A historical study of the committee on institutional cooperation (CIC) music education group, 1965-2015

The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) was founded in 1958 by the Council of Ten (Big Ten Universities) and the University of Chicago to share expertise and facilitate development of cooperative academic projects. Music educators in CIC institutions developed a disciplinary group that reflected the goals of the CIC. The purpose of the study was to document the history of the CIC Music Education group between 1965 and 2015, by identifying the roots and development of interinstitutional cooperation that led to the creation of an annual conference beginning in 1975, describing the function and activities of the group, gathering perspectives on its value from those who organized and attended annual conferences, and evaluating the significance of the group, regionally and nationally. Perspectives were gathered through interviews, surveys, and email correspondence with current, former, and emeriti faculty and former doctoral students. Interviews were conducted in person or by phone. The evidence suggests that annual CIC music education conferences have provided meaningful professional networks and social exchanges among faculty and doctoral students. For doctoral students, in particular, conferences gave them opportunities to meet some of the eminent faculty in the profession and to establish bonds with other doctoral students who would become their professional peers. From the evidence, we identified continuity, collaboration, and community as strengths of the group as well as challenges that the members have grappled with over the decades.