As seniors, we have grown to love Tufts as a university and community. However, after reading the Tufts Daily article on Tufts' "non-expansion" policy, we thought it might be appropriate to give our opinion on the subject.
We wholeheartedly reject the notion of "unwanted dormitories and academic facilities in the local area," because it implies that further development of Tufts is unwanted and that we are a burden to the local communities. We believe that the development of Tufts should be a crucial objective for the administration and for the towns of Medford and Somerville.
In fact, they should be discussing the direction into which Tufts should expand next, as the university brings economic and social benefits to these areas. Since most of us are also familiar (perhaps too familiar) with Harvard Square as well as the area surrounding Boston University and MIT, we see the obvious benefits of university expansion into surrounding neighborhoods.
While it is possible to argue that those popular areas are geographically and economically better positioned, that doesn't mean that the same urban "model" couldn't apply to the communities of Medford and Somerville, both of which seem like they are in dire need of development.
A healthy relationship consists of both giving and receiving. And while it is clear to us to what extent these two communities benefit from Tufts on a daily basis, isn't it fair to ask: What do they give back to us?
In our opinion, the least they can do is allow Tufts to expand. The area of Somerville is huge, and should Tufts decide to express an interest to local landowners, they will surely be guaranteed a more than handsome reward for their property.
In fact, local housing prices wouldn't even be at their present level without the presence of Tufts. The expansion of the university is thus in the best interest of both communities, and they should be aware of it.
During our freshman year, two of us lived together in Metcalf Hall in what was meant to be a single - and the university's plan to house some freshmen in triples this year made us almost thankful we came here earlier than them.
It also raises questions, however, about the seriousness of the administration in its claim that Tufts has no need to expand. If we want to stay competitive and be among the top-tier universities, then we need to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.
Enough with the free-riding of Tufts on the Fletcher School's reputation. It's the undergraduate school that was, is and will be the bedrock of the school's reputation and popularity, just like the Ivies.
A master plan for the next decade should include the creation of a business school and new dorms coupled with bigger facilities - not just refurbished buildings such as the recently "renovated" Braker Hall.
A new science building would help Tufts stay competitive amongst other research universities. The argument that Tufts does not want to have a business school is not credible. The demand for it is definitely here, with economics (and other) majors struggling to find spots in business-oriented classes.
A more complete merger with the New England Medical Center would also help to strengthen Tufts' overall research and medical school credibility and finally do justice to the name Tufts-NEMC.
These are just some ideas that we think should be seriously considered so that the school can finally start catching up with the schools it desires to emulate.
Furthermore, we would like to ask the Daily to stop referring to schools such as Stanford, Yale and Princeton as our "peer schools." While acknowledging the superb academics at Tufts, these universities are out of our league, and any suggestion that we should put ourselves on an equal footing with them is, in fact, an insult to our intelligence.
They are continuously ranked as top institutions, not just in the United States, but also internationally. A recent ranking published by the Times Higher Education Supplement ranks Tufts at 159 globally, versus Stanford at 19, Yale at 2 and Princeton at 6. We also believe it is too easy to reject the concept of university rankings when a school is not improving. It is reasonable to say that if Tufts were ranked in the top five, people here would surely not contest the result.
Therefore, we feel that it is perfectly logical to pose the question: Why isn't Tufts following the example of these leading institutions and increasing investment to stay competitive?
Clearly, these "top" institutions must be doing something right. The article "Just add cash" in the Nov. 27 issue of The Economist magazine claims that investment is the way to go for U.S. universities. The article cites multiple examples of our "peer" universities' building projects, such as the University of Pennsylvania's plan to "tear up around 50 acres (20 hectares) of land adjacent to its campus" and the University of Connecticut's plan "to construct a brand-new 'college town' of dense commercial and residential properties" after having "already added or renovated 9.2m square feet."
Roger Brown's belief that Berklee's new Back Bay dormitories will "contribute to the area's cultural life" is an excellent example of how Tufts should see its own impact on the surrounding municipalities. Mr. Brown should know, as he is the president of the Berklee College of Music, which recently embarked on a mission to build a 25- to 30- story complex to house 600 students.
While we acknowledge that what we are asking for is a lot and will not be implemented all at once, we urge the administration not to close its eyes to growth beyond today's campus.
In fact, since the housing market is in a crisis, we advocate the acquisition of real estate in the surrounding area, as prices are very attractive. We do not believe this to be an immoral act, as the local housing market already includes the "Tufts Premium" and thus, property in the vicinity of Tufts will always be valuable and absorb shocks much easier than less fortunate areas, which do not enjoy the presence of a first-rate research university in their midst.
In conclusion, we would like to say that we are thankful for the privilege of being able to attend Tufts. Its students, faculty and administration are very important to us, and this is the reason why we are addressing this issue.
Andreas Lan is a senior majoring in international relations. Eftichios Matathias is a senior majoring in economics. Lukas Zuegg is a senior majoring in quantitative economics.
