Feb. 21, 2008
Department of Music reaccredited by national association
MARTIN, Tenn. – The National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation recently reaccredited the University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Music. Degrees accredited include bachelor of arts in music, bachelor of music in music education and bachelor of music in performance.
“I am excited and pleased to have NASM affirm the quality of our music programs, faculty and students. We have a strong tradition of excellence in music, and our students and alumni should be particularly proud,” said UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes.
NASM, an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges and universities, establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials. Institutional membership is gained only through the peer review process of accreditation.
“Reaccreditation by NASM represents two and a half years of very hard work by our Department of Music faculty and staff,” said Dr. Jeremy Kolwinska, department chair. “This is essentially a stamp of approval on what we are doing in the department. It also assures prospective students and their parents that students are receiving a top-notch education when they choose to study music at UT Martin. The crux of our department’s mission is to train future music educators to teach in our region’s public schools. Reaccreditation by NASM will also secure a strong future for music education in West Tennessee.”
As part of accreditation, an institution or disciplinary unit within an institution periodically evaluates its work and seeks an independent judgment by peers that it achieves substantially its own educational objectives and meets the established standards of the body from which it seeks accreditation. Typically, the accreditation process includes a self-evaluative description (self-study) of the institution or unit, an onsite review by a team of evaluators and judgment by an accreditation decision-making body. Accreditation reviews focus on educational quality, institutional integrity and educational improvements.
Institutional membership in NASM, founded in 1924 with approximately 615 current accredited institutional members, signifies a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the work of individual institutions and the work of the entire community of institutions that prepare musicians at the collegiate level. Membership also signifies a pledge to continue what NASM has always done: seek optimum learning conditions for music students and develop the strength and quality of music in higher education by assisting institutional members and their faculties to do their best work.
For more information about the UT Martin Department of Music, call 731-881-7402.
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