Chapin Hall Building home of the John J. Cali School of Music

Cali Facilities

Find essential information for visiting and using Cali School facilities, including directions and parking, building access hours, University ID requirements, practice room and recital hall policies, and available student resources. Review these guidelines before coming to campus to help keep Chapin Hall safe, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.

Directions and Parking

Park in the Red Hawk Deck at Montclair State University and use “Red Hawk Parking Deck” for GPS. From the deck, walk along College Avenue to Chapin Hall, home of the John J. Cali School of Music. It is just a short walk from the parking deck. Visitors must pay to park in the Red Hawk Deck unless free parking is specifically noted for your event or campus visit.


Building Access Policy

Academic and administrative buildings are locked at 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends. Cole Hall follows a different schedule and locks at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students, faculty, and staff may still access buildings by tapping in with a valid Montclair State University ID card until 11 p.m. each day. Regular building access resumes daily at 6:30 a.m., unless you have approved lab or practice room access.

No ID, no entry

Please carry your University ID at all times. If you need a replacement card or do not yet have one, visit the ID Card Office. University Police cannot assist with routine lockouts.

 

Important Reminders

Teaching Spaces & Door/Window Coverings

  • The vision panels (rectangular windows) in practice room doors and doors of teaching spaces are part of the University's building and safety design and must remain unobstructed. 
  • Students, Faculty, and Adjuncts may not place paper, signs, clothing, furniture, or any other materials over or across door windows/vision panels.
  • Any such coverings will be promptly removed by MSU personnel with practice/instructional time interrupted as necessary.

Returning Rooms to Their Default Configuration

  • All faculty, students, and adjuncts are responsible for returning classrooms to their default configuration upon leaving. This includes:
    • closing windows and doors
    • returning furniture to its original arrangement
    • racking chairs and music stands that were used
    • removing or putting away any materials or equipment that were brought into the space
    • turning off lights when leaving
  • Please do not leave rooms, classrooms, or rehearsal spaces open or accessible after use. Open rooms can result in unauthorized use, requiring staff to spend valuable time resetting spaces, and negatively impact teaching time/activities. 
  • Closing windows is particularly important as temperatures can vary significantly throughout the day during seasonal changes, and can negatively affect pianos and other equipment.

Facility Requests & IT Needs

If you encounter an issue with a room or building equipment, please report it directly to the Facilities Team so that it can be addressed promptly:
  • Facilities Requests: For issues such as dim or broken lights, broken thermostats, or other related concerns, please contact the MSU Facilities team:
    • From an office or one of the hallway phones, dial extension 5444
    • From a personal cell phone, call 973-655-5444
  • CART IT: For classroom technology, MSU devices, printers, or other related concerns, please contact the CART IT team:
    • From an office or hallway phone, dial extension 7808
    • From a personal cell phone, call 973-655-7808
  • If there is an immediate classroom technology issue that is impacting teaching, CART IT is typically able to respond quickly and assist on site.


Facilities

Cali School - Chapin Hall (CH)—During the academic year, the building and practice rooms are open every day from 7 am until 11 pm. On Saturdays, the New Jersey Youth Symphony Orchestra (NJYSO) uses most of the classrooms and practice rooms until mid-afternoon, but then rooms are available until 11 pm. For safety reasons, students are only permitted in the building during regular hours. Students are permitted in classrooms only during regular class time or when approved by staff, faculty, or other authorized individual. Campus police officers have been instructed to enforce this policy.

Mailroom—Faculty and staff mailboxes in CH149 are accessible for mail, messages and materials. 

Telephones—Emergency In-house phones and emergency contact information are located in the hallways on every floor. Cell phones should be silenced during classes and performances.

Faculty offices and studios:  Faculty offices and studios are off limits to unsupervised students. Students found violating this rule may be required to forfeit practice and/or performance privileges. 

Leshowitz Recital Hall—The hall is available for degree recitals and Cali School ensembles including times for dress rehearsal and performance. See Recital Policies for complete information. Students are not permitted in the Recital Hall unaccompanied. A faculty member must be present to gain access (accompanist, applied lesson teacher).

Practice rooms— If practice rooms are not in use for lessons, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis for current music majors. The room schedule can be found on the TV monitor outside the main office. Rooms are only to be used for active instrumental/vocal practice. Study time, homework, or anything else outside of active practicing is not permitted. Please seek other lounge/quiet areas on campus. If a room contains personal items but is unoccupied for 15 minutes, students may respectfully remove the items and claim the room for active practice.

Building Maintenance—All maintenance and facilities concerns can be addressed by reporting to the Facilities office through the online ticketing system, or by using any phone in the building to dial ext 5444. 

Keys—Students may not be given keys to studios or other locked areas without the written consent of a staff or faculty member. Students gaining access through violation of this rule may be subject to university sanctions. 

Food in Chapin Hall—Food is allowed only at the tables in the ground floor lounge area. No student recital receptions are allowed in the building. Students may make their own arrangements for receptions in other campus buildings or off campus.

Pianos—Note any issues you find on the tuning and maintenance request sheet located in the main office. 

Computers/Audio Software—The computer lab (CH-122) provides Macintosh computers with keyboards and professional audio software for use by students.

Copying—The school copier is for the use of faculty only. There are self-serve copiers in Sprague Library, University Hall (5th floor) and the Student Center.

Bulletin Boards—Notices may be posted on designated general bulletin boards only. Any notices taped to doors or in stairwells will be removed. Permission is required from the Student Affairs Office (Student Center 4th floor) to post flyers at other locations on campus.

Bookstore—The campus bookstore (973-655-5460; fax: 973-655-1291, bkstr.com) on the ground floor of the Student Center sells textbooks, stationery, school supplies, general books, etc.

University Closings—Closings information will be announced on the University webpage (montclair.edu), on the automated telephone line 973-655-7810, and via email and text. Always check before leaving for campus in cases of severe weather.

Lost and Found—Turn in found items to the Main Office. Look for a lost item in the “Lost & Found” cabinet in the mail room. The Cali School is not responsible for lost items.

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