The decision by the Northwestern University School of Music to recommend closing organ degree programs came after thorough review and consultation with the elected School of Music Faculty Executive Committee.
This recommendation was based on the combination of low demand–for example, only one undergraduate major has enrolled in the program in the last three years–this year’s departure of the one faculty member who teaches organ music full-time, assessment of the likelihood of the organ program’s achieving recognized excellence, and the need to allocate the school’s resources wisely.
In the last several years, the school has invested significant resources in the organ program, including hiring an organ professor and other part-time instructors and offering scholarships. Despite these and other efforts, the number of students enrolling in the program has continued to dwindle, and there is no indication this trend will reverse itself.
Given these factors, we believe it is unlikely that Northwestern would be able to sustain a high-quality organ program.
There are now 11 undergraduate and postgraduate students who are majoring in organ and only one will require additional organ instruction after this academic year to complete her degree. All 11 students will be able to complete their studies, provided they make normal progress.
The music school also will continue to offer high-quality organ instruction for students who wish to study on a non-degree basis.
In accordance with university policy, the recommendation to end the degree program has been forwarded to Northwestern’s chief academic officer, the provost, who will seek the counsel of the General Faculty Committee.
If the recommendation is accepted, the decision will take effect at the end of this academic year.
As a steward of this great institution, I am mindful of the tradition of organ at the Northwestern School of Music, which is why we have given this decision a great deal of thought.
The School of Music is one of the top musical institutions in the country. We can maintain–and improve upon–that level of excellence by focusing our efforts and our resources on areas that distinguish us as one of the country’s leading musical institutions.
