Policy and Vision Change: Institutional Decision-Making and the National Association of Schools of Music Accreditation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Zooming Out: Broad Perspectives in Music Education (Table 5)

Abstract

Accreditation is, arguably, the most significant non-governmental system in higher education for quality improvement. Within music and music education, NASM accreditation has become a perceived marker of quality and status. However, some believe NASM accreditation poses concerns regarding the homogenization of curricula and creates challenges to the renewal and diversification of higher music education. This presentation draws from a qualitative study aiming to understand these realities through the voices of individuals who have direct contact and close participation in these processes: namely, deans, directors, and leaders of schools of music. Data from institutions who have left NASM, as well as institutions still accredited, present complex relations, challenges, limitations, and paint a picture of diminishing returns regarding current NASM accreditation processes.

Authors

• Erika J. Knapp, University of North Texas

• Patrick Schmidt, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Caroline Pearsall, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Evan Powers, University of North Texas