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KSC Programs Meet Profession's Standards

KEENE, N.H. 8/29/01 - Keene State College’s department of music received confirmation of excellence recently, when its music degrees were approved for national reaccreditation. The degrees listed are the bachelor of arts in music, the bachelor of music in performance, and the bachelor of music in music education.

The recognition comes from the National Association for Schools in Music (NASM), an organization that sets and monitors standards for music programs across the country.

According to Douglas Nelson, professor of music and chair of the department, professional accreditation is one way to assure students and the community that the College’s music programs meet rigorous national standards.

To be awarded national accreditation, Keene State had to meet rigorous standards set by professional music educators, said Nelson. NASM standards expect accredited colleges and universities to ensure that subject matter, and how to teach it, is a priority; and to emphasize the availability of practice and performance facilities and equipment; to ensure that a library of scores, reference, and instructional items is available.

This is the third time that KSC’s music program has been accredited by NASM since the College became a member of the association in 1990. The programs will come up for review again in 2010.

The next step for the music department, says Nelson, is to ensure that the quality of the programs continues. “We don’t see a lot of changes needing to take place, and we have limited space so we can’t increase the size of our program,” he said. “Our focus is to do what we’re doing to the best of our ability.”

The Department of Music has nine full-time faculty members, including two artists-in-residence and 14 adjunct faculty. Nearly 100 music majors are enrolled for the upcoming semester, and over 50 public performances are scheduled for the 2001-02 season.

For more information about the music program at Keene State, visit their web site at www.keene.edu/programs/mu/.

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1-800-KSC-1909
229 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435