Faculty/Staff Handbook

This handbook includes information regarding the policies and procedures for the faculty and staff of the Baylor University School of Music. The provisions of this handbook do not constitute a contract, express or implied, between Baylor University, the School of Music, and any faculty or staff member. Baylor University and the School of Music reserve the right to amend the policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and/or information included in this handbook at any time. Changes will become effective at the discretion of school and/or University administration, and will apply to all faculty and staff.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction & General Information

Return to Table of Contents

1.1 About the School of Music

The School of Music at Baylor University was established in 1921 and has grown to a current undergraduate and graduate enrollment of approximately 375 students pursuing degrees in music. The School of Music employs approximately 60 full-time faculty members and is housed within five facilities around the 1,000-acre Baylor University campus.

Bachelor of Music Degrees

Bachelor of Music Education Degree

Choral Music
Instrumental Music

The Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Music (Applied Studies, Academic Studies, and Church Music) is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Secondary Majors for non-music majors are offered in the areas of Instrumental, Keyboard, and Vocal Performance.

Undergraduate Certificates (available to both majors and non-majors)

Orchestral Conducting
Jazz Studies

Master of Music Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music

Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music

Advanced Performers Certificate in Piano or Organ

1.2 School of Music Facilities

Waco Hall

This historical facility houses the administrative offices of the School of Music, the Keyboard Division, the Academic Division, the Music Education Division, and the Vocal Division. Within the Waco Hall Complex, the facility is home to the 2,500-seat Waco Hall Auditorium, also home to the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the 500-seat Roxy Grove Hall, and the 120-seat Recital Hall II.

The Roxy Grove Wing houses the administrative offices of the School of Music, the piano faculty studios, the piano technical shop, and storage facilities for the School of Music. The Waco Hall East Wing houses academic, education, voice faculty offices and studios, academic classrooms, as well as the choral division rehearsal hall and choral music library.

The Piano Pedagogy Wing includes space for the Piano Laboratory Program, teaching studios for graduate students, academic classrooms, and is home to the O’Neal Collection of piano pedagogy materials.

McCary Music Building

The Glennis McCrary Music Building is home to the 1,000-seat Mary Gibbs Jones Concert Hall, which houses the McLane Organ, the 200-seat Meadows Lecture & Recital Hall, the Markham Organ Studio & Recital Hall, and the Hearn Recording Studio. The building includes practice and rehearsal spaces of various sizes for individual practice to larger ensemble rehearsals, as well as studio and office spaces for the ensemble faculty, instrumental and organ faculty, as well as music libraries for multiple disciplines.

Opera Black Box Theater

The Black Box is located across from the McCrary Music Building and behind the Lewis Art Building. Home to the Baylor Opera Theatre Program, the Black Box Theater consists of a rehearsal studio, costume and scenic shops, and prop storage.

Harris House

Home to the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies, the Harris House facility houses faculty and staff offices of the Baylor Church Music Division. The facility includes designated space for Doctoral research and discussions, as well as workspace for students of all levels.

Wiethorn Building

The Wiethorn Building is located adjacent to the McCrary Music Building and Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Building. The facility is a shared space between the School of Music and the Baylor Theater Arts programs, primarily used for classroom and lecture space, masterclasses, and as an additional rehearsal space.

1.3 Academic Calendars

The School of Music follows the Baylor University Academic Calendars:

1.4 Leadership/Staff Directory

Leadership/Staff Directory

1.5 Faculty Directory

Faculty Directory

1.6 Important Contact Information / References

coming soon

1.7 Research Development Grant Writing Support

Research Development support for grants includes:

Finding Grant Funding: Baylor-curated funding lists, Baylor subscribed funding search engines (Pivot and GrantForward) with training videos, Internal funding, and a Limited Submission Policy.
Baylor Grant Toolkits: Planners, Shells, Templates, and Guides.
Early Career Faculty Resources for Grants: NSF CAREER, NIH K01, and other grants.
Grant Writing Training: In-person grant workshops (see below), previous grant workshops (PowerPoint or PowerPoint with Video), and two books: Baylor Grant Writing Handbook and New Faculty Guide to Competing for Research Funding.
Broader Impacts: led by Research Development Broader Impacts Specialist Sherry_DeHay@baylor.edu.
Large/Collaborative grant support: our newest initiative is helping to support and coordinate grant projects involving several PIs or different departments.

2. Academic Procedures And Policies

Return to Table of Contents

2.1 Attendance Policy

School of Music policy requires that to earn credit for a course, a student must be officially enrolled by the end of the second full week of the term and attend at least 75% of all class meetings. Faculty members may establish additional attendance requirements as they deem necessary and outlined in their course syllabus. Any student who is not present for at least 75% of the scheduled class meetings for any course will automatically receive a grade of “F” for the course. Any University-related activity necessitating an absence from class will count as an absence when determining whether a student has attended the required 75% of class meetings.

2.2 Course Repetition/Academic Forgiveness Policy

Undergraduate Course Repeat Policy | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

School of Music Policy

Students currently seeking a music degree (BM, BME, BA Music) may not repeat a course in the Music Core course work in their major after receiving a grade of “F” in that course for the second time.

Baylor University Policy

A student may repeat a course for which his or her highest earned grade is a “C-” or below. A student may also repeat a course, when approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, for which he or she needs to earn a higher grade in order to fulfill a prerequisite for a course requirement for a degree, major, or minor. (A student is encouraged to review degree/major/minor requirements for policies governing minimum grades needed in those areas.)

A student will have a maximum of three attempts for any one course. A course that has received a grade or a “W” notation is considered an attempt.

Courses attempted at Baylor University, which includes courses for which a student received a “W” notation, may not be repeated at another institution for transfer to Baylor University. All grades earned at Baylor University will be calculated in the term and cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Academic Forgiveness

A student may request to have the first grade earned (not a “W” notation) from a repeated course excluded from the calculation of their grade point average (GPA) for a maximum of three courses during their undergraduate career, where the original grade earned was a “C-” or below. If a student attempts a course a third time and Academic Forgiveness is applied, then all grades except the first will be used to calculate the grade point average (GPA). Once applied to a particular course, Academic Forgiveness cannot be cancelled or removed and may not be appealed.

2.3 Academic Integrity

Plagiarism or any form of cheating involves a breach of student-teacher trust. This means that any work submitted under your name is expected to be your own, neither composed by anyone else as a whole or in part, nor handed over to another person for complete or partial revision. Be sure to document all ideas that are not your own. In addition, you must not provide course materials to other students, whether individually or generally (such as online) that would enable them to gain an unfair academic advantage. Instances of plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Honor Council and may result in failure of the course. Not understanding plagiarism is not an excuse. We expect you, as a Baylor student, to be intimately familiar with the Honor Code at:

Office of Academic Integrity | Baylor University

2.4 Use of Artificial Intelligence (Information for Faculty)

See Use of Artificial Intelligence in the School of Music Undergraduate Handbook.

Recommended Statements

Example A (Intended to convey “Do not use AI in this course”)

All assignments should be your original work and should not be produced in part or in total with the assistance of artificial intelligence (for example, ChatGPT, Grammarly, or some other resource). Use of artificial intelligence without my explicit permission constitutes a violation of the Honor Code at Baylor University.

Option B (Intended to convey “This course will likely not use AI”)

Unless I instruct you otherwise, all assignments should be your original work and should not be produced in part or in total with the assistance of artificial intelligence (for example, ChatGPT, Grammarly, or some other resource). Use of artificial intelligence without explicit permission from the instructor constitutes a violation of the Honor Code at Baylor University. I [may or will] at times use artificial intelligence tools for instruction or allow or expect you to use them to complete your assignments, but in these instances I will provide clear permission and guidance for their proper use.

Option C (Intended to convey “Expect guidance on how to use AI in this course”)

The use of artificial intelligence (for example, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Midjourney, or some other resource) is generally acceptable in this course. However, you will ordinarily need to provide information about the tool(s) and the specific nature of your use of the tools so as to inform those who are [reading/seeing/hearing/observing] the work about content contributed by the tools, as well as to make clear the nature and extent of your own contribution to assignments. I will be clarifying the requirements for this documentation for each of your assignments, and, as is the case for more traditional documentation such as footnoting, failure to observe these requirements could constitute a violation of the Honor Code at Baylor University.

2.5 Students Needing Accommodations

Any student who needs academic accommodations related to a documented disability should inform their professor immediately at the beginning of the semester. The professor will be able to obtain appropriate documentation and information regarding a student’s accommodations from the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA). Any additional assistance regarding accommodations is available on the first floor of Sid Richardson Hall, East Wing in the Paul L. Foster Success Center or call (254) 710-3605 or email OALA@baylor.edu.

2.6 FERPA (Information for Faculty)

The Family Education and Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the disclosure of student records and information. FERPA provides that student records other than published directory information must remain private and confidential. Student non-directory information which this law protects includes class grades and grade point averages; social security numbers; disciplinary records; parent or guardian’s name, address, and phone numbers; class schedules; and health records. However, this law does permit the disclosure, without the consent of the student involved, of confidential student information to faculty members with legitimate educational interests.

A student may consent to allowing specific information to be shared with specific individuals on a specific date. In this case a student must sign a FERPA consent form, which is available in the Undergraduate Handbook on the School of Music website.

Faculty members are responsible for maintaining for at least three years all class grades and attendance records for students enrolled in their classes. Papers, examinations, and other class assignments which a student submits in a course and which are considered in determining a student’s grade must either be returned to the student or retained by the instructor for at least one full semester beyond the end of the semester in which the student took the course.

Faculty members who leave the University, should, prior to their departure, convey to their Division Director all student records from at least the previous three years. Outdated student records or papers should be shredded.

Faculty may access student FERPA information and consent here:

FERPA | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

2.7 Academic Notice, Suspension, and Reinstatement

Decisions regarding Academic Probation/Suspension in the School of Music are made by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

2.7.1 Academic Notice

At any time a student’s term and/or cumulative grade point average (GPA) is below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, the dean of the academic unit in which the student is enrolled will notify the student that he or she will be placed on academic notice during the next term. Any student with 30 or fewer hours who is placed on academic notice is required to develop and implement an academic improvement plan. Details will be specified in the academic notice letter from the student's academic dean. Any student on academic notice is required to obtain academic advisement before registering for the next term. If at the end of the probation term both the student's term GPA and cumulative GPA are 2.0 or above, the student will be removed from academic notice. However, if at the end of an academic notice term the student's term GPA is 2.0 or above, but the student's cumulative GPA is still below 2.0, the student will be continued on academic notice until the cumulative GPA also reaches at least a 2.0.

2.7.2 Academic Suspension

Once a student has served at least one term of academic notice, if the student's term GPA is ever below a 2.0 for a subsequent term, the student will be subject to academic suspension.

Any student who is subject to academic suspension will be informed in writing by the dean of the academic unit in which the student is enrolled that academic suspension appears to be appropriate. The letter will indicate that the student has five (5) business days from the date of the letter to provide the dean with relevant information (change of grade, verifiable medical condition, or other circumstances) that might affect the dean's decision. After reviewing the student's academic records and other relevant information supplied to the dean by the student, the dean will decide whether to place the student on academic suspension or to extend the student's period of academic notice. The dean will notify the student in writing of the decision. The period of suspension for a student who is placed on academic suspension for the first time is two enrollment terms (summer and fall or spring and summer). If a student is suspended at the end of the summer term, the suspension is fall only. The period of suspension for a student who is placed on academic suspension for a second time is three (3) subsequent enrollment terms (summer counts as one enrollment term). A student who is reinstated following his or her academic suspension is on academic notice and must meet the terms of academic notice to avoid another academic suspension or a dismissal.

2.7.3 Academic Reinstatement

Students must apply for reinstatement following academic suspension. The student must explain to the dean in writing his or her assessment of the reasons for the academic difficulties and how, if reinstated, he or she expects to change academic performance so as to raise the term and cumulative GPA to the required level. The dean may elect to grant the student's appeal or extend the academic suspension for an additional term.

2.8 Course Syllabi Policies/Recommended Statements

Every course offered in the School of Music, including Applied Music Courses, should have a current course syllabus made available to students no later than the first class meeting. Each syllabus should include course goals and objectives, student expectations, a thorough description of the grading policy, and the School of Music attendance policy. Also include any class meeting dates that will be affected by the faculty member’s preapproved absence, dates that the class requires the student to travel away from campus, or activities that may occur outside of the scheduled class meeting time.

Please be sure to include your attendance policy in your syllabus and ensure that it is consistent with the academic unit in which you are teaching. You may not hold students accountable for unpublished expectations for attendance and participation.

All faculty members delivering instruction in the School of Music will be required to submit a syllabus by the first day of class for each course taught to the Undergraduate Academic Programs Manager. Each syllabus must include a calendar that clearly lists all activities occurring outside of scheduled class time.

Course syllabi should be submitted via email to Pieter_DuPlooy@Baylor.edu . If you use one syllabus for multiple course numbers (e.g. an ensemble with undergraduate and graduate course numbers or an applied studio with multiple course numbers) please submit only one syllabus for all those course numbers and include a note of explanation in your email.

Requests to add class activities not listed on the syllabus must be submitted three weeks in advance of the date of the activity to be considered for approval. The request for approval form will include the class name/section, date of the activity, start and end times, and a brief justification. In order to submit a request, please visit https://www.baylor.edu/music/index.php?id=953245. You will also be able to find this form on the School of Music website, under the “For Faculty” link.

Faculty who fail to submit syllabi materials that include activities outside of scheduled class time and/or do not abide by the process outlined above will be unable to receive a rating of “Effective” or higher on faculty evaluations for that year.

Academic Success Statement

I believe every student who hasbeen admitted to Baylor can be successful, and I want to partner with you to help you thrive academically. Be sure to take advantage of the many resources available for academic success, including coming to see me during my office hours. Students who regularly utilize the great resources in the Paul L. Foster Success Center such as tutoring, Learning Lab, and Academic Mentoring are among my most successful students. If your academic performance in this class is substandard, I will submit an Academic Progress Report to the Success Center so that the team of coordinated care professionals can ensure that you get the help you need.

University Writing Center Statement

I encourage you to visit the University Writing Center (UWC) this semester and get feedback on your writing for this course. Located in Moody Library 2nd floor West, the UWC offers free assistance to you at any stage of the writing process (brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, revising, editing). In their feedback, the consultants focus on higher order concerns, such as content, thesis, evidence, and organization, before grammar or style. The UWC tutors will not proofread, edit, or write your paper for you, but they will equip you with a toolbox of strategies to improve your writing, research, and editing skills. Please take the assignment prompt, your paper/text, and other materials you might need with you to your appointment. Please include my name as the professor, and a report will automatically be sent to me after your session. Go to the website (www.baylor.edu/uwc) to schedule an appointment, call the UWC at (254) 710-4849, or stop by in person.

First Generation College Student Statement

Baylor University defines a first-generation college student as a student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree. The First in Line program is a support office for first-generation college students to utilize if they have any questions or concerns. Please check out First in Line, visit us in the Basement of Sid Richardson West Wing or email firstinline@baylor.edu. [If you are a first gen college student, you may wish to add:] I was also the first in my family to graduate with a four-year bachelor’s degree and can answer questions about experiences as a first-generation college student.

Military Connected Students Statement

Veterans, active-duty military personnel, and dependents are encouraged to connect with the VETS program, a space dedicated to supporting our military-connected students. Please communicate, in advance if possible, any special circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployment, drill requirements, disability accommodations).

Student Health Services Statement

Baylor University is strongly committed to addressing the physical wellbeing and mental health of students by providing access to on-campus healthcare resources. Baylor Health Services includes Primary Care, Psychiatry, Physical Therapy and Pharmacy and is staffed with fully certified and licensed physicians and nurse practitioners, as well as nurses and administrative staff. Appointments may be made by calling their main number or by logging into the health portal located on their website. Contact Information: (254) 710-1010; Health_Services@baylor.edu.

Telehealth Services for Students Statement

All Baylor students also have access to medical and counseling services via telehealth in addition to the on-campus services. Medical services include virtual urgent care, psychiatry, and nutrition counseling. Counseling services include 24/7/365 in-the-moment support and ongoing mental health counseling. Access to care is available in the evenings, during weekends, and when the University is closed. All services are free and unlimited to Baylor students. Please visit https://baylor.academiclivecare.com for more information.

Substance and Behavioral Addiction Statement

The Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center (BARC) supports students in recovery from substance and behavioral addictions through an all-encompassing level of support approach that includes one-on-one mentorship, support groups, and social events open to all Baylor students. Located in the East Village Residential Community (bottom floor of Teal Residential College). Contact Information: (254) 710-7092; BARC@baylor.edu

Baylor University Counseling Center Statement

The Counseling Center seeks to foster wholeness for every student through caring relationships, cultural humility and integrated mental health services.

Located on the second floor of the Student Life Center.

For an appointment, go to our website to schedule an Initial Assessment or call (254) 710-2467.

Facing Struggles as a Baylor Student Statement

The Department of CARE Team Services is a group of dedicated and caring case managers who work with students struggling with mental health issues, financial struggles, and anything else affecting a student’s ability to be successful in the classroom. You can find them on the second floor of the Student Life Center, suite 207. Contact Information: (254) 710-2100 ; CareTeam@baylor.edu.

Crises and Emergencies Statement

Please make a note of the following numbers for crises or emergencies:

Counseling Center Crisis Line: (254) 710-2467 (Business Hours/Non-Business Hours/Weekends)
Baylor Police Department: (254) 710-2222
MHMR Crisis Center: (254) 867-6550
MHMR 24-Hour Emergency/Crisis Number: (254) 752-3451

When home during academic breaks or when the counseling center is closed, please call your local resources and/or national hotlines:

National Hope Network Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

Food Insecurity for Students Statement

At Baylor, we want all students to have access to food resources that will support their holistic well-being and success. If you or someone you know experiences food insecurity at any time, you can find information on campus and community food resources by visiting The Store. You can also contact Store staff at (254) 710-4931. For additional basic needs assistance, please reach out to CASE or the Care Team.

Spiritual Wellbeing Statement

The Office of Spiritual Life offers programs, persons, and resources to nurture theological depth, spiritual wholeness, and missional living.

Located on the corner of 5th and Speight Street in the BoBo Spiritual Life Center.

Contact Information: (254) 710-3517; Spiritual_Life@baylor.edu

2.9 Recital Attendance Requirement for Students – MUS 1001

See Recital Attendance - MUS 1001 in the School of Music Undergraduate Student Handbook.

Faculty members are encouraged to support the recital attendance requirements as outlined in the syllabus and to help to maintain the integrity of the requirement.

2.10 Academic Progress Reports

An Academic Progress Report should be reported by a faculty member when a student is exhibiting academic behaviors such as low grades, missing tests or assignments, and/or irregular class attendance, which may lead to failure of a course. Academic Progress Reports may be issued after the sixth week of the semester.

Academic Progress Reports | Center for Academic Success and Engagement | Baylor University

2.11 Class Rolls/Course Enrollment Changes

Class Roll

Every School of Music faculty member is responsible for checking his or her class rolls for accuracy. On the 12^th class day, the official University “census” day, every faculty member should check the class roll for every class he or she is teaching. Any student who is attending class but who is not officially enrolled should not be allowed to attend class and should be directed to the Registrar’s Office in Robinson Tower to complete enrollment. If there is any student who is enrolled but has not attended class, that information should be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Baylor University || ClassRoll

Course Enrollment Changes

Students can add a course to their schedule or drop a course from their schedule on their BearWeb accounts through the fifth class day of the semester. After that time, all registration changes must be made in person in the Registrar’s Office. A fee will be charged to the student for making a change in his or her schedule beginning with the 6^th class day.

Days missed from class prior to the time the student is officially enrolled should be considered as absences.
After the 12^th class day of the semester, students must have their advisor’s signature in order to drop a class. The university has specific dates that determine the effect of the drop on the student's academic record. These dates are listed in the Academic Calendar for the specific term and can be found on the Events Calendar website. A class drop or University Withdrawal during the period of the 13th through the 50th class day results in a W being recorded for the class(es) on the student's record and appearing on the transcript. Retroactive drops will not be approved.

2.12 Course Scheduling

The listing of classes to be offered in a given term in the School of Music with instructors, class meeting days, times, and places is developed approximately one year prior to the specified term. Once the schedule is developed by the Division Directors, a draft schedule will be disseminated to the entire faculty.

Every faculty member should examine the draft schedule regarding his or her courses, and any additions, deletions, or changes should be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs by the announced deadline. It is very difficult to make changes to the schedule of classes after it is posted for student registration.

2.13 Course Inventory Management System (CIM) – Course Changes

The electronic course action system is used to develop new courses or to make changes to existing courses, such as deleting or archiving courses that are no longer being offered, changing the name of an existing course, changing the prerequisites for an existing course, etc. This system allows for a faculty member to request a course action. Then the system electronically routes the request through the series of reviews that are necessary for the proposed action to be officially adopted or rejected.

CIM Program Form (Faculty/Staff) | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

2.14 Office Hours

Pursuant to Baylor University Personnel Policy 701, full-time faculty members are expected to maintain approximately 12 regular office hours per week in order to be available to students for individual academic support and counseling and to provide office time for class preparation, grading, and completing reports which may be requested by various University offices.

Recommended Syllabus Statement

One of the best ways to take full advantage of learning in my course is by coming to my posted office hours. I look forward to guiding you in your academic pursuits. Take advantage of the hours listed or email me for an appointment.

2.15 Baylor University Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX

Except for Confidential Resources, all University Employees are designated Responsible Employees and thereby mandatory reporters of potential sexual and interpersonal misconduct violations. Confidential Resources who do not have to report include those working in the Counseling Center, Health Center and the University Chaplain, Dr. Burt Burleson.

Recommended Statement

Civil Rights Policy and Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy

Baylor University does not tolerate unlawful harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, race, color, disability, national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), citizenship, genetic information or the refusal to submit to a genetic test, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, Texas, or local law (collectively referred to as Protected Characteristics).

If you or someone you know would like help related to an experience involving:

Sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, intimate partner violence, or retaliation for reporting one of these types of prohibited conduct, please visit https://titleix.web.baylor.edu or contact us at (254) 710-8454, or TitleIX_Coordinator@baylor.edu.
Harassment (excluding those issues listed in #1) or adverse action based on Protected Characteristics, please visit www.baylor.edu/civilrights, or contact us at (254) 710-7100 or Civil_Rights@baylor.edu.

Optional Content:

The Office of Equity and Title IX understands the sensitive nature of these situations and can provide information about available on- and off-campusresources, such as counseling and psychological services, medical treatment, academic support, university housing, and other forms of assistance that may be available. Staff members at the office can also explain your rights and procedural options. You will not be required to share your experience.If you or someone you know feels unsafe or may be in imminentdanger, please call the Baylor Police Department (254-710-2222) or Waco Police Department (9-1-1) immediately.

2.16 Final Exams and Final Grade Submission

Exams & Grading | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

At the end of each semester, examinations are given in all subjects. Juries are held for all Applied Music Courses. No final examination should be given on other than the scheduled examination date. A student with three final examinations scheduled on the same day may appeal to one of the instructors or the appropriate dean who will reschedule an exam during the final examination period.

Final grades are submitted on-line by the instructor during the final grade submission period, which is announced by e-mail from the Registrar’s Office at the end of the term. Final grades may be submitted in three ways: through the instructor’s BearWeb account, through Canvas, or through ClassRoll. It is the instructor’s responsibility to submit a grade for every student enrolled in his or her courses before the announced deadline. A separate deadline is announced for grade submission for graduating seniors.

2.17 University Grading Policy & Resources

Grading Policies | Office of the Provost | Baylor University

Grading Resources (Faculty/Staff) | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

2.18 Grade Change Policy

Grade Change Policies | Office of the Registrar | Baylor University

2.19 Graduate Committee Guidelines

The graduate committee for most majors shall consist of at least three (3) faculty members. (Church Music, Conducting, Piano Pedagogy and Performance, and double majors require more; see the explanations below.) Typically, the committee will consist of two faculty members from the student’s principal or major area and one from another division of the School of Music. At least two (2) committee members must be members of the graduate faculty; preferably all three persons will be. The chair of the committee must be a member of the graduate faculty. For a list of graduate faculty, see the Graduate Handbook. For Performance majors, typically the student’s applied teacher serves as chair. For example, a viola performance major’s graduate committee would consist of the viola professor, another string faculty member, and a faculty member from another division (Music Education, Vocal Studies, Music Theory, Musicology, etc.). Additional members may be added to the committee at the request of the student or committee chair with the approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Double Majors: The committee for students who are double majors shall consist of at least four members of the graduate faculty, two from each of the student’s majors.

Church Music: Church Music requires three Church Music professors plus one other music professor who is not in Church Music.

Conducting: Conducting requires the participation of the Directors of Orchestral, Band, and Choral Activities, plus one other music professor who is not on the conducting faculty.

Piano Pedagogy and Performance: Piano Pedagogy and Performance requires the Piano Pedagogy professor, the student’s applied teacher, one other piano faculty member, plus one other music professor who is not in the Keyboard Division.

Oral Exam Committee: The student’s graduate committee plus a graduate faculty member from outside the School of Music administers the oral comprehensive examination. At the time the date of the final oral examination is established the student will select a graduate faculty member from outside the School of Music who will serve as the Graduate School representative at the examination. See the Graduate Catalog or check with the Administrative Associate for the School of Music’s Graduate Program for a list of graduate faculty members, or consult the Graduate School’s website: https://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id=959408

Membership of the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee will consist of five members of the graduate faculty, at least one of whom must be external to the School of Music. Upon approval of the prospectus, first and second readers will be assigned by the Graduate Program Director in consultation with the Church Music faculty. The readers will be chosen based on the unique scope and subject of the dissertation. The first reader will be from the Church Music faculty, while the second may be from outside the Church Music area.

Membership of the D.M.A. Graduate Committee

The D.M.A. committee will consist of at least five members of the graduate faculty. For the first recital, it will include the student’s applied teacher, another professor from the same division, and three Church Music faculty. For the second recital, accompanying document, and final oral examination, the committee must include a member of the graduate faculty external to the School of Music. Additional members may be added to the committee at the request of the student or committee chair with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Graduate Courses: Incompletes And Grade Changes

The grade of “I” (incomplete) may be given only where the completed portion of work in the course is of passing quality. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the course requirements and to see that the incomplete grade is removed from the record. All incompletes must be removed before the Oral Examination date can be established. A student may not graduate with an “I”.

incomplete on their transcript. The incomplete grade will change to an “F” when the student reaches their time limit for degree completion, is certified to graduate, or withdraws from the program. The only exception is dissertation (6V99) or thesis (5V99). The instructor of record for the course may require the student to complete the course and remove the incomplete at any time prior to the Graduate School deadline as stated above.

Changes to grades may be initiated by the instructor of the class and must be approved by the department chair and the dean of the Graduate School (with notification to the dean of the school in which the class was offered). Changes to grades may be initiated by an instructor when the original grade resulted from an error, the original grade was an Incomplete, or in cases where the student’s performance was affected by extenuating circumstances. Changes resulting from an error or extenuating circumstances may only be made within one calendar year of the original grade assignment and may not occur once a degree has been conferred or the student’s time limit has expired. Further, changes to Incomplete grades may be made only in compliance with Graduate School policies on Incompletes (see policies below).

Beyond changes to grades for reasons stated above, changes may occur when initiated by the Provost based on the finding of a violation of academic integrity or when a grade is successfully appealed through the appropriate process. The one-year time limit does not apply to these changes.

2.20 Graduate Courses: Incompletes and Grade Changes

Baylor Policy requires that incompletes be removed from the student’s transcript when the student graduates, withdraws from the program, or their time limit has expired, with the exception of dissertation (6V99) or thesis (5V99) hours. The Graduate School will administratively initiate the change of grade form to change the incomplete to an “F” if the instructor has not already submitted the change.

The instructor of record for the course may require the student to complete the course and remove the incomplete at any time prior to the Graduate School deadline as stated above. The instructor may not exceed the Graduate School deadline unless a formal extension to the student’s time limit has been petitioned and approved by both the Graduate Program Director in the student’s department and the Graduate School.

A student may be given an “I” in dissertation (6V99) and thesis (5V99) until the work is completed and successfully defended. Once completed and defended, the instructor of record will submit a change of grade changing the “I” to “CR” for semesters in which the student registered for dissertation (6V99) or thesis (5V99).

2.21 Graduate Faculty Status

The purpose of the School of Music at Baylor University is to provide academic and performance training of musicians at the highest possible levels. In order to achieve this goal, it is imperative for the School of Music to maintain a well-qualified and professionally active faculty. This is particularly critical for persons selected to serve on the Graduate Faculty of the School of Music.

The development of professional musicians calls for training in a variety of areas that can be summarized as three basic components: academic, performance (applied music), and music education. In the administrative structure of Baylor University, the academic area of the School of Music area includes the disciplines of church music, composition, musicology, and music theory. The performance area includes all keyboard, instrumental, and vocal studies, as well as conducting. Because of its unique mission and curriculum, music education is a stand-alone division.

While the Graduate Faculty members of the School of Music usually hold an appointment in one of these divisions, there may be a considerable amount of overlap in their responsibilities and work. For example, a professor holding an appointment in the academic division may also serve as the conductor of an ensemble or as a professional performer, while a faculty member in a performance area may teach a music theory class or write articles. Such overlap is common and, indeed, in many cases is expected. In the School of Music every musical activity is valued, whether it involves private or classroom instruction; performance; research, publication, and other forms of scholarship; and musical composition or lyric writing.

While holding all musical activity in high esteem, however, the nature of the individual professor’s appointment will usually dictate the bulk of their work. For example, a member of the academic division should be productive in the traditional scholarly world of research, writing, and conference presentation, though the composition of music or performance in significant venues must also be taken into account. Likewise, performance division faculty members should be active performers both inside and outside the university, but works of traditional scholarship will also be valued. The premium that is attached to each of these activities will, of course, depend upon the quality of the publication/performance/composition, the respect accorded to the venue in which it appears, and so on.

Another factor that must be taken into account for the School of Music Graduate Faculty is the matter of recruitment of graduate students. The School of Music follows the centuries-old tradition of training musicians through mentor/learner relationships, in which students often choose to attend a school in order to study with a particular applied teacher, who may have been recommended to them by a former or current teacher. Thus, the recruitment of quality graduate students is one measure of a professor’s standing in the musical and academic communities, and is a major activity of the School of Music faculty.

Finally, it should be noted that teaching loads in the School of Music are generally heavier than in most other areas of the university. In part, this results from the fact that much of the instruction in the School of Music is necessarily one-on-one or in small groups. For example, all the members of an English faculty—though each undoubtedly has an area of specialty— will generally be able (and will be called upon) to teach grammar and composition, and various levels of English, American or world literature. The viola instructor in the School of Music, on the other hand, will teach all the viola students; no other music faculty member can adequately teach these students because of the specialization required. By the same token, the viola teacher cannot be expected to teach the oboe students. The same principle generally applies even in the academic areas of the School of Music. For this reason, and others, music faculty members are often not given the same amount of release time for research and creative activity as other academic units in the university.

The Purpose of Graduate Faculty Status in the School of Music

Graduate Faculty status is required for three principal activities in the School of Music. The first is the ability to chair or sit on final oral examinations for Master of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts and PhD students. Current policy requires that the chair of the oral exam be a member of the Graduate Faculty, and that there be at least one other member of the Graduate Faculty on the examining committee (in addition, there must be a non-music Graduate Faculty member on the examining committee). Non-Graduate Faculty persons may serve on the oral exam committee—and, indeed, in some cases they must be on the committee if they are the principal applied teacher for the student—but there must be at least two members of the Graduate Faculty from the School of Music on the committee.

The second area is the supervision of master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. Only members of the Graduate Faculty are allowed to serve as a dissertation or thesis supervisor. Non-Graduate Faculty members who have specialized knowledge of the thesis subject may serve on dissertation and thesis committees, but the supervisor and at least one other committee member must be on the Graduate Faculty.

The third area is service on recital committees. Each graduate student’s recital committee must include at least two members of the Graduate Faculty. Non-Graduate Faculty members may serve on the recital committee—particularly if they are the student’s principal applied teacher—but there must be at least two members of the Graduate Faculty from the School of Music on the committee.

The School of Music does not require that graduate courses be taught only by Graduate Faculty members. This is particularly the case for faculty members who teach in the applied areas.

Qualifications for Graduate Faculty Status in the School of Music

The following are the general criteria by which the suitability of candidates for Graduate

Faculty status in the School of Music are evaluated.

Because of the nature of the profession, performances at colleges/universities usually come about by invitation rather than through application. However, the invitation illustrates the regard in which the performer is held. As in the case with persons in the academic area, there is no set number of performances, auditions, publications, etc., but the general expectation is that the applicant will have at least two to three activities in significant venues before being added to the Graduate Faculty.

It will be the responsibility of the Graduate Program Director, the chair of the division within which the applicant operates, and the majority of the Graduate Faculty of the School of Music to determine and interpret what constitutes a significant publication or performance venue for the faculty member in question.

Procedures for Adding an Applicant to the Graduate Faculty

The following procedures will be followed in recommending and accepting a person to the Graduate Faculty of the School of Music.

The chair of the division in which the applicant teaches will initiate the procedure by recommending in writing to the Graduate Program Director that the person be added to the Graduate Faculty and providing the reason(s) for this recommendation.
If the Graduate Program Director concurs with the recommendation of the Division Chair, the Graduate Program Director will request a curriculum vitae from the faculty member. The c.v. will detail the candidate’s qualifications in terms of teaching and scholarship/performance.
Once the c.v. has been obtained, the Graduate Program Director will make it and the Chair’s letter of nomination available to the Graduate Faculty in the School of Music.
The SOM Graduate Faculty will be asked to review the documents and vote in support of (or objection to) the addition of the candidate to the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Program Director will tally the votes, which are otherwise kept in confidence. Once a majority of the Graduate Faculty has voted for approval, the documents will be forwarded to the Graduate School for final confirmation. Currently, the documents and the approval/objection ballot are distributed electronically.

Causes and Procedures for Removal from the Graduate Faculty

On occasion, it may prove necessary to remove a person from the Graduate Faculty. Apart from obvious reasons such as leaving the university, retirement, or death, a Graduate Faculty member may be removed for non-performance of Graduate Faculty duties or failure to maintain expected levels of scholarship/performance.

Failure to perform Graduate Faculty duties in the School of Music would principally mean consistently missing or refusing to serve upon oral exam, thesis, or recital committees.

It is expected that each member of the School of Music Graduate Faculty will maintain an active life as a researcher or performer. While definitions of “active” will vary, it certainly should be expected that a member of the Graduate Faculty would publish at least one significant article or give two significant performances (or participate in equivalent scholarly/creative activities) in the span of five years.

When it becomes necessary to revoke Graduate Faculty status, the procedure may be initiated either by the appropriate Division Chair or the Graduate Program Director in the School of Music. The two will consult with one another, and should they be in agreement, they will approach the faculty member involved, who may then provide documentation of activities that may not have been noted or justification for continued presence on the Graduate Faculty. If these explanations are deemed unacceptable by the Division Chair and Graduate Program Director, the latter will fill out the Graduate School’s “Removal from Graduate Faculty” form.

It should be noted that in certain cases it is unreasonable to expect that a Graduate Faculty member can maintain what is described above as the minimum expectation in scholarship/performance. An example is a voice teacher. Once singers reach a certain age, their physical instrument begins to decline to a point at which they can and should no longer perform. Yet, these people have a wealth of experience that can be invaluable to graduate students. In such cases, the Graduate Program Director and Division Chair may agree that the person should continue to serve on the Graduate Faculty despite the lack of scholarly/creative production.

2.22 Graduate Oral Exams

Each Master of Music student must take a comprehensive oral examination in his or her final semester. The purpose of the comprehensive oral examination is to ensure that graduates can speak intelligently and articulately about many aspects of music, relate information from different areas of music, and demonstrate comprehensive knowledge about his or her major field of study.

For students whose degree programs require a thesis or a final research project, the oral exam will include, but will not be limited to, a defense of the thesis or project. All committee members will receive a copy of the document at least a week prior to the exam. The committee may request that revisions be made to the document before the final copy is submitted.

Preparation for the Exam

All students should be prepared to answer questions concerning musical repertoire, music history, music theory, and pedagogical and philosophical issues, particularly how these areas intersect with his/her area of specialization. In order to be successful in the exam, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge:

Basic facts of music history—period names and their dates, significant composers, major forms, important works, and more in-depth information about the period covered by their music history seminar
General music theory—melodic/rhythmic/chordal/structural analysis and contemporary analytical techniques
In-depth information about their major area—e.g., repertory, pedagogy, and technique for Performance and Conducting majors; philosophy, choral and vocal repertory, worship studies for Church Music majors; deeper knowledge of Musicology, Music Theory, or Composition, for majors in those areas. Conducting majors may also be asked to assess and/or identify scores.

Assessment

The exam is Pass/Fail. Exceptionally strong exams may be awarded the honor of Pass With Distinction.

If a candidate fails the oral examination, a second examination may be taken contingent upon the approval of the graduate committee, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. No reexamination may be conducted until at least four months has elapsed. The student must be registered for at least one hour of graduate credit during the term that s/he retakes the exam and must reapply for graduation. After two failures, no further examination is permitted.

All candidates for a doctoral degree must pass a final oral examination. For Ph.D. students, this will include a defense of the dissertation; for D.M.A. students it will include a defense of the performance document. Additionally, the comprehensive oral examination assesses a student’s overall knowledge of and ability to speak intelligently and articulately about many aspects of music, particularly as it relates to his/her research area or performance specialty.

The final examination will not be administered until after all the student’s dissertation or degree recital and performance document requirements have been fulfilled.

Scheduling the Exam

The oral exam will not be administered until after all the student’s degree recitals and/or thesis have been completed. All incompletes must be removed and all deficiencies completed before an oral examination can be scheduled.

It is the student’s responsibility to find a time that the entire committee can meet for the oral exam and to inform the entire committee of the agreed-upon date and time, and inform the Administrative Associate to the School of Music Graduate Program of the date and time of the exam and the precise membership of the committee.The Administrative Associate will send an e-mail reminder with the date, location, and time.

A request to schedule an oral examination must be submitted by the student to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the Administrative Associate for the School of Music Graduate Program at least twelve working days prior to the requested date of the examination. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies submits the official request to the Graduate School on behalf of the student at least ten working days prior to the date of the exam.

The student and committee members should allow an hour and a half for the exam: an hour and fifteen minutes for questioning and fifteen for discussion of the result. A student may not schedule the oral examination in such a way that he or she misses a regularly scheduled class.

If a professor cannot attend the exam after it has been scheduled due to his/her error (e.g., scheduling two exams at the same time), then the professor must find an appropriate substitute.

If the student does not consult and inform the entire committee of the agreed upon date and time of the oral exam, then the student must arrange for an appropriate substitute.

The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the Administrative Associate to the School of Music Graduate Program must be informed of any substitutions or changes in date or time. They will revise the official forms and alert the Graduate.

3. Recitals And Concerts / Facility Use

Return to Table of Contents

3.1 Booking a Recital or Concert

It is important to consider the following when booking a recital or a concert:

Consider booking in the fall semester.
Consider booking before spring break in the spring semester.
Cut-off date for faculty events is Friday, April 4, 2025.
Avoid university recognized holidays, Final Exam Periods and Dead Days.
Consider not booking against an Ensemble.
Scheduling against DAS events is prohibited.
If you cancel, please make sure it is removed from the Astra calendar.
If you book and cancel multiple times, contact the recording studio manager when the final date is set.

3.2 Recital Procedures – Undergraduate and Graduate

Undergraduate and Graduate student recital requirements differ. Please see The School of Music Undergraduate Handbook and Graduate Handbook for updated policies, procedures, and forms.

Faculty members should encourage their applied students to be informed and to follow proper procedures and policies with regard to all recital preparations and performances.

3.3 Recording Audio/Video

See Recording Audio/Video in the School of Music Undergraduate Student Handbook.

3.4 Special Events Form and Insurance Requirements

When faculty are using School of Music facilities for functions not related to degree programs, student organizations, or other School of Music sponsored programming, two things must accompany an approved room reservation:

A special events form must be filed with Risk Management using the link below, especially if minors are to be present for the event. This also applies to school-sponsored programming where minors are present. (For the purposes of this policy, minors exclude enrolled freshmen under the age of 18.)
- Enterprise Risk Management | University Compliance and Risk Services | Baylor University
A Tenant User Liability Insurance Policy (TULIP) should be provided by the faculty member or external partner to cover the event to be held.

4. Facility Management

Return to Table of Contents

4.1 Building Access

Standard building open hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, except for payroll holidays. Some buildings may have augmented hours during student holidays, inter-semester periods, and summer months. Building open hours are extended at select entrances for concerts, recitals, and special events at the determination of the facilities manager. All faculty and staff have 365/24/7 unlock swipe access to School of Music facilities via their Baylor ID.

4.2 Office Moves

Faculty office assignments are determined in consultation with the responsible division director, budget officer, facilities manager, and appropriate deans as offices become available. Factors to be considered include the needs of potential occupants, upcoming needs in other areas of the School, and university-level space planning information.

Faculty moving offices should expect the following:

The budget office and facilities manager will work with affected faculty to develop and submit move packets for central university services that include:
- Movement of furniture and boxes
- Release of surplus furniture
- Deep cleaning of carpet and other surfaces as needed
- Movement of computers and technology by IT staff, including reconfiguration of printers and devices
- Changing of nameplates, keys, etc.
- Anyone moving offices must be present at the time of move to facilitate IT access and answer any questions during the move process. Baylor Facilities will send a calendar invite detailing the expected move time.
At the time an office becomes vacant, it will be assessed by the facilities manager for necessary repairs to paint, surfaces, and building systems prior to new occupancy.
- Most offices only require touch-up of existing paint and deep cleaning of flooring.
- Unless a department chooses to make funding available, repainting to a new color and/or carpet replacement will only be done in cases of significant damage to existing finishes. All paint colors used in any offices must comply with the university paint standard, found at: Microsoft Word - PAINT STANDARDS_Updated_06.28.22
For office furnishings, unless a specific budget request is submitted during the normal budget process prior to a move or other funding is identified, it is expected that individuals will retain all current office furniture.
- Replacement furniture can also be sourced from the University’s Surplus Warehouse. Contact your department admin for more information.
- University policy does not allow for campus moving and hauling services to pick up or deliver personal furniture items to off-campus locations.

4.3 Performance Equipment

The School of Music is currently in a multi-year effort to upgrade and expand our inventory of performance and rehearsal equipment, including musician chairs, student practice chairs, and music stands.

When chairs and stands are needed in non-SOM venues, please notify the facilities manager prior to removal of equipment from facilities.
Return all equipment moved within SOM venues to its original location if borrowed for a particular event.
Contact the facilities manager for questions regarding available special equipment and performance technology.

4.4 Storage and Surplus Furniture

With storage space limited across School of Music facilities, regular efforts will be made to review storage spaces and remove excess equipment and furnishings. Surplus furniture in one building may be needed in another or can be sent to the University Surplus Warehouse. Outdated electronics can be arranged to be picked up as e-waste for proper disposal. Contact your departmental admin or the facilities manager for help processing unused furniture and equipment.

4.5 Work Orders

Work orders for general maintenance issues can be submitted by the appropriate staff member for each building. Staff will track progress and notify the facilities manager as necessary. General issues include burned out lights, minor plumbing leaks, hot/cold temperature, door handle issues, etc. Requests related to structural modifications of spaces, replacement of equipment, and major repairs should be directed to the facilities manager for review against other work in progress, upcoming space plans, or prioritization with Baylor Facilities Management staff.

4.6 Piano Maintenance and Tuning

General Schedule

All pianos in teaching studios, classrooms and practice rooms are tuned before the beginning of each regular session (August and January). Other pianos in offices or labs are tuned on a rotating, bi-annual basis. We try to see that every piano is tuned at least yearly and make note of any additional service that the pianos need at that time, but depend on you to report anything malfunctioning on your piano.

Requesting Piano Service

To request tuning or service of a piano, please email the staff piano technician, (Darren_Roos@baylor.edu) and give the room/ location, date of event and any pertinent information about the piano. Please give a minimum of one to two weeks (preferred) advanced notice before an event (such as a recital, master class, workshop, etc.) to allow adequate time for scheduling. The more lead time the technician has, the more likely it can be put into good working order for your use. Do not assume that because an event is on the schedule that he is aware that the piano is being used and/or needs servicing. If you are in charge of an event, then it is your responsibility to inform him of your piano service needs. In the near future, expect to receive notice of a new direct link to a request form on the SOM website for your convenience.

Piano Usage

Please inform and remind your students of the guidelines (listed in the student handbook) for use of the performance pianos in our concert venues. It is crucial to the well-being of these instruments that usage be limited to actual rehearsal time for a specific performance. Following any concert or recital it is the responsibility of the student and teacher to make sure that the piano is locked, covered and put away and the room locked (where appropriate). If you have a performance involving non-traditional use of a piano, please allow extra time to meet with the piano technician to discuss/ and review your proposed usage. (If interested, request “Guidelines for Non-Traditional Piano Use” document.)

Reserved Tuning Time

As all but the most uninitiated are aware, finding and scheduling time in our performance halls is a most challenging task. Everyone in the School of Music uses pianos and wants them to sound and play properly. That expectation requires time to allow the technician to tune and make necessary adjustments to them. The time slots for tuning that you will find on the Astra calendar are absolute minimum requirements to get the job done properly. Please don’t ask the technician “if you need all of your tuning time” unless you are prepared to offer a reasonable alternative block of time that will fit into his/ her calendar.

4.7 Room and Event Scheduling

It is important that all events, rehearsals, and other activities are scheduled via the ASTRA calendar per instructions below, as this system provides data used in planning space maintenance and upgrades, and in the review of requests for space upgrades/enhancements and new space allocations.

Timeline for Room Requests in the ASTRA Calendar

Ensemble concerts, Distinguished Artist Series, major events, and student travel will be entered through the Concert and Promotions Specialist after consultation with representatives from the Ensemble Division and the division chairs.
Students and Faculty should make room requests for any activities outside of the published class schedule through the ASTRA Room Request form found in ASTRA. Look for an approval email to confirm that your request has been approved.
- Faculty may utilize your assigned admin. for assistance
- Students may work with Melinda Coats (graduate students) or Teresa Reid (undergraduates)
Requests for changes to concerts, recitals, or major events must be approved through the Concert and Promotions Specialist and Associate Dean for Operations.
The development of the class schedule is the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the division chairs.

4.8 Using ASTRA Electronic Calendar

ASTRA Scheduling (General Tutorial): https://baylor.box.com/shared/static/ax4e10ku4llz4z5tdf25czgpmja1trnx.pdf

Room Scheduling in ASTRA Instructions: https://baylor.box.com/shared/static/9ab0tyv9520jvi6faboeutng02mkw7e5.pdf

ASTRA Single-Event Submissions (Tutorial Video): https://baylor.box.com/s/mii10nrqxv7udltwlr1fkac4wbugxzza

ASTRA Recurring-Multiple Event Submission (Tutorial Video): https://baylor.box.com/s/5vhorec46h6r1ftsh4dt02bxwsw7ic0t

The first time you use the Astra calendar you will need to configure it to display music facilities. Once this is done and properly saved, it will load automatically from your account login. It is also possible to have multiple displays that show specific rooms (such as only concert and recital halls) you can toggle between when perusing the calendar. There are How To videos available on the Music Website Faculty/Staff page on submitting event requests using Astra.

General guidelines to remember when scheduling faculty or guest recitals and other events:

Avoid holidays recognized by Baylor University.
Avoid Finals Week and Dead Day.
Avoid major university events including commencements, football games, Homecoming, etc. These events greatly impact parking and road access, campus services, building access, and the availability of support personnel.
Scheduling against DAS events is prohibited. Scheduling against other events is discouraged but not prohibited, please avoid this when possible.
Schedule faculty and guest programs to take place no later than Friday, April 4, 2025, for the current academic year. The last few weeks of the spring term are reserved for student degree recitals.

Policies for scheduling rehearsals, masterclasses and similar events:

Requests are due by noon on Fridays for the following week.
Students cannot make reservations more than 7 days in advance.
You are limited to 9 hours total per week.
Over 9 hours per week or 3 consecutive hours (per day), requires approval from Dr. Jacobson.
Individual requests for Jones Concert Hall are limited to organ and percussion students without approval.

Fill out the following fields on the Astra Music Room Request Form:

Event Title – use a descriptive title (Rehearsal, Recording Session, etc.). Examples:
- “Bobby Baylor’s Sr. Kazoo Recital Rehearsal”
- “Kazoo Studio Spring Recital”
- “BUMEA Guest Lecture with Dr. Baylor”
Event Description – list all known participants and extra setup time (if needed).
The start time for your request should be the actual start time of your event. Concerts and recitals will have 30 minutes of setup time automatically added. If you need additional setup time, please include that in the Additional Information field.

A/V Needs – Provide a general description of any AV needs and follow up with email to Music_Halls@baylor.edu.

While School of Music faculty are allowed to schedule rooms for events outside of School-sponsored and/or instructional activities, in addition to the risk management requirements listed above, certain types of personal events may require reimbursement to the School for support labor and housekeeping charges if needed. Email Music_Halls@baylor.edu for more info.

5. General Instructional Procedures

Return to Table of Contents

5.1 Student Course Evaluations

All new tenure-track faculty members, all temporary lecturers, and all adjunct faculty must participate in student evaluations in all sections of the courses they teach every semester. All tenured faculty members are expected to participate in student evaluations in all sections of the courses they teach during the fall of every third calendar year. Tenured faculty may choose to have students evaluate some or all of their courses each semester if they wish. All faculty members are encouraged to participate in the student evaluations voluntarily at least one semester each year.

5.2 Student Participation/Event Letter

For events which require students to miss class as a result of their participation in a School of Music activity, the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs can provide Student Participation Letters to validate the reason for a student’s absence from class. These letters may be given by students to professors to verify that the student will miss class due to their participation in an approved School of Music activity. These letters do not excuse a student’s absence from class; that decision remains with the professor. School of Music attendance policy states that any University-related activity necessitating an absence from class will count as an absence when determining whether a student has attended the required 75% of class meetings.

Student participation letters cannot be issued for masterclasses which occur Monday-Friday prior to 3:30 p.m.
To obtain a letter for your event, please submit the dates, times, event names, and the course number(s) from which all students are participating (or a list of participating students) to the Undergraduate Academic Programs Manager at least two weeks prior to the event.
When Student Participation Letters are completed, a scanned, signed copy for each event will be emailed to School of Music Faculty. Faculty sponsors should make the letter available to participating students so that they may share them with their non-music faculty instructors.

6. General Operational Procedures

Return to Table of Contents

6.1 Social Media Guidelines and Procedures

School of Music Account

The Baylor School of Music is active on Instagram (@baylormusic) and Facebook (/BaylorMusic). This account exists as a sub-account of Baylor University and is managed by School of Music staff (Mary Jacobs, Concert and Promotions Specialist). Accounts abide by Baylor University brand standards.

Purpose

The purpose of these accounts is to celebrate, create and build awareness of and engagement with the School of Music. Our posts are outward facing, catering to both internal and external audiences.

Primary Audiences

Current students, current and retired faculty/staff, alumni, current families, prospective students and families, and Baylor/Waco-area audiences.

Overview of Posts Created

Event Promotions
- Regular marketing of major funded/sponsored/endowed events (e.g., Distinguished Artist Series, Lyceum Series, Hearn Innovators Series, Northcutt Lecture); weekly roundup of all events (“Music This Week”); ensemble and major events. Human interest stories—student, faculty, and alumni accomplishments; slices of life. Opportunities (e.g., Summer Camp promotions.)
Types of Posts Rehared
- Marketing for concerts, events, and faculty recitals (excluding student recitals); behind-the-scenes and life-at-a-glance posts; videos of excerpts; other content at social media manager’s discretion. Please tag Baylor Music if you would like your post to be considered for sharing.
- Accounts Do Not Necessarily reshare all content we are tagged in; create a standalone post for each concert and event; post/monitor on weekends, holidays, or outside of regular work hours.
Minors
- Parents or official guardians of minors must complete a media release in order for the School of Music to post any photos or videos. Forms should be collected and kept on file.

Sub-Accounts: Ensembles, Divisions, Studios, etc.

Overview

Groups within the School of Music have social media accounts and presences that are run by students, faculty, and respective area staff. These accounts can be more informal than the School of Music account but should reflect overall Baylor and School of Music policies and benefit from following brand standards. The School of Music follows these accounts and shares posts to the main account.

Purpose

To keep followers informed of events; celebrate student/alumni/faculty accomplishments; offer a glimpse into life within this group.

Primary Audiences

Group alumni, current students, group’s specific following.

Tips and Best Practices

Use official University colors and secondary colors; read University digital marketing guidelines; use high-resolution content; utilize Canva when creating graphics; tag School of Music and other collaborators to build engagement; ensure necessary credit is given for media.

6.2 Workrooms and Copying Procedures

Faculty workrooms are located in McCrary Music Building room 125 and Waco Hall East room 204. A JB43 key will access 125 as well as the mailroom in the Roxy Grove wing. A JB73 key will access room 204. Copy machines are located in each of these rooms for faculty/staff use only. Each faculty/staff member will be issued a copy machine access code. Faculty members should only give copy machine access codes to students that are doing work explicitly for them. Be judicious in who you give your code to, preferably only your grad assistant, and instruct them not to share the code with others.

Number of Copies

If you are making more than 10 copies, then it should be sent to the Copy Center rather than using the departmental copier. Visit the Copy Center online or e-mail copy jobs to Copy_Center@baylor.edu. You will need to include the appropriate department number for the charge. The general School of Music department number is 400-40105-100-1000000-93800-201-0000, but if you are charging it to an excellence fund or other account, then you would need to enter the appropriate department number. Contact Lori Clifton if you need department numbers for other funds.

Color Copies

Copying B&W materials for classroom use does not require approval. Color copies, however, can cost as much as 20 times more than B&W copies and therefore require permission from Dr. Jacobson at Michael_Jacobson@baylor.edu.

When your copy order is returned from the Copy Center, the copies will be placed in your box in the mailroom. If you e-mail a copy job or submit it online, please notify Teresa Reid (for Waco East/Roxy Grove) or Rachel Alston (for McCrary) so they are aware the job will need to be picked up when completed.

Computer Printers

You should use computer printers to print only one copy of your document. Multiple copies should be made on one of the departmental copy machines or sent to the Copy Center for duplication. It is recommended that you set up the copier as your network printer and print directly to the copy machine.

Scanning

Each of the copy machines can be used to scan and e-mail documents. There is no charge for scanning and this by far is the most cost-efficient option for distributing materials to students or other faculty/staff colleagues.

6.3 Work Study

Notice of approved work study budgets will be communicated each June by the Business Officer. Once your budget is confirmed, contact your area’s administrative associate for assistance to begin the hiring process. Please do this BEFORE telling the student they have a job. This includes all types of student workers, including pianists and accompanists, and is not limited to office workers. Each student hired should undergo a personal interview with the sponsoring faculty member as part of the hiring process.

Work Study students are NOT to begin work until they have been approved by the Student Employment Office. This is in violation of Federal Work Study regulations. This is especially important with International students. Federal Work Study students will be placed in work study positions before University Work Study students are eligible unless there are special circumstances.

7. Administrative Procedures And Policies

Return to Table of Contents

7.1 Annual Faculty Reports

For purposes of merit evaluation, each member of the Baylor School of Music faculty is required to file a Faculty Annual Report of their professional accomplishments: teaching, scholarly and creative activities, and service. Those faculty who do not to submit a complete annual report will not be considered for increases in salary during the next fiscal year and will be subject to review by the University Provost

Faculty Annual Reports shall follow the standard format prescribed herein and shall be submitted to your Division Chair on or before the prescribed deadline in January.

Review Period

This review should include activities and accomplishments from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.

The Faculty Annual Report consists of two components:

Planning for the Year Ahead Document
Music – Activity Report from Digital Measures

Planning for the Year Ahead

An essential part of the Annual Faculty Performance Review process at Baylor University is the “Planning for the Year Ahead” document that each faculty member completes for review by and discussion with the chair.

Planning for the Year Ahead fillable PDF

Music – Activity Report from Digital Measures

Music – Activity Reports should be created in Digital Measures (DM), which can be accessed at www.baylor.edu/digitalmeasures. Each item you add into Digital Measures MUST have a date in order to be pulled into your Activity Report.

Important Note: Information entered into a downloaded Word version of the Music – Activity Report will not be saved in Digital Measures. To alter a downloaded report, please enter the information into the appropriate location in Digital Measures and run a new Rapid Report. Please do not attempt to correct items by editing the downloaded Word document.

If any automatically populated information is in error, please contact Brandon Riddle in Institutional Research and Testing at x8340 or Brandon_Riddle@Baylor.edu. You must click SAVE when you have finished inputting an activity for it to be saved into Digital Measures.

The home page is divided into four sections: 1) General Information, 2) Teaching, 3) Scholarship/Research, and 4) Service.

General Information

Summary statement (Mandatory): Each faculty member must complete the Summary Statement section. The summary statement screen allows the faculty member to bring attention to those elements in the Music – Activity Report that are of greatest significance. Such statements will range from a single paragraph to a page or two depending on the diversity of the person's activities. The focus, however, should be on those elements of greatest importance to the preparer. It should not be a restatement of the entire dossier. The Date of Submission for the Summary Statement should be “2024,” even if the statement is written in early 2025.

Materials that clarify or lend stature to the Activity Report may be submitted along with the Summary Statement. Such materials should be presented judiciously, however. Quality, instead of quantity, should be used in determining which materials are necessary. If faculty members wish to include additional, hard-copy supplementary materials, those arrangements should be made between the faculty member and Division Director with the understanding those hard copy materials will not continue from the Division Director to the Dean.

Awards and Honors, Licensures and Certifications, Media Contributions, Professional Membership, and External Connections and Partnerships are screens where faculty members may input data. Each entry needs to be dated in order to be included in the Activity Report.

Education, Administrative Data, and Workload Information should be automatically populated into Digital Measures. Workload Information from Digital Measures will not accurately represent Fall 2024 until after December 31.

Teaching

Academic Advising, Non-Credit Instruction Taught (e.g. recital), and Directed Student Learning should be completed by the faculty member. Scheduled teaching is automatically populated for you.

All faculty members delivering instruction in the School of Music are required to submit to the School of Music a course syllabus by the first day of class for each course taught. Each syllabus must include a calendar that clearly lists all activities outside of scheduled class time. Consequently, for Scheduled teaching, you may upload a syllabus for each course if you wish, but it is not required for the Music – Activity Report. If Division Directors wish to review a syllabus for a particular course, please contact Pieter DuPlooy.

For student accomplishments, use the Directed Student Learning screen. When you add a new item, select Involvement Type “Student Award or Honor.” If it is a former student, please input a degree year for the student. If it is a current student, input an anticipated graduation year or leave the field blank.

Scholarship/Research

Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits, Presentations, and Intellectual Contributions will be the screens most commonly used by music faculty. Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research (OSP Data) is automatically populated for you, while Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research (Self Reported) is not.

If you have published materials listed in a BibTex file (RefWorks, Google Scholar, etc.) or listed in ORCID, Scobus, Web of Science, Cross Ref, or PubMed, you may import the information from those sources by clicking “Import” on the top right of the Intellectual Contributions screen and following the prompts.

For the entry of multiple, similar events in DM, there is an option that is easier than manually entering each event. From the Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits screen, you can check a box on the right-hand side of the screen for the item you wish to duplicate and then click the “Duplicate” button that appears on the top right of the screen. That will create a duplicate entry of the item, and you then can change any of the details that are different from the original entry. Once you click “Save,” you will have two different and distinct entries.

For Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits that are on-campus performances and which bear workload credit (e.g. instrumental faculty chamber music, ensemble concerts conducted, etc.), please select “Music performances – On-campus performances” from the dropdown menu and select “Academic” for the question “Was this academic or nonacademic in scope?” For all other Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits, please select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu and answer “non-academic.”

Service

All information in this section must be added manually.

Once you have finished entering your information into Digital Measures (DM), click “Rapid Reports” at the top of the DM home page. Be sure “Music – Activity Report” is selected as the Report. Start Date is January 1, 2024 and the End Date is December 31, 2024. The File Format should be Microsoft Word (.docx). Then click “Run Report.” That will download to your computer an electronic version of your Music – Activity Report.

All Music – Activity Reports should be submitted to Division Directors electronically (ask your Division Director if they prefer email or Box), while hard copies may also be requested by individual Division Directors at their direction. (Only electronic copies of the Activity Reports should be forwarded by Division Directors to the dean, but Division Directors should provide hard copies of the Planning for the Year Ahead and the Annual Faculty Performance Evaluation Forms for the dean.)

Digital Measures FAQ

7.2 School of Music Committees

School of Music Standing Committees

7.3 Finance Procedures and Policies

Budget and Purchasing of Supplies and Equipment

All supplies and purchasing will be handled through the Financial Administrator for the School of Music and will be maintained by the designated Administrative Associates for the McCrary Music Building and Waco Hall Complex.

Equipment purchases are requested through the regular university budgetary process. Requests for equipment, supplies, work-study, advertising, and repair are submitted to your Division Director in January for the following academic year. Division Directors then collate and prioritize the requests from their division and forward them to the Business Officer. The deadline for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) will be Friday, January 31, 2025.

Items that have been approved through this process are communicated to Division Directors at the start of the new fiscal year. Anything that has been approved can be purchased at that time. Check with your Division Director to make certain your request has been approved, and if so, contact Lori Clifton (ext. 1162) with ordering details: website, and/or detailed vendor and item information. Speak to Lori Clifton or Angela Traylor before purchasing an item for reimbursement. We encourage faculty to place orders early in the academic year.

Equipment orders need to be placed by December 1.

All other approved expenses need to be incurred by or before April 15.

School of Music Off-Cycle or One-Time Funding Requests

Off-Cycle or One-Time Funding Request Form

7.4 Faculty Recruiting Expense Procedures/Faculty Searches

What constitutes a Faculty Recruiting Expense?

Does include the following types of expenses:

Advertising (After ad content approved by Dean’s Office)
Candidate travel to Waco for interview (after interview is approved by Provost) including airfare, parking, meals in route, taxis, etc. Travel for temporary full-time lecturers will be reimbursed when a Provost interview is required.
Candidate lodging while in Waco for Provost interview.
Candidate meals are covered for the day(s) of the interview and for the candidate’s time in transit to and from Waco.
Meals with Search Committee should host lunch at the McMullen Faculty Center when possible. Baylor will reimburse up to three faculty members accompanying a candidate for one dinner, unless previously approved by the Dean. Faculty should avoid excessive meal expenditures. Meals that are expected to be costlier than usual, faculty should first confer with the dean or business officer.
Search committee member travel for recruiting purposes – must be pre-approved by Dean’s office (Examples: Mileage to DFW to pick up candidates and travel expenses to conferences to recruit)

Does not include:

Candidate travel to Waco for personal reasons such as house hunting
Expenses for Candidate’s spouse
Expenses for spouses of search committee members (Example: Meals with candidate); they may attend but their expenses are not covered by Baylor

How are Recruiting Expenses paid?

Airfare – Airfare can be purchase through Baylor’s approved travel agents and be charged to School of Music via the TAAF (Travel Agency Authorization Form). Lori Clifton or Angela Traylor will submit the TAAF to the Travel Agent and Accounts Payable once the flight arrangements have been made.
Search committee member expenses reimbursed on Expense Report in Ignite.

Questions:

Angela Traylor ext. 3662 and/or Lori Clifton ext. 1162 - financial and policy questions

Angeline Townsend ext. 1221 for advertising content/approvals/interviews

7.5 Travel Policies and Procedures for Faculty/Staff

Faculty travel allotments must be requested by submitting a Request for Travel Funding form to Angela Traylor. These are due by Friday, March 21, 2025 for the 25-26 academic year (FY26).

All faculty must submit a Request for Travel Funding form by the deadline.
Multiple trips will require multiple forms – only one trip per form.
Priority considerations will be given to:
- Faculty seeking tenure
- All faculty presenting or performing at conferences
- All faculty with leadership roles in conference organizations
- All faculty attending conferences for professional development
- Presentations or performances that have recruiting implications

To utilize awarded travel funds, a faculty member will:

Submit a Travel Authorization, if required, in Ignite to their Division Director a minimum of two weeks in advance of their trip. Travel Authorizations are required for:
- International travel
- Travel exceeding $1500
- Travel that will be charged to a grant or sponsored program account
Submit an Expense Report (ER) in Ignite within 15 days of returning from their trip. Reports submitted after 30 days may be considered as taxable income.
Turn in original receipts to Lori Clifton or Angela Traylor.

Checklist for Faculty Travel

In order to qualify for reimbursement, expenditures must be accompanied by supporting

documentation. The Travel Policy, and good business practices, require that all

expenditures have a clear business purpose and be correctly recorded.

Prior to Travel:

During Travel:

Meals
1. Per Diem May vary depending on the location. Travel day per diem is prorated at 75%.
2. You can select actual meal costs or a per diem on the expense report.
3. Tips should be reasonable between 15-20%.
Parking
1. Use remote parking at the airport.
2. Use valet parking only if it is the sole parking available or is necessary for physical, safety, or business reasons.
Public Ground Transportation
1. Cost of taxi, bus, or metro is reimbursable for business use only.
2. Save and submit all receipts whenever possible. Lodging receipts and receipts for all expenses over $59 are required.

After You Return:

Complete an expense report in Ignite.
Turn in all original receipts to Lori Clifton or Angela Traylor
Submit ER within 15 days of when travel is completed to allow adequate time for approval process. Expenses that are not submitted and approved within 30 days from the trip’s end date are subject to inclusion in wages and are reported as taxable income to the traveler according to IRS guidelines.

7.6 Tenure and Promotion

Regular Lecturers (Full-time), Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors

Each newly appointed Regular Lecturer in the School of Music will have a School of Music review committee appointed by the Dean, in consultation with the Division Chair and the Music Council. This committee will consist of tenured faculty members and Senior Lecturers in the Lecturer’s Division and is chaired by the Division Director. Additional review committee members may be added from outside the Division as needed. This committee will remain intact and will serve as the review committee throughout the review / promotion process. Regular Lecturers may be promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer, followed by Teaching Professor, at no less than six-year intervals for each.

https://provost.web.baylor.edu/sites/g/files/ecbvkj506/files/202205/Lecturer%20procedures%208-2-2011_0.pdf

Tenure-Track Faculty (Assistant Professors)

Each newly appointed tenure-track faculty member (Assistant Professor) in the School of Music will have a School of Music tenure review committee appointed by the Dean, in consultation with the Division Chair and the School of Music Council. This committee will consist of all tenured members of the newly appointed faculty member’s Division, as well a member or members from outside the Division and will be chaired by the Division Director. This committee will remain intact and will serve as the review committee throughout the tenure-track faculty member’s probationary period. Members of this committee will participate fully in the annual review process and the annual tenure review meeting with the probationary faculty member. The members of this committee will complete tenure ballots in the tenure review year for submission to the Division Director, Dean, and University Tenure Committee.

Occasionally, tenure-track faculty are hired at the level of Associate Professor; in this case, the standard tenure procedures will still exist unless tenure is granted at the time of hire.

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=287054

www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/63911.doc

The School of Music Addendum to the Tenure and Promotion policy may be found here: https://provost.web.baylor.edu/departmentalresources

Promotion to the Rank of Professor

Each Associate Professor interested in promotion to the rank of Professor should consult with the department chair about the appropriate year to seek promotion. The tenured faculty member, all available Professors in the department, the departmental chair, the dean, the Provost, and the President participate in the promotion review process, as follows. Typically, faculty will not attain the level of eminence and leadership consistent with the rank of Professor before at least six years past the granting of tenure. In any case, faculty will not receive promotion to the rank of Professor through the process described in this document sooner than four years after they were initially granted tenure (that is, the candidate would not apply for promotion before the spring of the third year as a tenured faculty member). However, upon the recommendation of the Provost, the President may promote a faculty member to the rank of Professor without following this process, if such a decision serves the interests of the University. Such a decision must be based on the criteria of excellence described in the Promotion Policy and approved by a majority vote of the Professors of the applicable department (secured by secret ballot) and by the dean of the applicable School or College.

https://baylor.box.com/shared/static/alt5whakte5krygu1atvc8ey7ovbclqq.pdf

8. Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management

Return to Table of Contents

8.1 General Information (emergency preparedness)

It is recommended that faculty review a number of basic emergency response procedures with students at the beginning of each semester. Plans specific to your facility are available at www.baylor.edu/emergency under Building Emergency Action Plans; this information outlines the content requested below.

Suggested Emergency Preparedness Language for Syllabi

Baylor University is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for our community. To be prepared for campus emergencies, you should be familiar with the University’s established emergency procedures available at www.baylor.edu/emergency. In the event of an emergency on campus, you may receive instructions from Baylor Alert, university officials, or Baylor University Police on how to respond to the situation. It is your responsibility to know your closest evacuation route/evacuation assembly point and severe weather assembly area.

To Report an Emergency or Suspicious Activity call the Baylor Police at 254-710-2222 or alert them via BU Guardian (Rave Guardian App). Provide the building name and room number.

Evacuation Assembly Point: Locations posted throughout each building)

Severe Weather Assembly Areas: (Locations posted throughout each building)

AED/Bleed Control Kit: (Locations posted throughout each building)

8.2 Evacuation

An evacuation will be considered if the building is affected, or we must move to a location of greater safety. Occupants will ALWAYS evacuate if the fire alarm sounds. In the event of an evacuation quickly gather your belongings (if possible) and proceed to the nearest exit (primary exit). If the primary exit is not an option use the alternate exit. Upon evacuation, move to the designated Evacuation Assembly Point.

8.3 Shelter in Place

University officials may issue a Shelter-in-Place order due to severe weather hazards (i.e. tornado), an uncontrolled hazardous materials release, or other life-threatening event. Although Shelter-in-Place orders are extremely rare, it is important to know what to do. Move to the building’s designated Severe Weather Assembly Area.

8.4 Baylor Alert

All members of the Baylor community should have a mobile number registered to receive Baylor Alerts, Timely Warnings, and Safety Notifications from Baylor Alert; please enter/update your Baylor Alert contact information in BearWeb.

8.5 Active Attack

AVOID starts with your state of mind.

Pay attention to your surroundings.
Have an exit plan.
Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better.

DENY when getting away is difficult or maybe even impossible.

Keep distance between you and the source.
Create barriers to prevent or slow down a threat from getting to you.
Turn the lights off.
Remain out of sight and quiet by hiding behind large objects and silence your phone.

DEFEND because you have the right to protect yourself.

If you cannot Avoid or Deny be prepared to defend yourself.
Be aggressive and committed to your actions.
Do not fight fairly. THIS IS ABOUT SURVIVAL.

When Law Enforcement arrives, SHOW YOUR HANDS AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

9. Recruiting Resources

Return to Table of Contents

9.1 Undergraduate Recruiting Schedule

Prospective Freshmen and Transfer Student Recruiting Schedule

August 1

Baylor University Application opens
Can apply through ApplyTexas, CommonApp, or apply.baylor.edu
School of Music Application Opens
“BearID (first_last#) must be obtained by starting a University application before students can start a SoM application”

Late October

Undergraduate Admissions begins admitting students.

November 1

For maximum scholarship opportunities including University Academic Awards, Invitation to Excellence, grants and assistance, etc., students are encouraged to complete their University applications by the Early Decision and Early Action deadline of November 1.
Early Action Deadline - undergraduate applicants who submit their Baylor University application and all supporting materials by Nov. 1 will receive an admissions decision by January 15. Note: 80% of the incoming class applies before Nov. 1
Early Decision Deadline - A binding agreement in which undergraduate applicants commit (by the November 1 deadline) to attending Baylor if accepted. These students will receive an admissions decision by December 15 – DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR MUSIC APPLICANTS

December 1

Transfer Student Spring Admission Deadline
- Transfer students should submit their university application by this date.

December 15

Admission Decisions made for Early Decision
Prescreening deadline for trumpet and trombone

January/February

Audition Season (4-6 auditions/season)

January 15

Admission Decisions made for Early Action

February 1

Baylor University Freshmen Application Deadline - Any incoming freshmen interested in attending Baylor should apply to the university no later than February 1.
School of Music Application Deadline - All incoming freshmen, transfer, and graduate music applications must be submitted via Acceptd by February 1. If you are submitting a recorded audition, it must also be uploaded to your Acceptd application by this date.
Priority deadline for FAFSA results to be sent to Baylor University. Students who submit on or before Feb. 1 have a higher chance of receiving a suitable award package.

Late February

Audition Season ends.

March 1

Financial Aid provides the School of Music with their scholarship budget for the following year.

Mid-March

Incoming students begin receiving scholarship offers from the School of Music.

March 15

Financial Aid notification is sent to applicants who completed and submitted the Early Action application, FAFSA, and CSS Profile by November 1

April 10

Financial Aid notification is sent to applicants who completed and submitted the Regular Admission application, FAFSA, and CSS Profile by February 1

May 1

Enrollment Deposit Deadline - All incoming freshman who have chosen to attend Baylor University must submit their $500 enrollment deposit before 5:00 p.m. CST on May 1. Deposit is non-refundable.

Early May

Students begin taking online Theory, Musicianship, and Piano placement exams coordinated by Callan Chappell, Ed Taylor, and Michael Clark.

May 30

Advising and Registration begins through Zoom meetings

June/July

Freshman Orientation and Line Camp

June 15

Transfer application deadline. All incoming transfer students interested in attending Baylor in the fall should plan to apply to the university no later than June 15.

9.2 Prospective Graduate and Doctoral Student Recruiting Schedule

Year Round

Graduate School applications are available year-round.
- Note: students who wish to begin study in the fall must submit their materials to the graduate school by February 15.

August 1

School of Music Application Opens

October 15

Graduate applicant “Spring” deadline for those wanting to begin school in the Spring (January rather than August).

January/February

Audition Season (4-6 auditions/season)

February 1

School of Music Application Deadline - All incoming freshmen, transfer, and graduate music applications must be submitted via Acceptd by February 1. If you are submitting a recorded audition, it must also be uploaded to your Acceptd application by this date.
Priority deadline for FAFSA results to be sent to Baylor University. Students who submit on or before Feb. 1 have a higher chance of receiving a suitable award package.
Conducting faculty will begin reviewing MM Conducting applications. Based on the conducting videos (conducting an ensemble in rehearsal and performance) submitted via the School of Music Application, conducting faculty will extend invitations for on-campus auditions. After the in-person round of auditions, a final selection of candidates will be made for admission and assistantships.

February 15

Graduate School Application Deadline (for those wishing to begin study in the fall)

Late February

Audition season ends.

March 1

Financial Aid provides the School of Music with their scholarship budget for the following year.

Early March

Incoming students begin receiving scholarship offers from the School of Music.

Mid-March

MM Conducting applicants who passed the prescreening round are invited to an in-person conducting “audition” that the conducting faculty coordinate.

April 15

Because Baylor is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), students have an opportunity to consider more than one offer and have until April 15th to do so - any offer acceptance after April 15 is binding.
Graduate applicant "Summer" deadline for those wanting to begin school in the Summer (May rather than August).

9.3 Bear Shadow & Band Events

9.3.1 Bear Shadow

Bear Shadow is an event in which prospective students can be a “Baylor music major for a day” by attending academic music classes, observing ensemble rehearsals, and meeting with esteemed faculty and current students. Prospective students are paired with a School of Music student ambassador at the beginning of the day and attend all classes, rehearsals, lessons, and meals until their guardian picks them up at the end of the day. Bear Shadow dates are posted on the music website under “Youth Camps and Programs”.

BearShadow | School of Music | Baylor University

9.3.2 Bear Bands

Each year the Golden Wave Band accepts high school juniors/seniors to be a part of the exciting game-day atmosphere at McLane Stadium!

The schedule includes meeting the band for a rehearsal four hours prior to kick-off. Participants will meet our designated staff and receive a t-shirt and instructions for the day's activities. Participants will meet members of the Golden Wave within their instrument section, eat a game-day meal with the band, gain entry into the game, and play their instruments in the stands with the band. Students will need to bring their personal instruments to participate (we do not provide instruments).

Bear Bands | Golden Wave Band | Baylor University

9.4 Accept’d Training

Please see the Appendix for recruitment posters and flyers for prospective students. Acceptd training can be found at this link: https://baylor.box.com/s/vfm6j5kw9cck9xzreca1bzrro8e1tyrl.

9.5 Scholarship Universe

Scholarship Universe is a helpful resource to connect Baylor current and admitted prospective students to millions of dollars in outside scholarship opportunities. Students can create and access their account today and start answering questions in a personal questionnaire. Based on their answers they will be matched with outside scholarship opportunities in the database tailored to their talents and specific criteria.