The Faculty of Sonoma State University recognize the unique and extraordinary educational opportunities that the Weill Hall, Lawn, and Commons, Schroeder Hall, the Music Education Hall, and all the facilities at the Green Music Center provide. The Faculty recognize and appreciate the many generous gifts that have made these facilities possible, as well as the ongoing support provided by donors, the California State University system, and the State of California. This collective support makes possible a rich combination of educational, scholarly, creative, and community-enrichment activities consistent with the primary mission of Sonoma State University as a public higher education institution of liberal arts and science.
Therefore, the Faculty of SSU envision the GMC as:
- An educational home and performance space for the Sonoma State University Departments of Music and Theater Arts & Dance, as well as other departments, and for collaborations between these departments and with visiting and community-based performers;
- The enduring home and performance space for the Santa Rosa Symphony, our regional treasure of national and international reputation;
- The home and performance space for Sonoma State Department of Music ensembles, dedicated to the local and regional advancement of musical excellence;
- A venue for world-class performances as exemplars of artistic excellence, with an emphasis on presenting performers who will engage with the SSU and Sonoma County arts community through master classes, class visits, presentations, lectures, and other outreach activities;
- A vibrant showcase for emerging artists of note, both to enrich the experience and awareness of students, faculty, and community members, as well as to provide crucial opportunities for those emerging artists in their own development as performers;
- An institution advancing regional and statewide music education at all levels, including K-12 and post-secondary levels.
- A venue for cultivating positive town/gown relationships between the university and its encompassing, increasingly diverse service region, enhancing the salience and appreciation of SSU as a campus of the CSU, a vital asset of the State of California;
- A center of educational and experiential opportunities beyond performance itself, including (but not limited to) all other departments, arts administration, hospitality, and engineering and technical dimensions, for students, faculty, and staff, including internship, service learning, fellowships, academic programs, and work-study programs.
Expectations for Shared Governance and the GMC
The Faculty of SSU will work towards the realization of this vision, responsibly balancing the university’s priorities and allocation of resources to the best advantage of the university as a whole. To do so, the Faculty affirm that the following principles and practices, consistent with shared governance and decision-making expectations established by the California Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act, must be established and sustained:
- Faculty participation at all levels in decisions involving the GMC that significantly affect, directly and indirectly, the delivery of university curricula;
- The integration and articulation of the GMC and its programs with the university as a whole, to further the primary educational mission of the university as a public higher education institution of liberal arts and science;
- The representation of the Faculty on the Board of Advisors for Weill Hall and the GMC, and on its committees, including especially the GMC Board of Advisors Executive Committee, and committees involved in music education (both university and community), programming, and community outreach;
- That GMC budgets and financial obligations do not negatively affect the university’s operations, especially the funding of its primary unit, Academic Affairs, and that the allocation of university resources to the GMC be transparent, timely, and involve meaningful faculty consultation.