Though the artist has not been announced, the University Program Council has planned their annual spring concert for Tuesday, April 29.

“We have an offer (for an artist) that’s been accepted,” said UPC adviser Tyler Thompson. “We’re just waiting on the contracts, which are going through the signature channels as we speak.”

UPC members hope to announce the artist at the beginning of April, said Alonzo Dukes, chairperson of UPC’s live acts committee.

“The week after we come back from spring break is probably when we’ll announce (the artist),” Dukes said. “That way, we’ll have about one month to do public relations (for the concert).”

Signing an artist for this year’s concert has taken slightly longer than years past, Thompson said. However, he encourages UPC members to begin thinking about the concert as early as November.

Knowing which artists to pursue and securing funds for the concert are at the top of the list of things to do, Thompson said.

“There is a benefit to waiting (until later in the school year) to choose an artist,” Thompson said. “You’re more likely to get a huge artist who is between tour dates, and you can get them at a benefit to the university.”

The live acts committee begins their search for the concert artist after their budget is set Oct. 1, Dukes said.

From his experience, Thompson said the timeline for securing an artist and planning the concert is about the same at other schools.

“There’s a process whenever you’re doing this,” Thompson said. “(Being behind) is nothing bad on their (UPC’s) part, and I don’t think it would have changed the outcome.”

While the annual student concert is held during the fall semester at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Director of Student Activities Nichole Goode said they usually announce their artist in early June.

“We hold our concert the Saturday after classes begin,” Goode said. “We begin looking at artists in early February and conduct a student poll (to choose an artist) around (the time of) spring break. We typically try to announce in early June, after the first or second orientation session.”

After looking at their budget, as well as which artists are available, Goode said her office usually offers anywhere from three to four artists students would really enjoy having on campus. They also leave room for students to make suggestions each year.

“There are lots of things to consider,” Goode said. “We like to rotate the genres from year to year, and you can’t please everyone, but we typically do a good job of choosing artists that the students like and keeping those things in mind.”

Tim Barrington, faculty adviser for the Student Activities Council at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said the council begins planning their annual concert at the beginning of the calendar year. The concert is held each fall during the town’s Soybean Festival, which falls on Labor Day weekend.

The SAC at UTM partners with the town to sponsor a Student Night at the Festival, where their annual concert is held. The council funds the entire concert, Barrington said.

“We have several acts booked already for the festival,” Barrington said. “We don’t announce the artist until it is contractually agreed upon, but we usually always announce it at least three months in advance.”

While they might be behind schedule this year, Dukes said UPC members have extended offers to artists who either did not work out or did not accept or deny the offer in a timely manner.

“We’ve had people back out or have been unable to accommodate (certain artists),” Dukes said.

Having a concert each spring is not a “sacred cow,” Thompson said.

“I try to hold (UPC members) to certain timelines and expectations (for the concert),” Thompson said. “But they’re not guaranteed to have a spring concert if they can’t meet those expectations.”