University of Nebraska Kearney

Students seeking to major or minor in music are required to complete proficiency assessments in the following areas:

1. Performance Audition-Students must declare a major instrument or voice upon entrance, perform for the area applied faculty (instrumental, piano, voice), and pass minimum performance requirements according to the following standards:
   
   • Instrumental-MENC Level 4 Selective Music List
   • Piano/Organ-Level of a Bach Two-part Invention
   • Voice-Any material in the MENC Selective Music List

   Further, students are required to sight read on their major instrument or voice for the area applied faculty. Students who do not perform with adequate technique, tone quality, and musicianship may be admitted provisionally.

2. Theory and Ear Training Examination-Students must take a basic music theory and ear training examination at the time of the entrance audition to determine possible deficiencies. Students who pass the exam will enroll in MUS 200 Music Theory I and MUS 199 Sight Singing and Ear Training during the first fall semester of their enrollment. Students who fail the theory examination are advised to take MUS 098 Fundamentals of Music, during the summer prior to enrollment in MUS 200.
3. Piano Placement Examination-All students will take a piano placement examination prior to their first semester of enrollment in the music program. The placement examination is given by the piano faculty; determination of level is based on number of years of applied study, knowledge of theory fundamentals, two-staff reading ability, and keyboard facility. Those with little or no keyboard background are required to enroll in MUS 140 Piano Techniques I during the first fall semester of their music studies; those with previous keyboard study and no theory background will be placed into MUS 141 Piano Techniques II and are required to enroll in the spring semester of their first year of music studies; those with extended keyboard study, with at least a year of music theory study will be placed into MUS 240 Piano Techniques III during the first fall semester of their music studies; and all keyboard principals/majors and others with extensive applied study, excellent reading abilities and technical facility will be placed into MUS 260 Keyboard Harmonization in the spring of their first year of music studies.

Report: Records of performance, theory and ear training, and piano placement examinations for all entering freshmen and transfer students are maintained by the department for reference at summer advising sessions. Beginning in the Fall, 2004, the department has required all new and transfer students to complete a Request for Admission to a Music Academic Program form. The form requires a student to choose a primary performance area, desired music degree program(s), and all completed audition and examination dates. Students who have not completed entrance requirements must do so by the third day of the semester. Each student form is then reviewed by the entire music faculty at the first meeting (first week of classes) for approval or recommendations for provisional admittance to the program. This new procedure has been instrumental in making certain that all majors and minors are enrolled in the appropriate classes, to confirm student selection of instrument/degree programs, and to "catch" students who have not gone through the formal admissions process. In the past, there were several problems with walk-on students and transfer students. Of the 2004 entering students, eleven have been given provisional status based on the lack of pre-college preparation in the applied area of study. The forms will again be reviewed as part of Freshmen/Sophomore Evaluations in the spring semester.

The department is also in the process of tracking students who were recommended to take the 098 course and did not to those who either took the class or passed the entrance examination to help determine possible differences in retention rates in the theory and ear training sequence. Based on the evidence of its findings, the department may consider making the MUS 098 course a requirement for those who do not successfully pass the entrance examination prior to enrollment into the freshman level MUS 200 sequence.

Students enrolled in all music degree programs are evaluated by the entire music faculty. In the spring semester of the freshman and sophomore years, students must submit lists of previous/current courses taken (including transfer courses) along with earned grades and names of course instructors, performance activities (solo, chamber and ensemble) and music-related organizations, honor societies and scholarship awards. All faculty have the opportunity to submit written commentary on student progress and, with permission of the student, faculty meet to discuss each student's progress in the areas of performance, academics and participation in departmental activities. The department chair then writes a letter to every student, acknowledging his or her progress and offering encouragement toward the completion of the degree; or relays perceived areas of weakness and suggestions for improvement; or recommends that the student reconsider another degree program.

Report: During the spring semester, 2004, all but eight of sixty students were given positive recommendations from the faculty. Of the eight, five students were informed that poor class attendance has adversely affected their grades. Of those five, three were informed that although the faculty views them as having tremendous potential, they were advised to work harder in practice and academic areas; two students were advised to consider other degree options.

Every-semester Music Juries are required for each student in applied lessons. All faculty members in the applied areas of instrumental, keyboard, and vocal offer written critiques and a performance grade. Results are kept in student files maintained by each instructor with copies providing evidence of progress as included in student portfolios. Refinements of the jury evaluation process continue with faculty from each performance division responsible for implementation of suggested changes.

As part of the jury process, typically at the end of the third semester of study, students must apply for admission to Advanced Standing. Due to the highly varied repertoire of each applied instrument, specific performance requirements are determined by area applied faculty. We are in the process of standardizing repertoire level requirements from each area within the instrumental division (brass, percussion, woodwinds, strings). The piano division has determined that the minimum Advanced Standing requirement is the level of a fast movement of a Mozart Sonata and a three-voice invention or fugue of Bach. In addition, students must submit a cumulative list of performance repertoire studied and performed at UNK. The Assessment of Learning Outcomes includes specific grades for Skills: Note/Rhythm Accuracy, Tempo, Technique/Facility, Pedaling, Balance and Voicing, Phrasing and Articulation, Tone Color and Dynamics, Stylistic Interpretation.

Students who pass the admission to Advanced Standing requirement may enroll for upper division applied lessons. Students who do not pass the Advanced Standing minimum are required to continue enrollment in the lower level applied courses until the Advanced Standing has been passed. In this case, the faculty provide a written statement of what areas need additional work. Records of Advanced Standing are kept in the applied faculty files; copies are given to the students for inclusion in the Portfolio.

Report: During the 2003-04 academic year, nineteen students (four instrumentalists, ten vocalists, and five pianists) passed the Advanced Standing requirements. No students were reported as having failed the performance assessment for their respective degree programs. No changes in this assessment are being considered; however, the chair has requested that all applied faculty make a copy of the Advanced Standing form for student files in the music office.

Students in all Bachelor of Music-Performance and Bachelor of Music-Musical Theatre degrees are required to perform degree recitals (MUS 488). A special evaluation process, the Recital Hearing, is set up within each of the applied areas of study, instrumental, piano and vocal. Students are required to perform a Recital Hearing at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled performance. The hearing is graded on a pass/fail basis. Those who pass may proceed with developing the final program, scheduling the recording technician, the piano tuner, and news releases. Those who fail are required to cancel their reserved recital date and reschedule a hearing at a later time to be determined by their applied instructor. The final assessment of the recital is made by the instructor, via a course grade. The recital may be taken as an H Option for those in the Honors Program. For all others, Senior Projects are generally determined by the student's primary instructor as an Independent Study.

Report: During the 2003-04 academic year, twelve students (nine vocalists, two composition students, and one pianist) passed recital hearing requirements and passed the recital requirement. No students were reported as having failed the recital hearing and recital performance requirements. No changes in this assessment plan are currently being considered.

Required by NASM for Accreditation. Renewal of nation certification granted in June, 2004.

The Piano Proficiency Examination is administered to all music majors and minors (various levels determined by varied degree programs). The exam is one of the department's primary assessment tools, designed to test the student's ability to comprehend and apply theoretical principals (scale and chord construction and function, harmonization, transposition), competency in keyboard reading and facility (basic technique, sight reading, score reading, repertoire), and listening and creative functional skills (harmonization, accompanying solo performer, varying accompanying patterns in harmonization pieces).

The examination is divided into four parts, generally given on separate exam days periodically throughout the final semester of study for those enrolled in piano classes or given in a single 30-40 minute period for those with adequate skills to cover all materials without coursework (applied piano faculty determine class placement at the time of the entrance audition). The examination is further divided into four levels of difficulty, Level I being the easiest and Level IV the most difficult (recently-8.27.04- a fifth level was developed for piano performance majors). Included are also slightly varied requirements for instrumental versus vocal majors (i.e. preparing and performing an instrumental score vs. choral score on the exam or playing an accompaniment featuring the student's major voice or instrument); however, the level of difficulty of instrumental and voice majors for each degree program is comparable whereas all piano majors and principals have more difficult requirements in the areas of Technique, Sight Reading and Repertoire. The examination is administered by the course instructor for LEVEL I (Music Minors); by at least two keyboard faculty members for LEVEL II (Music Minor-ElEd Majors; Music Business Majors; Liberal Arts-Music Majors), LEVEL III (Music Education Majors, Music Performance Majors, Musical Theatre Majors, and Pre-Music Therapy principals), LEVEL IV (Keyboard Majors and principals in all degree programs). The exam is graded on a P/F basis; letter grades may be assigned for each exam segment as determined by the course instructor for students currently enrolled in piano classes.

Students who do not pass one or two parts of the examination may retake the examination by appointment or at the regularly scheduled exam dates with the keyboard faculty committee. Those currently enrolled in a piano class failing to meet the examination requirements will be given an incomplete for the course and must retake the exam within one year to receive a passing grade. The Piano Proficiency Examination, along with Advanced Standing in Private Instruction, provides the faculty with tools to assess fundamental musicianship skills of all music majors and minors. To that end, students may not enroll in Student Teaching, Music Business Internship, or Sr. Recital without passing the piano proficiency examination.

As a result of the historical record kept on the Piano Proficiency Examination, the faculty were better able to identify students who have experienced problems with the exam, enabling us to take steps toward addressing the areas which may require attention in placement or curriculum. It was determined that the students who experienced problems were mainly transfer students or those who had no keyboard experience prior to enrollment at UNK. The transfer students generally had weaker theory backgrounds and often less disciplined work habits. The department will consider instituting three means for a more consistent student success rate: 1) Placement into Piano Tech II, III, and IV requires strong theory skills, 2) As the course is a four-level sequence, students should not be allowed to pass into upper levels without at least a strong C average. Those who have not developed strong reading skills by the end of Piano Tech II, should be advised to retake the course. 3) Tutors should be made available for students enrolled in any piano tech course.

The Piano Proficiency Examination underwent a complete review in the spring of 2004 by the entire music faculty. It was determined that the examination requirements for all non-keyboard majors and principals was adequate and did not need further revision; however, the keyboard faculty determined that the standards for piano performance majors and principals needed to be revised. The keyboard faculty made changes, primarily in the area of technique, for all piano students, requiring a higher level of facility in scales, arpeggios, inversions and progressions (all major and minor keys). The results of this higher standard of performance will be assessed during the spring semester of 2005.

Students are required to present a complete portfolio for faculty consideration during the final semester before graduation. Included in the portfolio are sections related to solo, chamber and ensemble performance, jury sheets, repertoire sheets, Advanced Standing forms, recital programs, samples of academic achievements, honors and awards, extracurricular participation, and areas related to the specific degree program. Portfolios are also reviewed by area faculty at each music jury to assess progress toward the completed document. Written evaluation by faculty of portfolio content will now be used as an indicator of student progress. Evaluations will be kept by individual instructors with music jury results. 

The present Alumni survey does not offer necessary information for a useful departmental response. The department faculty have revised the previous survey; therefore, it is recommended that the following document be used in its place. To ensure participation by alumni, the department is in the process of having the form submitted for online response on the department website.

It has been determined that the department chair will attend an extra pre-meeting workshop, entitled, "The New NASM Self-Study Formats," at the National Association of Schools of Music Annual Meeting, San Diego, November, 2004 in attempt to correlate assessment tools vital for both NASM and North Central accreditation. The department received final notification of NASM accreditation approval for all its music programs in July, 2004. The department's next APR is scheduled for 2006-07 and will come up for NASM review during the 2010-11 academic year.