College President James Wright proposed changes to sophomore summer to make the term "a showcase of what Dartmouth can do" at the Fall term general faculty meeting in Alumni Hall on Monday.
Wright suggested four changes that he said would increase depth and breadth of study: scheduling classes in intensive blocks of three weeks rather than nine or 10, making courses worth three credits rather than one, having professional school professors teach some undergraduate classes and better integrating the Hopkins Center, Tucker Foundation and other campus centers in thematic learning programs.
"For 30 years it has evolved but it has not been strategically and intellectually managed by the faculty and the administration," Wright said of the sophomore summer experience.
Wright went on to call the state of the College "excellent" and to laud class sizes, noting that 65 percent of classes have 20 or fewer students. Wright said that he expects the percentage to rise in the coming years.
Wright acknowledged the challenge of accommodating the large number of students who wish to take classes in the economics and government departments, but offered no immediate solution to the problem, instead inviting the community to address the situation.
In his address to the faculty, Wright also reviewed the College's recent construction projects and highlighted several upcoming expansions.
"By the time we finish the currently planned buildings we will have spent over $1 billion dollars on the campus," he said.
In addition to the existing facilities, the College will soon see the addition of a new commons in the McLaughlin Cluster, a Visual Arts Center and a Life Sciences Center.
The Life Sciences Center will be named for the Class of 1978, which has committed to raising the full $40 million for the project by June. This state-of-the-art building will synthesize classroom education and sustainable living. In addition to traditional classroom and research spaces, the center will also include a greenhouse, daylighting and a roof specifically designed to keep the building cool.
While Wright reserved most of his speech to outline his aspirations for Dartmouth's future, he briefly addressed the recent debate over the actions of the Board of Trustees, expressing his support for the board's recent revisions.
Wright admonished those alumni who have sought legal action against the College and have drawn students into the controversy.
"It is crucial for everyone to understand that Dartmouth is not divided in our values and sense of purpose," said Wright. "We are quite certain of who we are and what we aim to be."
Also on the agenda of the faculty meeting was the revision of the Council Charge and Membership for the Council on Computing. With one amendment, the motion, which was designed to allow for more faculty input, was approved unanimously by the present faculty members.
There were over 150 attendees at the meeting, including faculty and a gallery of observers.
