NASM corresponds with member institutions primarily through their official institutional representative. Official institutional representatives vote on behalf of the institution, receive original copies of Commission Action Reports regarding accreditation status, are eligible to hold office in NASM and participate in such activities as accreditation reviews to other applicant institutions. NASM does not stipulate who this representative should be. Normally, institutions appoint the executive leader of the music unit; however, other administrators and faculty members with expertise in the discipline may also serve as institutional representatives. For further information, see How to Be an Official Institutional Representative to NASM.
Each accredited institution and its music unit are responsible for developing sets of internal reporting responsibilities for and to an official institutional representative. Therefore, each institution needs to develop its own protocols for the distribution of copies of accreditation actions and other correspondence, or for forwarding information received electronically.
An institution may change its institutional representative by providing written notification to the National Office of NASM. If the institution so wishes, an individual changing positions within the institution may continue as the official institutional representative. An institution may change its representative temporarily for purposes of voting at an Annual Meeting.
The following five worksheets contain examples of common events when NASM especially recommends the establishment of an internal communications system. The worksheets are not inclusive of all steps in the application process for Membership or renewal of Membership, but rather are examples of such instances where an established communication system would be beneficial to the institution. The focus of the events listed in the worksheets is the communication, distribution, and/or use of information flowing between the Association and the institutional representative.
Please Note: Use of these worksheets or similar distribution protocols is not a requirement of NASM Membership.