issues of the arts and their role in society.
  
• Provides cultural experiences for the community through a diverse series of recitals, concerts, special lectures, and symposia by students, faculty, and guest artists.
  
• Maintains an international role in the growth, development, and refinement of the art of music.

Article III

Purpose

The purpose of this constitution is to set forth guidelines that define the authority and responsibilities of the Faculty Council of the School of Music, to list specific duties to which the council applies itself, and to articulate, in a more general, philosophical sense, the purpose for which the council exists.

Article IV

Bylaws

The faculty shall have the authority to make bylaws in such matters as membership, meeting procedures, voting, elections, committees and other organizational matters and needs of the faculty. Such bylaws may not be in conflict with the Charter or bylaws of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees or any other governing group recognized by the Board of Trustees of Ithaca College.

Article V

Amendments to the Constitution

This constitution can be amended at any regular meeting of the faculty by a two-thirds vote of those present, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting and provided that it does not conflict with the Ithaca College governance structure as found in section 1.6 of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

Article I

Membership

The membership shall be full-time faculty of the School of Music.

Article II

Meetings

I.

All meetings will follow standard procedures as defined in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. Meetings will be scheduled at least monthly . The specific dates for the meetings will be distributed to the faculty during the first week of each semester.

II.

Agenda items are set by the chair of the School of Music Faculty Council and the dean prior to each meeting. Faculty members can submit items for the agenda directly to the Faculty Council chair. If there are more agenda items than can be scheduled, the Faculty Council chair is responsible for prioritization. The customary order of business is:

1. Announcements;
2. Old business;
3. New business.
4. necessary, this order can be modified at the discretion of the Faculty Council chair.

III.

All meetings are open to the campus community. Procedures for allowing discussion from non-committee members shall follow standard practices as outlined in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. The faculty may make a motion to dismiss administrators and visitors during any meeting.

IV.

The faculty co-chairperson will not vote during the case of a tie vote. deans and other administrators do not have voting privileges during faculty meetings.

V.

The agenda as well as the minutes for each faculty meeting will be distributed to all members of the School of Music faculty and administration via electronic mail or campus mail.

VI.

A quorum shall be 50% of the School of Music full-time faculty. A simple majority is necessary to pass a motion put to the faculty.

Article III

Faculty Council

I.

Membership

The council shall consist of four elected members. Each shall be a full-time member of the School of Music faculty with a minimum of one year's service in the School of Music. While balanced representation from all service departments of the School of Music is desirable, members shall be elected "at-large" by the full-time faculty of the school. Members shall serve two-year terms, with 2 members elected annually. Councilpersons may succeed themselves.

II.

Internal Governance

The School of Music Faculty Council schedules meetings as it deems necessary and reasonable to accomplish its tasks. The four councilpersons elect a chairperson from among themselves; the chairperson provides leadership for the council. In addition, the council members represent the School of Music on the All-College Faculty Council.

III.

Essential Purpose

The School of Music Faculty Council is one of the most important representative groups of the School of Music faculty. As an advocate of the faculty, it seeks to uphold rights and responsibilities of the faculty, and represents the interests of the faculty to the dean of the School of Music, the All-College Faculty Council, and the College administration. The council is concerned not only with the accomplishment of specific goals deemed desirable by the faculty, but with communicating the consensus of the faculty to other individuals or committees. The council seeks to promote quality faculty interaction and morale. It may act as a liaison between parties in conflict if requested.

IV.

Specific tasks

1. Through periodic meetings with the dean, the council shall convey concerns, desires, and reactions of the faculty to the School of Music administration, and it shall report similar administrative concerns to the faculty. In doing so, the council shall function as the primary liaison between the entire music faculty and administration, separate from the department chairpersons.
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3. The council is empowered to initiate studies related to faculty concerns, prepare reports of issues submitted to it by the music faculty, and submit its findings and recommendations to the music faculty.
   
4. The council shall represent the School of Music at meetings of the All-College Faculty Council, and shall convey the concerns, desires and reactions of the music faculty to that group.
   
5. The council provides leadership for keeping the School of Music Faculty Evaluation and Personnel Procedures current and accurate. The council shall work with the administration to uphold the accuracy, relevance and equity of the evaluation process.
   
6. The council has the responsibility for and authority over elections held within the School of Music. The council will hold and supervise elections in a timely and secure manner, will verify the eligibility of both the voters and the candidates, and will transmit the results to the faculty and the administration.
   
7. The council shall communicate regularly with the faculty of the School of Music concerning faculty business.
8. In seeking to maintain and promote quality faculty interaction, the council may avail itself to informally mediate disputes or assist in the reconciliation of conflict. When deemed appropriate, the council may act in a more formal manner to communicate the sense of the faculty concerning matters of professional interaction. At such times, the council may elect to issue a formal statement of censure, which is described below.

Article IV

Statement of Censure

On occasion, the conduct of a colleague may be deemed by the colleague's peers to be so inappropriate, unprofessional, or unethical that significant damage to the morale or function of a given departmental constituency, or the faculty as a whole, occurs. The statement of censure provides a vehicle by which the faculty may inform a colleague that such actions are deemed unacceptable by a significant majority of the given departmental faculty, or faculty as a whole.

It is expected that action of a censure rarely will occur and will be based on extraordinary circumstances. Any member of the faculty may request that the council initiate the process of issuing a statement of censure. With a positive vote of at least three out of the four council members, the council shall draft a statement of censure and will poll the entire faculty or department, as appropriate, by written ballot. A two-thirds vote of the faculty or department is required for the council or present formally a statement of ensure to the cited faculty member. The statement will be forwarded also to the dean, Provost and vice president for academic affairs, along with the vote count.

The faculty member for whom a statement of censure is being deliberated has the right to request a hearing before the School of Music Faculty Council in Executive Session prior to the vote being taken.

Article V

Committees

A.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

I.

Membership

The voting membership of the committee is comprised of six faculty members, each of whom is selected by the faculty of the School of Music to a three-year term. Two of the six members are elected each year. Faculty membership must include at least one representative from each department (Music Education, Theory/History/Composition, and Performance).

The non-voting membership of the committee consists of the dean, associate dean, and three students (one each from the sophomore, junior and senior classes). the student members are selected by a procedure determined by the dean's Student Advisory Council.

The chairperson of the committee is elected by the voting members of the committee.

II.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Curriculum Committee reviews all new and revised undergraduate curricular policies, courses and programs. The committee is advisory in nature, and makes recommendations to the faculty.

The committee meets as often as it deems necessary in order to accomplish its tasks. Meetings are scheduled, whenever possible, one week in advance. A quorum, consisting of two-thirds of the faculty members, is necessary to conduct business.

III.

Guidelines Governing Curricular Changes

1. Proposals may be initiated by individual faculty members, departments, individual students (through the Dean's Student Advisory Council), administrators, or the Curriculum Committee itself.
2. 
   
3. Curricular changes, e.g., changes in course content, course offerings, credit allocation, or academic programs, must utilize the following:

1. Discussion by the faculty within the appropriate department(s).
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3. Discussion between the dean and the department and/or chairperson as to the feasibility of the proposal.
   
4. Submission of proposed curricular changes to the Curriculum Committee. If the change involves the addition, revision, or depletion of a course or program: completion of the appropriate Academic Policies Committee documents, detailing course description, tentative outline of course content, prospective textbooks or other source material, projected enrollment and costs.
   
5. Discussion and recommendation by the Curriculum Committee.
   
6. Submission of the proposal and committee recommendation to the full faculty of the School of Music for discussion and action. Materials submitted to the faculty must include all relevant APC documents, and should be received by the faculty at least one week in advance of the meeting.
7. Submission of the approved proposal to the Academic Policies Committee for final approval or notification.

B.

GRADUATE COMMITTEE

The School of Music Graduate Studies Committee serves as the governing body for the Graduate Programs in Music. It establishes graduate policy and acts as the graduate curricular review committee, forwarding recommendations to the full-time members of the School of Music graduate faculty and the All-College Graduate Committee for review and action. It also screens applicants for acceptance to the various programs and forwards its recommendations to the dean of Graduate Studies.

The committee works to create a dialogue among the graduate students, members of the graduate faculty, and departments within the School of Music. Issues may be generated from any of these representative bodies, from members of the administration, or from within the committee.

I.

Composition, Eligibility, and Term

1. The School of Music Graduate Committee will consist of 2 faculty members from Performance Studies, 2 faculty members from Music Education, 1 faculty member from Theory, History, and Composition, 1 graduate student, and the graduate chairperson(s). The dean serves as an ex officio, non-voting member.
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3. The faculty representatives are selected by departmental vote. Only full-time members of the graduate faculty may vote. Faculty with assignments in more than one department will be allowed to vote for the representative of each. Assignment in a secondary area normally is defined as annual load and participation in the business of the department on an on-going basis. The School of Music Faculty Council will administer and oversee the nominating and election process.
   
4. Any full-time member of the graduate music faculty may serve.
   
5. Terms are for four years, initially staggered by lot.
6. The chairperson will solicit nominations from the student body and, based on consultation with the candidates and the committee, appoint the student representative. The student will serve for one year, with additional terms possible depending on the student's graduation timetable.

II.

Duties

a.

Program Governance

1. Review candidates for the position of graduate chairperson, in accordance with the graduate chairperson document.
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3. Establish School of Music graduate policies, in accordance with those approved at the all-College level. In its deliberations the committee will include the review of departmental recommendations.
   
4. Recommend faculty for the school and College graduate faculty.
   
5. Review major petitions for exceptions to school or College policy.
6. Serve individually as a liaison between their department and/or graduate students and the School of Music Graduate Committee in matters of graduate concern.

b.

Curriculum

1. Serve as the graduate curricular review committee. Curriculum proposals are submitted by departments and, when approved, recommended to the full-time School of Music graduate faculty and the All-College Graduate Committee for review and action.
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3. Work with the chairperson in the initial planning and scheduling of graduate summer workshops and graduate summer session offerings.
4. Review policies for, and content of, graduate comprehensive examinations, considering departmental recommendations.

c.

Admissions and Financial Aid

1. Screen applicants for admission to the graduate music program based on school and College criteria. Items for consideration are: appropriate undergraduate degree or equivalent, grade-point average, audition results, letters of recommendation, and interview reports where applicable.
2. 
   
3. Review annually the recommendations of the graduate chairperson regarding assistantship awards and duties.

C.

PERSONNEL EVALUATION COMMITTEE

I.

Purpose

The School of Music Personnel Evaluation Committee will review faculty members for tenure and promotion and transmit its recommendations to the dean. Further, should a faculty member in the School of Music be identified by the dean and the appropriate peer committee as having "serious instructional deficiencies," the Personnel Evaluation Committee will assist in setting up the plan for remediation and will evaluate, along with the dean, the success or failure of that plan.

II.

Composition

The committee will be composed of five tenured professors or associate professors elected by the full-time music faculty.

III.

Terms of Membership

Terms of membership, which will be staggered, will be for three years.

IV.

Chair

The committee will annually elect its own chair. The chair will convey the committee's written recommendations to the dean.

V.

Procedures

The operating procedures for tenure and promotion evaluation for this committee are given in School Of Music Personnel Evaluation Committee Procedures for Tenure and Promotion. Procedures relating to serious instructional deficiencies are listed in Volume IV of the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

VI.

Conflicts of Interest

If the candidate perceives a potential conflict of interest involving a committee member, the candidate may write a letter to the dean and the Personnel Evaluation Committee requesting that the committee member be excused from the deliberations of the candidate's case. The other committee members will decide on the request, and their decision will be final.

To (1) preclude even the appearance of impropriety, (2) avoid placing an unfair burden on the committee, and (3) insure the integrity of the process, committee members will be required to absent themselves from all deliberations involving partners, family members, or others with whom they have intimate relationships. If the other committee members cannot resolve a perceived conflict of interest relative to membership, it will be referred to the dean for a final decision.

D.

SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEE

I.

One committee member shall be elected by the music faculty (2-year terms) from each of the following disciplines: Keyboard, Strings and Guitar; Vocal, Choral; Brass, Wind, and Percussion; Music History, Theory and Composition; and Music Education. Permanent committee members will be the concert manager and the associate dean (chairperson).

II.

Special events will be considered under two categories: Master Class and/or Recital Visiting Artist Series.

III.

The committee will solicit suggestions for all special events from the entire music faculty for the following academic year prior to November 1st.

IV.

The committee will review the submitted suggestions of special events and determine a tentative schedule of special events. The committee will attempt to allocate between 66%-75% of the special events budget for the following academic year on or before March 1st (including transportation and publicity costs).

V.

The following criteria will be used in selecting special events:

1. To assemble a balanced season of special events from the disciplines of keyboard, strings, wind and percussion, voice, music history, theory or composition, and music education.
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   • The number of previous special events within each given discipline;
   • The expenditures on special events within each given discipline;
   • The number of individuals who benefited from these special events.
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3. Consideration will be given to the balance of special events that have been on campus in the previous four years. The following items will be considered:
   
4. Special events having wide intradiscipline support (numerous faculty within a given discipline), and interdiscipline support will receive extra consideration.
   
5. The cost of a suggested special event.
6. Consideration will be given to the relationship of a given special event to the long-range planning of the Special Events Committee.

VI.

Twenty-five to thirty-three percent of the budget will be reserved so that unanticipated opportunities that arise during the academic year can be considered. The following criteria will be used to spend this money:

1. Faculty members can submit written special event requests to the associate dean during the academic year as opportunities arise.
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3. For attractions costing more than $400.00, a meeting of the Special Events Committee will be called to consider the request.

VII.

The committee will continually investigate long-range plans in preparing for commemorative events (i.e., the Bach Tercentary, The Ithaca College Mozart Bicentenary Series, The Ithaca College Centennial Music Festival). The committee will also continually assess the strengths and weaknesses of sponsored special events.

(A brief evaluation form will be submitted following all special events to provide feedback to the Special Events Committee.)

E.

STUDENT RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE

Article VI

Amendment Procedures

Amendments to the faculty bylaws may be proposed to the Faculty Council at any time by any member of the faculty or administration. The Faculty Council will consider these proposals and assure that these changes concur with the regulations established in the Ithaca College Policy Manual. If necessary, the Faculty Council may choose to establish an ad hoc committee to address any issues surrounding the proposal. Following review of each proposal, the Faculty Council will submit the proposal to all School of Music faculty for vote. All proposals for amendment of the School of Music Faculty Governance Document require a two-thirds majority to pass.