The Daniel Sher Administration (1993-Present)

Daniel P. Sher was appointed Dean of the College in 1993.  He had been a faculty member and Dean of the School of Music at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.  During his years most of the programs and activities begun in previous administrations have continued, and some have grown.  Important changes have been made in facilities, and a number of new programs have been added to the curriculum.   

A second much needed addition was made to the music building as a result of funding from the Colorado State Legislature in the amount of 2.1 million dollars.  Construction was begun in May, 1996.  The addition was made on the east side of the building, and it nearly matches the north addition in height and size.  It consists of an instrumental rehearsal room dedicated to former Dean, Robert R. Fink, and is large enough to house the 200-piece marching band. The east addition also includes practice rooms, instrument storage space, the Hugh MacMillen Band Library, and faculty offices.  Once this construction was completed, renovations were made in the original building, including the conversion of the old Band Room into a percussion/world musics studio, practice rooms, and a “smart” (technology innovative) classroom.  The total cost of all of these improvements was 5.3 million dollars.  The entire Imig Hall complex now stands as a unified structure worthy to compare with the impressive architecture found in many other University buildings. 

Among the new programs during Dean Sher’s administration are the Entrepreneurship Center for Music which was opened in the fall of 1998 with a grant from the Louis and Harold Price Foundation, and a Wellness Program for Music Students that was formally established in the spring of 1999.  New degree programs include the Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano Performance, the Master of Music in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy, the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano, and the Master of Music in Music Theory.  Professional Certificates in Opera and Solo Vocal Performance, and in String Quartet Performance were also offered, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree was expanded to include Jazz Studies and Collaborative Piano.  

Soon after the turn of the century Dean Sher led a campaign to raise funds for the improvement of music faculty salaries. Over 3.5 million dollars was realized, resulting in the College’s first two endowed chairs: the Robert and Judy Charles Professorship in Music and the Joseph Negler Professorship in Music, and three faculty fellowships.  

In the fall of 2003 the Music Library was named for the late Howard Waltz, who had been a substantial benefactor of the College as well as a beloved and long-time member of the faculty.   Professor Waltz had been a key person guiding the growth of the Music Library since its inception in the 1940s.  In 1994 the Lyric Theatre Program, under the direction of Dennis Jackson, received a “Program of Excellence” award from the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.  In December of 2004, the Board of Regents designated Allan McMurray the first “Distinguished Professor” in the history of the College.

As of the 2005-2006 academic year, enrollment in the college consisted of approximately 300 undergraduate and 250 graduate students, and there were over 60 full-time faculty, 25 part time faulty, and 30 staff members.

1978-1993 << 1993-Present >> Afterword