It was very disappointing to read about the erroneous supposed state of the DAN School and its music program in the Oct. 31 and Nov. 7 issues of The Journal.
The DAN School continues to be home to an outstanding group of faculty and staff who provide exceptionally creative and innovative opportunities for our students. These colleagues also conduct research across the performing arts that reaches national and international audiences. Our curricula are cutting-edge—I am proud of them and recommend the School highly.
Queen’s music students continue to receive regularly scheduled high-calibre instruction and coaching, both one-on-one and in small group settings. It goes without saying that our instructors are exceptional and leaders in their respective fields. Moreover, the type of instruction and assessment align with disciplinary expectations that meet and exceed national standards. Our enrollment numbers are stable, with a reduction this year over last by just a single spot, and a growing enrollment since the pandemic. We continue to be one of the largest units in the Faculty of Arts and Science.
We are experiencing profound changes in the higher education sector by shrinking financial resources and changes in disciplinary norms. This is the case in universities across Canada and in many parts of the English-speaking world. Members of the DAN School are facing these challenges with creativity and grit, so that our students will continue to be well-prepared to contribute to the field with confidence, creativity and independence. We continue to adapt and develop collaborations, including leveraging opportunities to develop partnerships with local and international institutions, researchers, and performers.
Finally, I would like to extend an invitation to attend any of our end-of-term performances where you can witness the talent of the students in the DAN School. Tickets are available on our website: https://sdm.queensu.ca/events-calendar
Sincerely,
Julia Brook, PhD
Director, DAN School of Drama and Music
Queen’s University
julia.brook@queensu.ca
Tags
Dan School of Drama and Music, Dialogue, Letter to the Editor, Letters
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Hunter Wolfe
You say all of this yet terminated the single most important member of your faculty. The production coordinator position was instrumental in producing the dan school majors, and integral part of the Drama program you direct. Without the majors, drama students have very little faculty supported production opportunities. The termination of this position put an enormous amount of pressure on the student body producing the 2025-2026 majors as we all had to take on longer hours. Although we persevered, it was extremely frustrating to complete a full scale production without the consistent mentorship the production coordinator provided. This is why we criticize the budget crisis, regardless of how the program looks from your perspective, i have watched the student experience steeply decline in my time here from 2022-2026. I strongly encourage you to interact with the student body you direct far more often as this response is extremely out of touch with their experience.
Anonymous
As a former DAN School student, it is very disheartening to read such an out-of-touch response from the department’s director, especially since a former faculty member was interviewed by the article author (who did a fantastic job). The cuts to the DSDM have been in discussion for a few years now, and each year, student and faculty input and discussion have been tossed to the side. With this information being publicised in the Journal, I hope the current director takes the time to hold herself accountable for the actions taken and reflects on how she can better incorporate student and faculty voices within her decisions.