<p>Color, I guess he could take it to the dean - but honestly, I also think that’s potentially the way into a political departmental hornet’s nest.</p>
<p>Yes, taking things higher up can potentially make them worse. I would be reluctant to do so unless there is some evidence that it might do some good. Is the dean a welcoming person who has the students’ best interests at heart? Are there other situations in which a student has approached the dean and been successful with their request (whether or not it was for a teacher change) or at least gotten an understanding and sympathetic ear? Or is the dean a bureaucrat with an accountant’s soul who is known to take the institution’s side over the students’? </p>
<p>It is tough for first-year students to know enough about their institution to know what is possible to change and how to go about changing it. Is there any instructor that your son feels he could approach to get advice? Most instructors have an idea as to what is politically feasible. Ideally every first-year music student has at least one empathetic instructor that is approachable and discreet.</p>
<p>Is there a possibility of a new voice teacher for this fall? I would hope so. If not, I think that I would consider changing schools (and even taking a year off if it were necessary in order to get into a good school–male voices develop late, so an extra year never hurts). </p>
<p>It is very disappointing that the voice department chair commented that other students like the teacher–that displays an extraordinary misunderstanding of the situation. I’m sure that your son never said that the teacher was a bad teacher, but rather that it was a bad fit for him–it is totally irrelevant that others like the teacher–we are all different, voices are very different, personalities are different, learning styles are different–there is no single best teacher for everyone.</p>
<p>Amen to all of that. He DOES have mostly very nice teachers in other subjects within the department, and good relations with them, but the Dean is new in the position this year, and an unknown quantity, at least to DS. Also it’s so hard for a freshman to really have much of a clue about departmental interrelations. As far as changing teachers next fall, the head said it was a “maybe”, not a “certainly” - and yes, I found that rather galling, too ViolinDad. He’s just keeping it positive for now, and hoping for something better next fall. He could change majors - they already lost at least two of the young freshman men who’d entered the department, I know.</p>
<p>datripp, I empathize with your situation. That’s a really tough thorny your son is in. I’m surprised by the chair’s reaction. You’re doing a great job supporting your son. The rest of us are watching from the sidelines hoping for the best.</p>
<p>IMHO, it would not be inappropriate for you to have a conversation with the dean, ask for guidance about how your son should proceed. There is no excuse for the chairman to have more concern about the bursar’s office and their work load than your son’s education. Outrageous. If other young male voice students are leaving the program, the administration should be involved. Lower level administrators do not always have a good perspective of how to handle student issues…they get caught up in bureaucratic detail. Another possibility is for either you or your son to have a conversation with the dean of students, dean for student success, dean of undergraduate instruction…look for those kinds of titles. These administrators do not have faculty reporting directly to them, but they do have a broader awareness of the school and its priorities. (If you would like to PM more specific details about the school where your son is enrolled, I might have perspective on the situation.) Good luck!</p>