Student Handbook

Rules of Governance

Approved by Graduate Council - 12/16/99

The Ph.D.-D.M.A. Programs in Music are administered by an Executive Officer (appointed by the President of the GC) and three Deputy Executive Officers, one each for the concentrations in Theory/Analysis, Composition (Ph.D. and D.M.A.), and D.M.A.-Performance (appointed by the Executive Officer and approved by the Provost).

The program maintains six standing committees:

I. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The committee consists of: (a) elected faculty members (one from the GC and one from each of the CUNY campuses that have five or more members on the Doctoral Faculty); they are elected by the entire Doctoral Faculty, each member of which may vote for a representative from each campus; (b) six elected student members, elected by the students only; and (c) four ex-officio members: the Executive Officer and the three Deputy Executive Officers. All members of the committee, elected and ex officio, may vote. The committee is chaired by the Executive Officer and meets at least once each semester.

II. CURRICULUM AND EXAMINATIONS COMMITTEE: This committee consists of nine faculty members appointed by the Executive Officer (with the aim of achieving a balance across the concentrations) and one student member elected by the students. The Executive Officer, who serves on the committee ex officio, may or may not act as chair. Each member of the committee may vote.

This committee is responsible for curricular matters and examinations pertaining both to the four concentrations in the Ph.D. Program (musicology, theory/analysis, ethnomusicology, and composition) and to the D.M.A. Program in Composition. Its recommendations must be submitted to the Executive Committee. Although the student member participates fully in matters concerning curriculum, he/she does not take part in the examination process. The committee meets formally at least once each semester.

III. DMA-PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE: This committee is the D.M.A.-Performance counterpart of the Curriculum and Examination Committee. It consists of six faculty members* appointed by the D.M.A.-Performance Deputy Executive Officer and one student member elected by the students. The Deputy Executive Officer of the D.M.A.-Performance Program serves as chair. Its recommendations must be submitted to the Executive Committee. Each member of the committee may vote. Although the student members participates fully in matters concerning curriculum, he/she does not take part in the examination process. The committee meets formally at least once each semester.

** The six appointed faculty members are drawn from the four CUNY campuses that maintain strong performance faculties of their own in the following manner: two members each from Brooklyn and Queens, one member each from City and Hunter.

IV. FACULTY MEMBERSHIP/RESEARCH COMMITTEE: This committee, which nominates (for approval by the Executive Committee) new members of the Doctoral Faculty and reviews dissertation proposals, consists of five faculty members (one of whom must be the Deputy Executive Officer of the DMA-Performance Program) appointed by the Executive Officer and one student member - who shall already have submitted and had approved his/her dissertation proposal - to be elected by the students; the Executive Officer serves ex officio. The committee chair is designated by the Executive Officer. All members may vote.

V. ADMISSIONS/FINANCIAL-AID COMMITTEE: There are two separate Admissions Committees, which come together at the point at which decisions are made concerning financial aid.

(A) PhD and DMA-Composition: The committee consists of four faculty members -- one each from the concentrations in musicology, theory/analysis, ethnomusicology, and composition -- appointed by the Executive Officer; at least one student, elected by the students; and the Executive Officer who serves ex officio. The faculty member from composition is the Deputy Executive Officer for Composition, who also heads the ad hoc group of members of the composition faculty who review (prior to the main selection process) the compositions submitted by applicants to that concentration. The committee is chaired by one of the appointed members. All members may vote.

(B) DMA-Performance: The committee consists of an unspecified number of faculty members appointed by the Deputy Executive Officer of the D.M.A.-Performance Program, who chairs the committee. Both the number and the selection of the committee members depends upon the needs (instruments and voice) of any given round of auditions. The written examinations that follow are reviewed by members of the D.M.A.-Performance Committee.

(C) Financial Aid: After the selection process is completed, the chairs of the two committees come together with the Executive Officer and the other Deputy Executive Officers in order to consider -- guided by the recommendations of the two admissions committees -- decisions concerning financial aid.

VI. ELECTION COMMITTEE: This committee, which conducts elections of (a) faculty and students to the Executive Committee, (b) students to other standing committees, and (c) faculty and student representatives to the Graduate Council, consists of three faculty members and three student members, all of whom are appointed by the Executive Officer.