Introduction to the A&S Task Force Reports

Our broad strategic planning efforts at both College and Departmental levels produced many valued outcomes including, if not especially, consensus on several common goals. As a result, three task forces were appointed to identify challenges and options for achieving these goals. Because of our role as the core of the university, representatives from other colleges and central administration joined faculty, staff and students from the College of Arts & Sciences on these task forces. These groups have worked throughout the intervening year, meeting regularly and consulting widely. Their ensuing reports are provided below.

I invite your careful reading of these reports and especially your reaction to the options they present. Some of the suggestions are easily implemented; others will require much more careful planning and additional resources. At a September 17th retreat, chairs and directors discussed the recommendations and prioritized the range of options based on their initial ranking of the various proposed items. This draft ranking will now be discussed throughout the College, formally and informally, during the autumn term. The results of these discussions will be collected by the end of January and an action plan prepared by the end of winter quarter.

Please feel free to contact any of the task force members, your chair/director, the divisional deans or me with your suggestions and questions throughout this process. These task force reports provide us with many exciting, stimulating options for achieving our ambitious goals. This is an important moment for the College, and for the University; a moment that deserves the scrutiny and commitment of each member in our community. Please join in the process.

David Hodge
Dean