|
President Carol T. Christ is holding small-group
conversations with students, faculty and staff about positioning Smith most successfully
for the future. Here's a summary of one of the discussions.
President Christ opened the conversation with an overview
of the planning process and why the college is engaging in strategic planning at this
time. The last such process, which took place almost a decade ago, was transformational
for the campus, resulting in a number of new programs and facilities, including the
Brown Fine Arts Center, Kahn Institute, the Campus Center, the Olin Fitness Center,
the Poetry Center and the Picker Engineering Program. She then posed three questions
to the group:
Discussion began with the topic of internationalism. It was pointed out that Smith
has a number of assets in this area: strong language departments and study abroad
programs, immersion and research opportunities, and an overall commitment to being
a “world college.” Suggestions were made to further enhance our offerings
by emphasizing cultural competence and by exploring new ways to partner with the Five
Colleges, specifically with the African studies program.
A suggestion was made to ask
international students to teach others about their cultures, perhaps through panel
discussions. A student said she thought that approach would turn students off. As
a person of color she is on many panels and finds that, over time, she is drained
of the energy that she should be putting into her studies.
A second topic of
discussion was class size and the difficulty of being in a large class. A student
observed that shy students can be reluctant to speak up in large groups. Another said
depth of understanding can only come from a small class setting. When classes are
large, assignments are less challenging, papers are shorter, and communication with
the professor can be more difficult.
From the faculty perspective, maintaining class
size was described as a function of hiring new faculty and planning for the long term.
A faculty member pointed out that a distinctive strength of Smith is the relationship
between students and faculty. However, there is relatively little support in the form
of tutoring, he said, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to support students
with a wide range of preparation.
Diversity was a prominent theme throughout the discussion.
Several students said that it is important to have faculty members of color. Students
sometimes come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and then come to Smith and find no
one with whom they can identify. A staff member talked about the increasingly diverse
group of students at Smith and the need for all offices to be able to serve them appropriately.
Another staff member pointed out the importance of diversity of opinion and urged
the college to be a leader by creating an environment where exchange of information
takes place in a respectful way.
A number of suggestions were made of ways to diversify
the college’s
revenue streams through the addition of new programs. Ideas included certificate programs
aimed at aging baby boomers, executive education for women, programs linked to the
arts, and programs that build on interdepartmental, interdisciplinary relationships.
On
the topic of undergraduate education, a faculty member proposed that it is time to “go
back to the core.” Noting that the open curriculum fails to satisfy
some students who seek greater direction, he proposed considering a core knowledge
curriculum and using Interterm to enrich students’ academic experiences. He
also proposed re-establishing faculty housing in student residences, in order to stimulate
intellectual life in the houses. A student responded that she would not support
moving to a core curriculum, since the open curriculum has enabled her to take the
courses she wanted.
The final topic of discussion was the “spirit” of Smith
and the need to reclaim a positive feeling about the college. “There is something
intangible that we have lost,” one participant said, “and we need to think
about how to get it back.” For students, a large part of that spirit is linked
to social life. A suggestion was made to promote pride in the college by educating
students about the college’s amazing resources, such as the art museum.
In closing,
President Christ thanked the group for their insight and ideas.
|
