Student Handbook

Hobart Thomas Taylor Building Hours

  • Monday – Friday: 7am to 11pm
  • Saturday: 8am to 6pm
  • Sunday: 1pm – 9pm

For emergencies, please call campus security at (936) 261-1375.

The music facilities are designed for practice, rehearsal, and studying. Meetings by any organizations must be scheduled with the Music Department Office. Music majors, take care of your building and make sure your fellow Panthers respect your department. Practicing is not allowed in the hallways on the first or second floor during class hours 8-5. Please refrain from loud conversation in the hallways to avoid disturbing classes and lessons. Departmental approval is needed before posting flyers and posters to bulletin boards in the building.

Practice Room and Keycard Policies

The practice rooms are open for use by music majors and other students taking music classes. The four practice rooms with grand pianos are reserved for piano majors and minors. Four practice rooms for percussion are  also available as follows: 2F244, 2F245, 2H269, 2A275, and 2A276.

Faculty members are requested to turn in lists of students needing keycards. Students will then pick them up  in the Music Office. (Keycards should be returned to the music office at the end of each semester.) No personal items should be left in practice rooms. Please keep practice room doors closed when practicing. Absolutely no eating or drinking is allowed in the practice rooms.

Classroom Usage

Students who have received permission to use the classrooms for rehearsals and/or meetings should return all music stands and chairs to their respective locations. Students are not authorized to use the classroom computers; these are designated for faculty use only. Please leave classrooms neat and ready for classes the following day.

Library

The Dr. Robert A. Henry Music Library is a place for study, research and listening. Located in room 1F155 (halfway down the west 1st floor hallway), students will find space for individual and group study, equipment for listening and computers. The listening collection consists of DVDs, CDs, cassette tapes and LPs (records) of many styles and genres of music. Check the Music Library webpage to find out what recordings, scores and books are available in the Music Library. (Books, scores and LP recordings: go to the catalog at bottom of page; CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes: go to the Music Finding Aide located in the middle of the left hand column. The Music and Performing Arts (Music Online), an online database of streaming audio, music scores and full -text reference books, is available on the Music Library webpage. The reference collection includes material for basic music research – e.g. dictionaries, (both music and foreign language) and the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. The library is staffed by a professional music librarian. Library hours are posted on the door.

Music Computer Laboratory

Located in room 2D240, the Music Computer Lab is available to all students majoring and minoring in music. There are 15 seats with software available for ear-training, music theory, notation, audio/ video editing, and Microsoft Office. Students can print documents and have access to MIDI keyboards, and the internet. Access is granted using university login credentials.

Lockers

A limited number of lockers are available to all students majoring and minoring in music and are located near room 2D240. Lockers are checked out through the faculty locker manager. Larger lockers may be shared between 2-3 students.

Lounge

The student lounge is located on the 2nd floor, Rm. 2D239. Since it is a public space, music students should keep the lounge in a neat and presentable manner. Since the lounge shares adjoining walls with faculty teaching studios, students should also be mindful of the noise levels in the lounge.

Music Department Office Procedures

  1. Always check with the Administrative Assistant first before entering the Department Head’s office. Whenever possible, make an appointment to speak with the Department Head.
  2. Please check with the Administrative Assistant before using any office equipment (phone, copier, fax machine, hole puncher, etc.)
  3. Items found in classrooms, practice rooms, or restrooms (textbooks, purses, phones, wallets, keys or any other valuables) should be brought to the Music Office.
  4. Be courteous and friendly when entering the Music Office. It will be appreciated.

Freshman Students Only

Freshman music majors entering the University have two (2) advisors, one at University College (UC) and one in the music department. These advisors work together to make sure that you take the correct courses in your first year. Freshman who enter during the Summer Session will have Dr. Mark Phillips, Music Department Head, advise them on their fall semester music classes only. Entering freshmen must audition for the department and take the Music Theory Placement Exam before registering for fall classes.

  1. Entering freshmen should see the music advisor for advisement before seeing the advisors at University College (UC). Advisement forms must be signed by the music advisor before they are taken to UC College.
  2. As the fall semester begins, the Music Department Head will distribute the freshman list to other music advisors.
  3. At the end of the freshman year, all students will be advised by the music advisor only.

Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors

Students must see their music advisor before registering.  After being advised, students will receive a pin number from the advisor which must be used in order to register.

Deadlines for Registration

All registration changes must be processed no later than 5 pm. the Friday classes begin in Fall and Spring Semesters. This includes any overrides that the Music Department Head needs to process for music classes. Check with your advisors often. Submit those changes early.

The Office of the Registrar evaluates transfer credit in partnership with the Music Department Head. If transfer credits from another university have not been applied, please check with the previous institution to see if they have been sent. Then check with the Registrar and/or the Music Department Head for status.

  • All music majors must be enrolled in private lessons each semester until the degree recital requirement is fulfilled; course numbers and semester credit hours are linked to the specific concentration (see numbers below).
  • The day and time listed next to the course number is for registration purposes only; See your private instructor to schedule a specific day and time for the lesson; Make sure that you are enrolled in the correct private lesson number and section (The section numbers are linked to specific instructors).
  • The student is responsible for having the appropriate materials: sheet music, metronome, music dictionary, etc. Please consult your private instructor before purchasing any items.

Per year, students enroll in the same lesson number twice (2X); each course must be passed with a minimum of “C” before enrolling in the next semester’s course; Students should not enroll in an applied music course number more than twice (2x). The mid-level proficiency exam in performance must be passed at the end of the 2000-level of lessons before enrolling in the 3000-level.

1 SCH courses are designated for students with an EC-12 concentration (Music Education; 2 SCH courses are designated for students with a General concentration; 3 SCH courses are designated for students with a Performance Concentration.

Pianists are available to accompany students for seminar and degree recitals.

  • Please contact the pianist well in advance of the scheduled performance (2 weeks before for seminar; 3-4 months before for recitals).
  • Pianists will post available rehearsal times; the rehearsal is a commitment – please come well-prepared and notify the pianist of any cancellation or postponement.
  • Theory Placement Exam – taken by freshmen before enrolling in any music classes; also taken by transfer students who have never taken music theory courses; the exam is administered in August and if needed, in January (first-time and transfer students).
  • Juries – At the end of each semester of study, all music majors in applied lessons perform individually before a faculty committee; the length of the jury may vary by concentration and the content is determined by the private instructor. The outcome of the jury is factored into the private lesson grade. Students playing degree recitals are exempt from a jury the semester of the recital performance.
  • Mid-level Proficiency in Applied Music – At the end of the sophomore year of private lessons (2000), music majors perform a longer jury in front of the faculty committee. Each applied area has specific requirements for this mid-level proficiency; all students must receive a score of 80% or higher on the mid-level proficiency before enrolling in upper-level (3000 and above) applied lessons. Students who do not pass the exam must re-enroll in 2000-level applied lessons for (1 semester) and then retake the exam at the jury at the end of the semester.
  • Mid-level Theory Proficiency – At the end of the spring semester Music Theory IV course (MUSC 2223), all students take the Theory Proficiency Exam; A minimum of 80% is required to pass this examination and advance to the 3000-level theory course Analysis I (MUSC 3212); Students who do not pass the exam at the end of the Spring Semester must retake and pass it by Mid-August in order to enroll in Analysis I in the fall.
  • Piano Proficiency Exam – All music majors except for piano majors must pass a piano proficiency exam before graduation (Music Education students must pass the exam before student teaching) Students should enroll in 4 courses: (Functional Piano I –IV) and any additional private piano lessons until the exam is passed. The exam is administered during finals week in both Fall and Spring semesters. If faculty is available, the exam may be given at the end of the 2nd summer semester (August).

All music majors perform solo recitals as a graduation requirement. Students in the EC-12 (Teacher Certification) and General concentrations perform one (1) Senior Recital in the second semester of 4000-level applied study. Students in the Performance concentration perform two (2) solo recitals, one Junior Recital (at the end of 3000-level) study and one Senior Recital (at the end of 4000-level) study.

  • The repertoire for the recital is chosen by the private instructor; it may be entirely new repertoire or a combination of previously studied repertoire and new repertoire learned during the student’s previous seven semesters of study.
  • The private instructor will submit the date of the recital to the Music Office at the beginning of the semester in which the recital is performed after consultation with the student performer and the faculty member accompanying the recital.   At that time, the faculty member accompanying the student should be notified given all piano accompaniments. Scheduling recital rehearsals is the responsibility of the student.
  • Approximately 10 days to 2 weeks before the recital performance, students must play a recital hearing (pre-recital jury before a committee of faculty to determine the students’ readiness for the public performance. The date of the hearing should be submitted to the office at the beginning of the semester and the date and committee members notified by the private instructor.
  • Students should bring the typed and formatted recital program to the pre-recital hearing for the jury. If the pre-recital jury is passed, the private lesson teacher will then submit the typed and formatted recital program to the Music Office for printing.
  • Public advertising of the recital is encouraged; however, posters, flyers, announcements, etc. are the responsibility of the student. The Music Office only types the recital program.
  • All degree recitals are audio recorded by the department and the recordings are kept in the Music Library and archived as part of the student’s degree materials.

Disputes and grievances between instructors and students should be resolved according to the following steps:

  • The student should make a scheduled appointment to discuss the issue with the instructor. Many issues can be resolved with calm and respectful discussion.
  • If the resolution is not satisfactory to the student, the next step is to make an appointment with the department head to discuss the issue.
  • Any further discussion and resolution, should it be needed, will be handled by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Time management is critical to your musical development. It is the student’s responsibility to budget adequate time for practicing, studying, rehearsing, eating, sleeping, and outside employment if that is necessary. Each student is encouraged to make musical and academic study the top priority!

Students are expected to buy, rent, or legally download all required textbooks, musical scores, and other materials for your classes and private lessons. Your instructors can help guide you to find the most cost-effective ways of obtaining what you need.  Don’t hesitate to ask for advice – each faculty member has a wealth of knowledge.

Finally, your applied lesson is the centerpiece of your educational experience as a music major. Be punctual, come prepared, and soak up everything your private teacher has to offer!