Arts & Sciences embarks on ambitious planning initiative

Each of the University's departments and programs has begun or will soon begin an extensive self-examination that will culminate with the creation of five-year plans. Recent administrative shifts and the completion of the capital campaign this fall spurred the ambitious planning initiative.

It has been several years since the University has engaged in such extensive planning, so it is time for retrospection and self-examination, according to Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Ernst, who spearheaded the initiative. She explained that the recent of arrivals of President Larry Bacow and Provost Jamshed Bharucha also make a comprehensive look at Arts and Sciences appropriate.

The changing nature of many academic disciplines at Tufts has also necessitated a review of the University's progress and future planning, Ernst said. In the past few years, Tufts has added five new majors _ Italian Studies, Community Health, Women's Studies, Peace and Justice Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies _ and other fields are experiencing innovations that make the present an ideal time to plan.

Each department or program has been asked to consider a number of factors in formulating its five year plan, including the evolution of the faculty and the discipline, possible alterations to the curriculum, new facilities that might be required, and, when applicable, whether the graduate program is satisfactory. If faculty turnover is occurring, departments must consider not only how to fill the vacated positions, but why the replacements are justified.

The five-year plans are not intended to be mere wish lists for the departments. "If the departments say they would like six new faculty and one new building, that by itself is not enough," Ernst said. The five-year plans also require departments to ask "hard questions," since the University's limited funds will prevent some of the faculty's desires from becoming realities.

The reports are due to the Dean of Arts and Sciences office by April 1.

The planning process will be familiar to some departments, such as chemistry and psychology, that already engage in self-examination on a regular basis. Such departments are likely to simply update previous planning efforts.

The planning initiative will complement the work of Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience, which released its interim report Wednesday, Ernst said. Both projects are aimed at studying "how to bring Arts and Sciences to the next level of excellence," she said.

Though faculty reaction to the planning initiative has generally been positive, Ernst said some resistance is inevitable when added responsibilities are placed on faculty.

Still, the five-year plan is a good model, according to Harry Bernheim, the chair of the Biology Department. Self-examination gives departments direction, he said, and sometimes departments need to be told to undertake such projects. "If it's dictated, that way, you're more likely to do it," he said.

Members of other disciplines have also embraced the planning initiative as an opportunity for self-study and introspection. The Department of Child Development will travel to a Concord nature preserve next week to work on the planning document. "The faculty generally agreed that it could be a useful exercise, letting us think about what our future direction should be," Professor David Elkind, the chair of the Department of Child Development, said.

As a whole, the five-year plans will allow Tufts to further its reputation for providing "an excellent liberal arts education for undergraduates," Ernst said. "That will remain our focus."

The planning initiative will also allow for the development of some graduate programs. Members of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences have occasionally felt slighted by the University's emphasis on the undergraduate school, she said.

When all of the departments and programs have submitted their five-year plans, they will undergo a review by Ernst, Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences Kevin Dunn, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Robin Kanarek, Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye and Executive Dean for Finance, Budget, and Personnel Wayne Bouchard.

The planning initiative's findings will also be presented to Bharucha, Bacow, and the Board of Trustees.

Recent leadership changes within the School of Medicine and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy mean that those schools will likely engage in similar planning in initiatives in the near future. The School of Engineering is also working on plans similar in structure to those of the School of Arts and Sciences.

Though universities often participate in self-examination at regular intervals, Ernst would like to integrate the planning process into Tufts' culture. "We want to be ready for a new capital campaign in a few years," she said.