b. Is concerned that separate program reviews would adversely affect a sense of common purpose or future cooperation; c. Wants to conduct the NASM review primarily in terms of standards compliance; d. Would be challenged to allocate administrative and faculty time, resources and skills to organizing, coordinating, reporting, and synthesizing the separate program studies; or e. Has just completed or has other regular evaluative procedures that accomplish specialized program reviews that focus on strategic futures analysis. Additional Formats If you are interested in additional options regarding Self-Study formats, see “” on the NASM Web site. About This Document This set of procedures is comprehensive, as Format C is intended for use by a broad range of sizes and types of institutions. Only those sections and procedures applicable to your specific institution should be used. “N/A” may be used in sections that do not apply. General Instructions—Format C A. Functions 1. For institutions, the self-study process should be creative, tailored to local needs and conditions, forthright, and illuminating. The resulting Self-Study document should explore possibilities, provide baselines for future efforts, and support aspirations and improvement. Both the self-study process and the resulting document should focus on how well the music unit and the institution develop the knowledge and skills of students. 2. For NASM, the Self-Study document presents the music program and addresses its present and future, all with respect to Standards and Guidelines that appear in the NASM Handbook. 3. For the institution and NASM, the Self-Study document describes and evaluates the extent to which the various parts of the music unit work separately and together, not just as an operational system, but in terms of artistic, intellectual, and educational achievement. B. Time Frame The Self-Study is usually based on the last completed academic year, with additional information provided for significant developments since the close of that year. C. Essential Documents 1. The Handbook (and addenda, when applicable) can be downloaded from the “NASM Handbook” section of the NASM Web site. NASM standards are found only in the current
statements for that section can be found. Following the format outline you have chosen will save time, reduce redundancy, and be clearest to visitors and Commissioners. Standards statements in the NASM Handbook begin with the “Basic Criteria for Membership” and follow with general issues of purpose and operations. They then proceed to curricular programs of various levels and types, and continue on to various kinds of institutional and programmatic specializations. The ordering and numbering of these Handbook statements reflect their comprehensiveness; the standards address a wide variety of institutions, programs, and possibilities. Not all Handbook statements are applicable to every institution, and thus not all Handbook statements will need to be addressed in every Self-Study. 2. For these and other reasons, the ordering and numbering of the standards in the Handbook are not the same as the ordering of items in the Self-Study outline for any format, or the outline in any institutional Self-Study. In some instances, there is parallel ordering, but there is never an exact correlation throughout. Example: As noted above, Standards for Accreditation I. in the Handbook presents “Basic Criteria for Membership.” However, if an institution provides all the information requested in any Self-Study format outline, the standards listed as “Basic Criteria” should be addressed automatically. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, no Self-Study format asks for a separate response to the “Basic Criteria”; item I in each Self-Study format addresses another portion of the standards. 3. Consistency of ordering and numbering between the Handbook and the Self-Study document is not possible, required, or expected. Please follow the outline order of the format that has been chosen and use it to demonstrate compliance with or fulfillment of published NASM standards applicable to the specific programs of your institution. 4. The content outline for Format C follows.