Management of departmental instruments and other equipment

The Music Department owns a large number of musical instruments. The use of University-owned equipment is regulated by UVA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer according to strict guidelines. Borrowing of departmental instruments is administered by the Administrative Assistant.

• Instruments or equipment that are borrowed by a faculty member or student for ongoing use are tracked by filling out the form Instrument/Equipment Check-Out Form and User Agreement 
• Instruments that are moved temporarily by faculty from one classroom of OCH to another, or into or out of the Auditorium, are simply tracked by the listserv “Music-Equipment.” If you move a piece of equipment, you must notify our equipment listserv: music-equipment@virginia.edu.

Instrument/Equipment Use Policy

Departmental Use

Musical instruments or equipment belonging to the McIntire Department of Music may be used by University of Virginia students and Music Department faculty for performances, rehearsals, classes, and lessons sponsored by the department, as well as for private practice related to those activities. All other use, including use by UVA faculty not in the Music Department, is prohibited except by written consent from the Director of Music Performance and the Chair of the Music Department. Instruments/equipment checked out to University students or faculty may not be used by unauthorized persons. The Department requires that instruments/equipment be used and cared for according to normal practices for each instrument/equipment. Borrowers must reimburse the University of Virginia for any damage to the instrument/equipment or for the loss of the instrument/equipment if such damage or loss is due to negligence or non-approved use. All borrowers must complete and deposit an Instrument/Equipment Check-Out Form and User Agreement for Use in Old Cabell Hall for Music Department Students and Faculty to the department’s Administrative Assistant. A copy will be forwarded to the departmental faculty person responsible for the instrument/equipment. Borrowers are responsible for removing and returning the instrument/equipment in a manner that does not disturb the teaching or administrative functions of the Music Department.

If the instrument/equipment is to be used outside of Old Cabell Hall, the borrower must complete and deposit an Instrument/Equipment Certification Form and User Agreement for Use Outside of Old Cabell Hall with the department’s Administrative Assistant. Note: Some musical instruments or equipment may not be used outside of Old Cabell Hall, even for department-sponsored events, without written consent from the Director of Music Performance and the Department Chair.

Non-Departmental Use by Department Members

Musical instruments or equipment belonging to the McIntire Department of Music may be used by Music Department faculty for certain performances and rehearsals that are not sponsored by the department. Such use requires the written consent of the Director of Music Performance and the Chair of the Music Department. The basis for granting or denying permission will be the university’s policy statements (https://provost.virginia.edu/faculty-handbook/policy-overview and https://provost.virginia.edu/faculty-handbook).

Where appropriate, the Director of Music Performance and Chair will also consult the faculty member responsible for the instrument or equipment. In cases of non-departmental use, the Department requires that instruments/equipment be used and cared for according to normal practices for each instrument/equipment. All borrowers assume liability for the first $1,000 of repair or replacement costs, regardless of cause. Depending on the specific circumstances of use, borrowers may be required to assume full liability for all damages and to provide proof of insurance sufficient to cover the replacement value as part of the checkout process. This determination will be made by the Director of Music Performance and Chair at the time that use is approved.

All borrowers must complete and deposit an Instrument/Equipment Check-Out Form and User Agreement for Use in Old Cabell Hall for Music Department Students and Faculty with the department. A copy will be forwarded to the departmental faculty person responsible for the instrument/equipment. Borrowers are responsible for removing and returning the instrument/equipment in a manner that does not disturb the teaching or administrative functions of the Music Department.

If the instrument/equipment is to be used outside of Old Cabell Hall, the borrower must complete and deposit an Instrument/Equipment Certification Form and User Agreement for Use Outside of Old Cabell Hall with the department’s Administrative Assistant. Note: some musical instruments or equipment may not be used outside of Old Cabell Hall, even for department-sponsored events, without written consent from the Director of Music Performance and the Department Chair.

Use by Non-UVA Organizations and Individuals

Musical instruments or equipment belonging to the McIntire Department of Music may be used by non-UVA organizations and individuals for certain performances and rehearsals that take place in Old Cabell Hall. The conditions of such use are specified in the Old Cabell Auditorium user contract and are subject to maintenance fees. The non-UVA organization or individual using the instrument or equipment assumes full liability for all damages and must provide proof of insurance sufficient to cover the replacement value.

All borrowers must complete and deposit an Instrument/Equipment Check-Out Form and User Agreement for Non-UVA Organizations and Individuals with the department. Borrowers are responsible for removing and returning the instrument/equipment in a manner that does not disturb the teaching or administrative functions of the Music Department.

Non-UVA organizations and individuals may not borrow or rent departmental instruments or equipment for use outside of Old Cabell Hall.

Instrument and Equipment Inventory

The Department Finance and Administration Manager and the Director of Music Performance administer the instrument and equipment inventory. The Department takes an inventory of its instruments and equipment on an annual basis. Each instrumental faculty is considered to be responsible for the tracking and maintenance of the instruments they are overseeing (e.g., Clarinet Lecturer is responsible for overseeing all the department-owned clarinets, Percussion Lecturer is responsible for overseeing all of the department-owned percussion equipment, etc.). If a new instrument is purchased with Equipment Trust Fund (ETF) monies – most of the more expensive items are – property accounting will place an asset tag with an asset number on the new item. We photograph all new instruments purchased for the inventory as well. The inventory list also includes information such as the item description, model/make, serial number, asset number, purchase price, and location.

Early in spring semester, each Performance Faculty member will receive from the Department Finance and Administration Manager a list of instruments that the Department has on record as being under your oversight. You are expected by the end of spring semester to:

• Verify the instruments on the list, make sure the data on the list is accurate, and fill in any blanks on the inventory sheet, if applicable
• Notify the Department Finance and Administration Manager if anything needs to be added to the list.
• Notify the Department Finance and Administration Manager if any of the instruments have maintenance/overhaul/repair needs. If so, please submit a quote and name of vendor who can provide the service. We have to budget for this during the summer and will let you know if the request has been approved after we review all needs of the department.

[Note: the guidelines for the purchasing of equipment are complex; please see Payment / Reimbursement / Purchasing as well as the document Purchasing Guidelines]

Instruments that are not checked out are kept in secure lockers on the lower level by the practice modules. Note: for security reasons, students should not have the combination to the locker where department-owned equipment is stored. If a student needs to use that instrument, an equipment check-out form should be submitted and the student should then independently rent a locker from the Administrative Assistant. If it is just for a one-time occasion, then arrangements could be made with the Administrative Assistant to retrieve and return the instrument if you are unable to accommodate the student yourself. In this scenario, a form still needs to be submitted.

Instrument Maintenance, Repairs and Purchases

Maintenance and Repairs

At the end of spring semester, the Director of Music Performance requests via email a list of instrument repair and maintenance needs. The Department Finance and Administration Manager, in consultation with the Chair and the Director of Music Performance, determines the annual budget for repairs and maintenance and sends out notification to all faculty members.

In order for a repair to take place, you must first get a bid from a specific vendor (who must also be registered as a vendor in the UVA system) and then request a purchase order from the Department Finance and Administration Manager. All of the purchasing rules apply (see Payment /Reimbursement / Purchasing as well as the document Purchasing Guidelines). Only after a purchase order has been created by the department can repair/maintenance occur.

Requests for emergency repairs need to be sent to the Director of Music Performance and the Department Finance and Administration Manager along with an estimate for the repair. Even in emergencies, a purchase order is still required before the service can be rendered, and the same purchasing rules apply.

Instrument and Equipment Purchases

At the end of spring semester, the Director of Music Performance also requests desired instrument purchases. This wish list is taken into account when the Department submits the annual Higher Education Equipment Trust Fund (ETF) https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/what-equipment-trust-fund) request. The ETF – which, due to the current budgetary climate, is not guaranteed from year to year – was established by the General Assembly to meet a need for new or updated equipment for various educational and general programs in Virginia institutions of higher education.

The request, which is put together by the Department Finance and Administration Manager in consultation with the Chair and the Director of Music Performance, is usually submitted in August and funding notification comes through in September.

In order to qualify for ETF funding, individual items must cost $500 or more. The Music Department also has limited funding available to purchase less-expensive instruments without ETF funding.

Whether or not your proposed instrument will be purchased with ETF funds, your proposal needs to include the following information:

• name of item requested, including make and model number, and a description if necessary
• a fairly accurate estimate of cost of the item including shipping (it’s recommended to receive an actual quote from at least one likely vendor)
• important: justification for the need for the item (which ensembles will benefit from the item, why is it needed, who will monitor the item, etc.)

Once final allocations and approval of funding is received, the purchasing process can begin. All guidelines for competition must be followed as outlined in Section I.B. of the document Purchasing Guidelines (see Payment / Reimbursement / Purchasing). Once the purchase order is created by the Department and approved by Property Accounting and Procurement, the Department staff will alert you.