Task Force publishes first 'Status Report'

The status report of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience was published online last Thursday. The document outlines the Task Force's actions, observations made, and the future goals.

In the report, which was released to faculty the day before, the Task Force identified three themes that arose in many of its meetings throughout the spring semester _ climate, coherence, and community. The report was mainly an update on what the committee has done so far and did not address what it might recommend in the future. An interim report with more details will be released later in the fall.

Of the 33 outreach meetings held over the past year, only seven have been primarily composed of students. The other meetings have consisted mainly of faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni.

In addition to meetings, the Task Force has worked closely with the Tufts Office of Institutional Research, which provided the Task Force committee with a wealth of information gathered from student surveys, such as the graduating senior survey from the class of 2001. They also collaborated with the Task Force to conduct a survey of the faculty last spring.

These 240 faculty surveys gave suggestions on ways to improve co-curricular life and target what faculty members would change if they were given the resources.

According to Chair of the Task Force Gilbert Metcalf, an economics professor, both students and faculty expressed an overall satisfaction with Tufts.

Members of the Task Force are concerned that some student groups are under-represented by the survey process. To address this, the committee has planned several outreach meetings for October. Meetings centering on the "cultural climate" and the "co-curricular agenda" have been scheduled, and the Task Force has contacted the directors of the six culture centers for help in soliciting students. These meetings will help the committee obtain more input on what is important to students, especially those that haven't yet been heard from, Metcalf said.

"I think the Task Force has done an excellent job of actively encouraging students to participate," said James-Christian Blockwood, one of the three student members of the committee. "It's up to those individuals to put forth their viewpoints."

The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to the Task Force also plans to do more student outreach this fall.

"We're here for the students," said Sarah Stroback, a senior and member of the SAC. "We take them seriously, and will relay their comments."

The advisory committee has recently divided into sub-committees with individual agendas. Each sub-committee addresses an issue such as residential life, or diversity on campus. They then analyze the issue, and are responsible for outlining possible solutions for it.

Already, Task Force meetings with the different academic committees of both administrators and faculty on campus have gathered much input. In these meetings, the Task Force asked committee members to comment on the points of its charge.

The response to these meetings has been positive.

Assistant Director of International Relations (IR) John Jenke said the meeting he attended with the Task Force went well. The IR department "has great faith in the current administration and are confident that the IR program will be given a fair hearing," he said.

Some of the suggestions that were made in Jenke's meeting relate back to the three themes identified by the Task Force. To foster an environment in which faculty and students can interact informally the IR department suggested constructing a new conference center that would facilitate modern communication, visiting lecturers, and act as a gathering space for students after class ends.

After class, students are ushered out of the building because there is nowhere to go and that the "continuity of conversation is disrupted," Jenke said. He also said a desire is to unburden the student-faculty relationship of administrative tasks, once again encouraging a more intellectual rather than bureaucratic atmosphere.

The Task Force will release draft scenarios over the next few months that will outline how Tufts wants to define itself, and "what it will mean to be a Tufts grad in ten years." These scenarios will be available on the Task Force website, distributed around campus, and discussed in future meetings.