The addition of a new academic college could be music to the ears of some MSU students and officials.

Academic Assembly received a proposal from university officials on Tuesday to support the School of Music's move to becoming a college. The School of Music is currently a part of the College of Arts and Letters.

Since 2003, the School of Music has been working to change to its own college when President Lou Anna K. Simon, as provost, engaged the university with discussion on reorganizing the colleges, said James Forger, director of the School of Music.

There are a variety of reasons for the School of Music becoming a college, Forger said.

"(The change) would provide an institutional identity and flexibility with our peers," Forger said. "It would also streamline our ability to cooperate with units across campus and provide a structure that would foster development and alumni activities."

The change would not affect the School of Music or College of Arts and Letters curriculum.

"This is a benefit to the students," said Patrick McConeghy, dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

"At least one or two cognates have to be outside the college (of Arts and Letters), and with a music college, they could make music one of the cognates."

The process of changing the school has been proposed to ASMSU, University Committee on Academic Policy, University Committee on Student Affairs and University Graduate Council.

The final decision will be made by the MSU Board of Trustees.

"The change would open up additional opportunities, it would potentially allow people in Arts and Letters to receive a cognate in music and it would allow the college of music to grow," said Eric Hinojosa, ASMSU's Academic Assembly chairperson.

ASMSU is MSU's undergraduate student government.

In the 1997 US News and World Report MSU's School of Music was ranked as one of the top 30 music schools in the country. It was the only top 30 School of Music within a College of Arts and Letters.

"The School of Music is recognized as one of the top in the nation, and it has improvised since then," Hinojosa said.

"Most other schools of music are their own separate college and have their own distinctive administration that helps them operate."

The structure of most music schools ranked in the top 20 are independent colleges, Forger said.

The school is currently working on the processing and McConeghy said he is hopeful the change will occur at the beginning of the 2007 spring semester.