I read with interest the column written by Joseph Asch '79 ("Dear Old Dartmouth?,"Feb. 28). One of the wonderful features of our alumni is their continued concern for the intellectual life and programs of the College. Their involvement reflects a deep love for this institution. While I always welcome discussions about the state of Dartmouth, I do want to be sure that any dialogue is based on the facts. I would, therefore, like to clear up some factual errors in his editorial regarding course capping, faculty recruitment, the Writing Program and faculty meeting agendas.
While we are never happy with over-subscribed classes, they do occur at times. When this situation becomes chronic, such as in the economics department, accommodations are made to alleviate the enrollment pressure. Over the last several years, for example, we have added both new positions and 12 courses to economics. We will continue to work with that department and others to respond to shifting enrollment trends. As many of you may know, one of President Wright's top campaign priorities is to strategically increase the faculty. When adding new faculty, we will continue to identify critical areas with particular needs for growth while continuing to expand opportunities for faculty-student collaboration. In that manner, we will be able to both strengthen the core of the curriculum and to identify areas of innovation or opportunity where Dartmouth can truly excel.
The column suggests that we are reluctant to bring world-class colleagues to Dartmouth because of financial constraints, yet the opposite is true. In fact, Dartmouth has an excellent success rate in recruiting exciting faculty at all levels from Assistant to Full Professor. We also welcome the addition of world-class faculty for short-term appointments, as our institution, like its peers, thrives on the influx of new ideas. In the future, with the addition of the new Distinguished Professorships in Emerging Fields announced early this week, we will have even more opportunity to bring outstanding senior colleagues to Dartmouth and to infuse the campus and community with their creativity.
The column is not correct in stating that we have just begun our efforts to restructure a writing curriculum of English 2, 3, 5 and the first-year seminars into a Writing Program. This evolving program reflects the faculty's long-standing commitment to providing excellent writing instruction in all disciplines. The fact is that a dedicated faculty committee has been at work for several years to develop the new program. They are collaborating with the newly appointed director, Professor Tom Cormen, and his staff of three as they begin revising the current curriculum and developing an expanded discipline-wide portfolio of writing opportunities. The coming years will see a number of enhancements to the curriculum, but our concern for the integrity of each course means that these will be incremental changes that take into consideration the place of each class within the curriculum.
Finally, I would like to explain how the faculty meeting agendas are created. The process is far from "tightly controlled." Agendas for these meetings are set by the Agenda Subcommittee, which is made up of the Dean of the Faculty, the vice-chair of the Committee of Chairs (COC) and the chair of the Committee on Organization and Policy. Any faculty can place an item on the agenda by either talking to the agenda subcommittee or by submitting a petition with 20 names. Faculty members have exercised both these options in recent years.
As Dean of the Arts and Sciences, I am inordinately proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, both in and out of the classroom. We have a highly talented and dedicated faculty, just as we have an exceptionally gifted and engaged student body. As I view the accomplishments of each group, I have a hard time seeing these vibrant people as representing a Dartmouth in "slow decline." To any alumni who hold that view, I extend the invitation to come to campus and sit in on a day of classes. I can think of few more stimulating ways to spend 24 hours.
