Sophomore Review Policy

Approved 4-18-2016

The purposes of a sophomore review are as follows:

• to provide students with a standard against which to measure themselves and their training as appropriate to anticipated careers in music and/or continuation in a music major
• to enable programmatic faculty to observe students in a formal setting in order to evaluate student potential for successful completion of a music degree program
• to provide students with a specifically defined set of competencies and expectations to be demonstrated at the conclusion of the lower division undergraduate educational experience
• to assess the effectiveness of the music faculty and the music curriculum in enabling students to develop defined skills and competencies appropriate to the lower division undergraduate experience in music
• to examine the ability of students to make connections among the music subdisciplines of theory, history, and performance
• to assess the effectiveness of the music faculty and the music curriculum in enabling students to make connections among the sub-disciplines of theory, history, and performance

Music majors wishing to advance to junior level (upper division) standing must stand for and complete successfully ALL PARTS of the Sophomore Review. To be eligible for consideration for review, students must have a minimum music GPA of 2.5 and credit hours sufficient for advancement to junior standing. The Sophomore Review will include:

1. an applied music performance jury consisting of
1. a six-(6) to seven-(7) minute performance of repertoire demonstrating the defined competencies appropriate to advancement to upper division status,
2. a performance of scales and arpeggios in a format appropriate to the performance medium (instrumental only), and
3. sight-reading (instrumental only)
2. a series of questions concerning the performed repertoire and basic performance pedagogy and practice to be answered in oral or written format,
3. an assessment of student progress to date as recorded in the permanent record, and an interview with a committee of Area Coordinators.
4. an interview with the Sophomore Review Committee consisting of: The Department Chair, the student's applied instructor and selected faculty. The Sophomore Review will be scheduled during the latter part of the week of final examinations.

Results of 1) and 2) above will be forwarded to the Department Chair and will be reviewed along with 3) and 4) above. The Sophomore Review Committee will determine the advancement of students to junior standing. The department chair, on behalf of the committee, will notify all students in writing of the committee's decision. Students not approved for advancement to junior standing may petition the Music Department Chair in writing for subsequent review the following semester. Students requesting subsequent review have the option to re-enroll in lower division courses according to the stipulations contained in the current University Bulletin.

NOTE: Transfer students who expect to begin at junior-level standing must be examined, by special arrangement, before their initial enrollment at Southeast Missouri State University. Those denied junior standing may petition the Music Chair in writing for subsequent review.