In a recent letter to the Dartmouth community as well as an editorial in the Valley News, College President James Wright stressed the need for further growth at the College, while at the same time continuing to preserve the character of the Town of Hanover.
Although focusing on somewhat different subjects, the letter and editorial both speak of Wright's "charge and responsibility... to protect and enhance this College and its long-term competitive strength and excellence."
Wright told The Dartmouth in an interview last night that he was prompted by members of the Howe Library board, with whom he spoke at their annual meeting, to write the editorial. Wright also wrote an editorial two years ago urging New Hampshire to adopt Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official state holiday.
Throughout his tenure as president, Wright has tried to reshape the future of Dartmouth. The current move aimed at the continuing growth of the College's real estate holdings has raised questions in the minds of some about the impact the expansion will have on the Town of Hanover.
"The histories of Hanover and Dartmouth have been intertwined since our earliest days," Wright wrote in the editorial, which was published in late November.
"No organization or individual in this town has a longer-term stake in the quality and strength of the Upper Valley than does Dartmouth," he continued.
The question of Wright and Dartmouth's mindfulness of the relationship between the town and the College has emerged with the 1999 purchase of a parcel of property in downtown Hanover and the prospects of even more purchases such as Hanover High and Middle Schools.
Although the President writes that he would like to provide increased choices for students and faculty, he pledged both in the editorial and the letter that "we have no intention of extending the campus any further."
The College and the town are currently both in the midst of significant changes. It is of the utmost importance that the college attempts to preserve the "idiosyncratic whimsy so characteristic of a classic New England town" while continuing to grow as an institution, he said.
Indeed, over the past two years, the future of the college has assumed a new, more tangible, shape.
Several new facilities -- most notably Berry Library and the accompanying Novak Caf -- have sprung up around campus, but not without controversy.
Additionally, the focus of Wright's letter to the Dartmouth community further details upcoming changes. Faculty expansion, more support for research, "competitive compensation for faculty and staff," computing upgrades and renovation and construction of new buildings were all mentioned by the President in both documents.
Wright seemed to view many of these innovations as independent of the Student Life Initiative, noting that "while academic and financial planning have consumed much of our attention over the past six months, we have also moved ahead with the implementation of the Student Life Initiative."
It is particularly in this arena that Wright accented the importance of working closely with the town of Hanover, echoing his editorial, writing that "in moving forward, we are mindful of the need to preserve the character of the town that provides our home."
Unlike the editorial, Wright's letter primarily centered on the recent financial planning at the College.
Among the other changes at the school, Wright emphasized the need to fill specific insufficiencies.
The College has "both an obligation and a commitment to ensure that a Dartmouth education remains as accessible as possible," he writes. Although tuition is significant, it only covers part of the cost of an education -- Dartmouth's commitment to small classes and a sophisticated residential environment is costly.
The letter also stressed increased funding for faculty research.
Federal and corporate support covers some research. However, grants are given primarily in the sciences, and faculty working in the social sciences and humanities at times feel left out. "Dartmouth must find support from our own resources for these faculty, as well as provide seed money for faculty who are looking to start new ventures."
