Music students and faculty members worry for spring quarter following the recently proposed budget cuts by the Services and Activities (S&A) Committee.

For eight years, the S&A committee has consistently provided base funding for the music program’s travel budget, which has allowed the music program to perform at events. This is the first time such defunding has been proposed by the S&A committee. The decision was partially made based on a fall survey conducted with about 480 participants, or 3% of the student population. 

Without a travel budget, the music program cannot travel to the many prestigious festivals they had been invited to attend. 

“You know, it’s a big deal for Central Washington University to be recognized on an international stage, but it also you know, it kind of puts us on the map,” the Chair of the Music Department Dr. Todd Shivers said. 

Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, the trombone choir would have traveled to Japan, and the orchestra would have traveled to Chicago for the Midwest Band and Orchestra clinic. According to Shivers, CWU is the first west coast collegiate orchestra to be invited to the clinic. 

“People come to the conference because they want to hear the best of the best,” Shivers said.

The S&A committee’s proposed budget cuts will also potentially impact the marching band. 

“Our marching band brings in a lot of students every year,” instrumental music education major Zarahfina Garcia said, “and all the trips that we go on is a big marketing technique for the university. Without all of the trips that we do, a lot of people internationally and just throughout the United States would not know about Central Washington, since we are located in Ellensburg, and we’re not that big of a city.” 

Gregg Schlanger, chair of the Art and Design department, is one of the faculty members involved with the S&A committee. His field also faces budget cuts from the committee, but he supports their decision. 

For most programs, S&A receives requests for supplemental funding if they need funding for travel, but the music program is unique.

“There are still other ways that some of us can go back to S&A,” said Schlanger. 

Unlike most programs, music receives base funding since they have had to travel every year. If S&A completely defunds the music program’s budgets, the music program may need to request supplemental funding for future travel.

The decision for the budget cuts will be voted on and finalized on April 13. The results of the vote were not known at the time of publication.

If you would like to read more about the music program, you can do so on their website at https://www.cwu.edu/music/cwu-music-department