College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter - Georgia College & State ...

Department of Music
By: Brooks McAlister, Public Relations student
The Georgia College Department
of Music offers a wide range
of opportunities for students
to master the principles, skills
and techniques necessary to be successful in
the performing arts. The program provides
a competitive advantage to students as they
seek entry into the larger cultural community,
and the program provides an outlet for the
students’ creative and interpretive energies in
their pursuits of a more meaningful appreciation
of our society and of the human spirit.
The Georgia College Department of Music
has had a wonderfully successful year. The
department just went through its ten year accreditation
process by the National Association
of Schools of Music and is near achieving
it. Achieving accreditation is an honor
because it is a way to establish a certain level
of quality in education. The department has
not gotten the official papers stating that they
have achieved accreditation, however, they
have received extremely positive feedback
and anticipate optimistic results.
Georgia College strives to provide a high
standard of education and opportunities for
its students. The music department is no different.
“The Georgia College Department of
Music is dedicated to developing and maintaining
an excellent learning and production
environment for those who are committed to
the performing arts. We seek to offer curricula
which will provide both a competitive advantage
for our students as they seek entry into
the larger cultural community; and an outlet
for their creative and interpretive energies in
their pursuit of a more meaningful appreciation
of our society and the human spirit,” as
quoted from the Georgia College website.
The Georgia College music department is
comprised of 100 graduate and undergraduate
students, taught by 11 full time faculty, and
17 part time faculty.
As the music department becomes increasingly
popular, the opportunity for growth and
expansion becomes necessary. The McCombs
building is being slated and planned as the
music department instrumental annex. It will
be an additional
facility for band
and strings programs
to accommodate
the
growing number
of students
in the programs.
“The Music
Department
has grown immensely
in just
the last year and
a half that I’ve
been here,” Josh
Ramos, sophomore
vocal performance
major
said. “As a vocalist
it always
helps to have the
best resources to
learn and grow.”
Steinway
and Sons has
recently recognized
Georgia
College as an
“All- Steinway
School.” This
is a prestigious
recognition that
deems schools
as quality music
institutions
based on the number of Steinway pianos they
possess. Georgia College has the privilege of
owning 19 Steinway pianos. “Steinway’s are
my favorite brand of piano,” sophomore music
therapy major, Gabby Banzon said. “Last
year, I only got to play a Steinway if I somehow
managed to grab a time slot in the only
practice room that had one, but now all the
practice rooms have a Steinway which is really
great.” It represents a level of quality only
achieved with the finest instruments. Georgia
College represents the fifth school in the state
of Georgia to be designated as an “all Steinway
school.”
“The Music Department has a proud tradition
of not only being accredited by the National
Association of Schools of Music since
1955, but has recently been recognized in October
2011 as an ‘All-Steinway School.’
With this tradition of excellence, the Music
Department continues to provide an exemplary
music education for all of our students
while supporting the greater community with
a variety of concerts for all tastes,” department
chair, Dr. Victor Vallo said.
The Department of Psychological
Science continues to be one of
the most highly decorated departments
within the university from
winning its Department Program Excellence
Award from Georgia College in 1999-2000 to
the 2010-11 school years.
Psychological Science Department
Chair Dr. Lee Gillis is proud of the department
and the achievements of its faculty, staff
and students.
The faculty members and staff of psychological
science have a current emphasis and a
long history of excellence in teaching, service
to students and the university. This department
has also been recognized for excellence
through four Distinguished Professor Awards,
six Excellence in Teaching Awards, eight Excellence
in Research and Publication Awards,
and two Presidential Staff Awards.
“The department has a variety of undergraduate
research labs which is perhaps one
reason a higher percentage of undergraduates
are being accepted into graduate programs,”
Gillis said.
Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Noland
White, working with faculty and staff
in the department submitted the nomination
letter for the 2010-11 Department Program
Excellence Award. There were certain qualifications
to be submitted for the award. The
department had to give an extensive description
for each category such as individual and
collective faculty efforts to improve teaching
and student learning, methods of assessment
of student learning that go beyond student
evaluations, programs for advising mentoring
students, certain success of the students, and
faculty/staff accomplishments among others.
“The application required a lot of work.
It was a pleasure working with Dr. Kristina
Dandy and Ms. Myrna Olsson-Owen to gather
the necessary materials and complete the application,”
White said. “It was a great honor
for our department to receive the award and
in my opinion, a testament to the wonderful
group of faculty, staff and students we have.”
Dr. Kristina Dandy is an Assistant Professor
of Psychological Science and Ms. Myrna
Olsson-Owen is the Administrative Assistant
of the department.
The Department of Psychological Science
offers courses that challenge students to question
assumptions and provides experiences
to prepare undergraduates for life, work, and
graduate study. The department is continuing
to establish a persistent and perpetual process
of shared governance and collaboration that
promotes excellence in all areas of student
learning, faculty/staff development, and leads
towards success for its students.. The faculty
are providing and assessing student learning
and achievement that goes beyond students’
grades and completion of courses.
A testament to the department’s success are
the increasing number of students accepted to
masters and doctoral programs in psychology.
Faculty and students at the Fall 2011 Induction Ceremony for PSI CHI: Psychology Honor Society.
Department of Psychological
Science
By: Jasmine Thomas, Public Relations student
14 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 15