(8.1) Course Prerequisites

Enforcement of all course prerequisites remains in the hands of each division and individual instructors.

(8.2) Laboratory Ensemble Requirement

Each student with a major in music participates in laboratories each semester in residence.

(8.3) Copyright Compliance

It is the policy of the University of North Texas that all faculty, staff, and students respect the rights of ownership of intellectual property by adhering to United States copyright laws. To support this effort, the university has established the Copyright Resources Website to answer common questions faculty, students, and staff may have regarding copyrights.

(8.4) Mode of Instruction and Use of Technology

Distributed Learning

Distributed learning is a mode of instruction whereby students are instructed via electronic transmissions, often utilizing electronically published course materials. With regard to the work created for use in distributed learning settings, in all cases except work made for hire, the faculty member retains the ownership and copyright of the work as well as the ability to market the work commercially. The Distributed Learning policy below provides guidelines for faculty members regarding this topic. This policy is a supplement to the Research Intellectual Property Policy (University Policy Manual, Policy Number 08.003) and only addresses distributed learning. To the extent this policy conflicts with the University Copyright Policy on issues involving distributed learning, this policy prevails. Online Courseware Intellectual Property (University Policy Manual, Policy Number 06.032)

Center for Learning Experimentation, Application and Research (CLEAR)

The Center for Learning Experimentation, Application and Research (CLEAR) was established in 1998 as a service to assist faculty with the development and delivery of distributed learning at UNT. Since that time, CLEAR has expanded services to support all types of instruction at UNT. The Center combines technology resources with expert consultation and personnel in course design/redesign, assessment, pedagogy and many other topics in an effort to provide faculty with "one-stop" support for creating quality courses - regardless of the instructional delivery method.

(8.5) Textbooks

Faculty members choose the textbooks each semester for the following semester. Textbook deadlines are announced via email by the UNT Bookstore. A textbook request along with the number of students expected in the class is given to the UNT Bookstore by the Textbook Coordinator for each division of the College of Music. Within the College of Music, the Division Administrative Assistants perform the duties of the Textbook Coordinator. The UNT Bookstore stocks all books required by the academic departments.

TheTextbook Adoption Policy (University Policy Manual, section 07.023) guides faculty members in the adoption of instructional materials for classroom use.

(8.6) Auditing Class Rolls

Instructions for Auditing Class Rolls can be found through the Eagle Student Services Center website at the link above.

(8.7) Incompletes and Incomplete Grade Contracts

A grade of incomplete may be assigned only if 75% of the coursework has been completed and the student is passing the course. Students must initiate the process by first completing the Incomplete Grade Contract Form. The course instructor must sign the form and provide information that outlines the work must be completed.

Incompletes in an undergraduate course will default to an “F” after one year if the instructor does not designate a different grade.

Incompletes in a graduate course will not change to “F” within one year, but if the instructor waits more than one semester to change the grade, the instructor must provide documentation to the graduate school justifying the delay.

For both graduate and undergraduate courses, it is necessary to record on the Incomplete Grade Contract Form what is required to change an “I” to a grade. The details are necessary in the event the instructor is not on campus when the student completes the work, since the Division Chair will be responsible for completing the process in that event. The Division Chairs will need to ensure that sufficient information concerning what is required to complete the semester’s work for a grade is recorded on the contract form. Teaching Fellows must consult with the Division Chair before giving an “I.”

(8.8) Ensemble Tour and Travel Policy

I. Purpose

The ensembles of the College of Music represent the quality and scope of the institution’s programs and students in a most dramatic and impressive way. Appearances by these ensembles before audiences of educators, potential students, and others of influence for our profession is one of the best and most convincing ways to demonstrate the excellence of our programs. The increased visibility resulting from such performances is essential to enhancing our reputation for innovation and excellence, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The College also considers the educational value of the experience of tour performance to be very great and an important justification for off-campus ensemble travel. It shall be the goal of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles to promote and support the widest range of performance activities by college ensembles which effectively serves these objectives.

II. Coordination of Performances, Travel Requests, and Field Trips

Just as there is a need for coordinating and scheduling on-campus performances, there is a parallel need for coordinating and scheduling off-campus performances, tours, and fieldtrips by College of Music sanctioned ensembles and classes so as to avoid potential conflicts due to (1) overlapping of student personnel and (2) de- mands on financial resources.

A. It will be the responsibility of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles to oversee the master calendar of off-campus performances, tours, and field trips, which will be maintained by the College of Music Scheduling Office.

All ensembles planning to travel will schedule their travel with the Division of Conducting and Ensembles through their Division Chair.

B. When an ensemble is applying for appearance at major national or regional conferences, the director of the ensemble should also notify the Division of Conducting and Ensembles of their intent to apply.

C. All requests for travel funds should be received by April 1 for review by the Conducting and Ensembles scheduling committee that will make recommendations to the College of Music Division Chairs for the allocation of travel funds.

D. The Conducting and Ensembles scheduling committee will consist of the members of the Conducting and Ensembles division with the addition of two ensemble directors from outside the division.

III. Travel Criteria

In assessing the relative importance of any proposed travel, the Conducting and Ensembles scheduling committee will consider the following factors:

• The performance venue and its potential for providing the College of Music with positive visibility;
• The audience(s) who will attend performances and their potential for positive influence on the music profession;
• The potential to attract new students to the College of Music through performances;
• Other potential for advancing the interests of the College of Music through performances.

IV. Funding

A. Performing groups that are representing the College of Music with performances at major national or regional conferences, and were selected through a competitive application process, may seek funding in-full from College of Music travel funds, including the standard per diem for meals as established through State of Texas travel policies. The actual allocation will be contingent upon the availability of funds for ensemble travel and the number of other funding commitments.

B. Travel by performing groups representing the College of Music at other events shall receive a secondary priority in the allocation of available travel funds. Funds designated to offset travel of this nature should be applied to travel costs, accommodations, and meal per diem, in that order. Additional funding support for secondary travel may be applied from external resources to offset these costs, at the discretion of the director. Student participants may be expected to bear the additional costs for such travel. Every effort must be made by the director and the College of Music to ensure that no student participant is excluded from travel due to a demonstrated inability to pay the supplemental costs.

Travel for performances that are related primarily to development efforts by the College of Music or the University should be supported from funds generated by those development events or from development sources.

(8.9) Student Absences

Approved Absences for Groups and Ensembles

All travel by students off campus for the purpose of participation in music ensembles, exhibitions, conventions, and field trips must be authorized by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The faculty sponsor must complete an Authorized Class Absence Form attaching an absence list. The forms should be approved by the Division Chair and sent to the Assistant to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in advance of the travel date. The forms are not distributed to the entire music faculty. However, as a courtesy to the faculty, the faculty sponsor should send a group list to the faculty with as much advanced notice as possible. The faculty sponsor should also require students to notify their teachers in advance.

After the trip has been completed, sponsors must report to the Dean of Students all students listed who did not make the trip. After returning from each trip, students should bring their ID cards to the office of the Dean of Students (University Union, Suite 320) to obtain authorized absence cards which must be presented to instructors of classes missed.

For further information regarding authorized class absences, please visit the Dean of Students website.

Absences for Professional Reasons, Individual Students

NOTE: This policy statement is not intended to apply to absences from large ensembles for professional reasons. These instances are governed by policies set forth in the course syllabus.

1. A student who must be absent from a class for verified professional reasons is entitled to be excused from any punitive action (such as penalization of grade) for non-attendance;

2. The student may be held responsible for any material presented in any class for which there is a professional excuse;

3. Any assignments due during the time of absence must be turned in either in advance or at a time after return designated by the instructor;

4. If a test is scheduled during an excused absence, the student is entitled to a make- up examination to be administered at the convenience of the instructor;

5. The student must notify the instructor of an anticipated absence in advance of class and establish any make-up examination or assignment dates, if appropriate.

Verification of the absence shall consist of a letter of explanation signed and dated by the sponsoring professor and the division chair, a copy of which shall be given the instructor.

(8.10) Student Travel Funding

There are three primary sources of funding available to students needing help with the expense of travel for performances, competitions, and conferences. Complete funding of all travel expenses cannot be guaranteed. For all funding from areas or the College, a Student Travel/Performance Scholarship Request form must be completed so that the expenditure can be accurate.

Toulouse Graduate School Travel Funding

The Graduate School offers a limited number of competitive awards to selected graduate students who are in good academic standing. All applications must be completed before the deadline to be considered for a travel grant award. Information and instructions can be found on the Toulouse Graduate School website.

College of Music Travel Funding

(8.11) Course Safety

The instructor must report to the Division Chair, and the chair in turn must report to the Associate Dean for Operations, any course that has safety issues of any sort, identifying what safety procedures are in place. This information must also be included in course syllabus.

(8.12) Prevention of Hearing Loss

Because as many as 50% of musicians have problems with hearing loss, the College of Music provides information to students about the resources available to them to help monitor and protect their hearing. This information is provided to students through their major ensembles and other avenues as appropriate in order to reach as many students as possible.

See the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health website for more information.
 

(8.13) Students with Disabilities

In accordance with university policies and state and federal regulations, the university is committed to full academic access for all qualified students, including those with disabilities. To this end, all academic units are willing to make reasonable and appropriate adjustments to the classroom environment and the teaching, testing, or learning methodologies in order to facilitate equality of educational access for persons with disabilities.

Disability Accommodation for Students and Academic Units (UNT Policy Manual, section 16.001)

A student seeking accommodation for a disability should follow the steps provided on the Office of Disability Access website.

(8.14) Final Examinations

Faculty members are expected to administer final examinations at the designated times during the exam week of each long semester and during the specified day of each summer term. Any deviation from the published schedule of final examinations must be approved in advance by the appropriate academic dean. Students who have as many as three final examinations scheduled on one day may appeal to their academic dean to reschedule one of those examinations on another day during the final examination period. (University Policy Manual, Pre-Finals Days, Reading Day, and Final Examinations , section 06.031)

(8.15) Changing Teacher/Major Professor

This statement is intended to address faculty and student responsibilities with regard to working relationships in major or concentration applied lessons, composition major study, and graduate thesis direction.

The College of Music recognizes the individual rights of all students to act independently in the pursuit of knowledge and to seek varying points of view. Students have the right to change teachers for the types of study listed above, but should follow the recommended procedure:

1. The present teacher should be notified in a timely fashion, no later than the final day of the semester before the change is to occur. A student may notify his/her teacher solely in writing, if desired;

2. The faculty member requested by the student is asked to wait until this notification has taken place before promising acceptance. It is understood that students shall suffer no negative repercussions as a result of changing teachers;

3. Faculty members are expected to respect extant major-professor relationships and thus are not permitted to solicit a student directly or through any other person for the purpose of influencing a change of major professor.

The relationship between teacher and student should be established, maintained, and terminated in a professional manner. Faculty members should respect the personal integrity and privacy of students at all times, while recognizing their responsibility to promote principles of ethical and professional conduct throughout the College of Music community.

(8.16) Reporting Grades

Grade Reporting is a function of the Records area of the Registrar’s Office. The Records area coordinates the processing of all grades and their subsequent permanent storage and upkeep. The process of Grade Reporting occurs at the end of each semester and is as follows:

• All faculty are notified of Faculty Grade Roster availability one week prior to final exams with detailed instructions on how and when to submit student grades electronically via my.unt.edu. Instructions for submitting student grades electronically can be found at http://essc.unt.edu/eis/faculty.htm . The Records area of the Registrar’s Office coordinates the finalization of final grades submitted electronically by faculty. The deadline for submission of grades is usually the first working day after graduation.
• The Records area coordinates the finalization of final grades submitted electronically by faculty. The deadline for submission of grades is usually the first working day after graduation.
• Final Grades are usually approved two working days after graduation. After grades have been finalized, a student may access grades at My UNT.

(8.17) Academic Integrity

As a student-centered public research university, the University of North Texas promotes the integrity of the learning process by establishing and enforcing academic standards. The policy on Student Academic Integrity (University Policy Manual, section 06.003) is based on educational principles and procedures that protect the rights of all participants in the educational process and validate the legitimacy of degrees awarded by the University. The Student Academic Integrity policy applies to current and continuing students of the University.

(8.18) Student Privacy Rights

FERPA

The University is required to follow the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”), as amended. The purpose of FERPA is to afford certain rights to students concerning their educational records. In essence, FERPA grants students the right to inspect and review their educational records, to seek to have their records amended and to have limited control over the disclosure of information contained in the records. See the FERPA policy (University Policy Manual, section 07.018) for further details.

University Privacy Policy

It is the policy of the University to inform individuals about information it collects about them unless the information may be withheld pursuant to state or federal law and to provide individuals the opportunity to correct information about them in the University’s possession. The Privacy Policy (University Policy Manual, section 14.009) provides guidance for notifying individuals of their right to be informed, to obtain and to correct information collected about them.

(8.19) Grade Appeals

The University of North Texas has established the Grade Appeals policy (University Policy Manual, section 06.040) in order to assist students and faculty in resolving issues that arise when a student feels an awarded grade was done so inequitably.

(8.20) Special Problems Courses

Special Problems Courses are arranged with individual professors and may consist of individual projects in writing or performance, group projects in performance, or special seminars to pursue a particular topic. Final approval will be based on availability of regularly scheduled courses, feasibility of the project, appropriate semester hour credit, and instructor load.

The procedures students must follow and the forms for both undergraduate and graduate students are below:

Undergraduate Individual Special Problems Course Procedures and Form

Graduate Individual Special Problems Course Procedures and Form