The Council on Academic Affairs approved 11 items including a new music minor and concentration.

Shellie Gregorich, Music Department chair, and Bradley Decker, instructor of music composition and technology, spoke for the seven items related to the music department.

Gregorich said she thinks the new minor will help students who do not have a lot of experience with music.

“I get a lot of requests from students who want to study music technology or recording arts,” Gregorich said. “Typically, those students don’t have any musical background at all, like performing experience, and I think that would be a great option for those students.”

Gregorich said she is excited to have an option for those students.

“We can pair it with in digital media and other technology related degrees in other departments,” Gregorich said. “It’ll be nice to have an actual plan to present those students and to use to recruit them to the EIU campus.”

Decker said he thinks it will be helpful for students who are not majoring in music but are still taking music courses.

“We already have some students enrolled in our music technology course who are not music majors and this would be a great way to add a minor to their degree plan because they’re already taking a lot of these courses as electives,” Decker said.

Decker spoke about a new course, MUS 3071, an advanced recording course, and said it will help students get more in depth in recording.

“It’s a more of an in depth look at how to record in various capacities and a way to use our facilities,” said Decker. “It would prepare students more for internships.”

Gregorich said while introducing MUS 4275, an internship in music technology and recording, that she believes it’s important for student to have experience in the field.

“We really think it’s important for students in this program to have internship experience to get out in the real world and apply their skills,” said Gregorich.

The council also approved three other music courses, MUS 3070, MUS 3071 and MUS 3571.

The courses, minor, and concentration will be available in the fall semester of 2020 to give the department time to recruit.

New courses CRM 3690 and HSL 4850, a Human Services Program Administration major revision and a KSR 1500 revisions were approved.

The council discussed Academic Affairs Committee members.

Marita Gronnvoll, CAA chair, and Rebecca Throneburg, CAA member, both offered to be put into the random selection process for the committee.

Two nominations have been made for the 2019 Faculty Laureate, for which nominations are due Friday to Kelli Davis in the Academic Affairs office.

The Faculty Laureate is selected through nominations of Eastern professors who fit into the position’s criteria of being a full-time teaching faculty member, demonstrating ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching classes in the general education curriculum.

Applications from typically under-represented groups are encouraged.

Nominations should include a letter of nomination, no longer than 500 words, no more than three letters of recommendation, all available information regarding student evaluations from general education courses for the last three years, a list of general education courses taught in the last three years and a statement from the nominee on the value of general/liberal education, not to exceed 300 words.

During the April 25 meeting the council will hold an open session to talk about the General Education Coordinator position.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at cebrock@eiu.edu.