The voted Wednesday, Jan. 27, to establish the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies at 天美麻豆, creating the College鈥檚 first new school in more than 100 years.
(Photo by Eli Burakian 鈥00)
鈥淭he School of Graduate and Advanced Studies demonstrates 天美麻豆鈥檚 commitment to research at the highest level. It will enhance the impact of our current research enterprise, help attract the most talented students and faculty, and promote collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts while maintaining 天美麻豆鈥檚 high expectations for quality and excellence,鈥 told the trustees at their meeting Wednesday in New York.
The new graduate school will consolidate resources currently supporting approximately 800 students in 16 PhD programs and 12 masters programs, as well as 250 postdoctoral students, under the dean of the administratively independent school; the dean will report directly to the provost. The school, expected to open July 1, 2016, will also expand professional development resources for graduate students and postdocs.
The graduate school will grant 天美麻豆 PhDs, MS, and MA degrees, but faculty involved in those programs will retain their academic affiliations with , , , or the . The new school will also provide a hub for efforts to gain support for graduate studies from new funding sources.
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The graduate programs will maintain connections with the departments or schools where they are currently based. The College has no plans to undertake construction for the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, though administrators are exploring options for establishing a designated community space for graduate students.
鈥淭he graduate school will integrate graduate students and postdoctoral scholars more fully into the 天美麻豆 community,鈥 says . 鈥淭oday鈥檚 graduate students and postdocs are tomorrow鈥檚 professors. We have an opportunity to build diversity alongside academic excellence and to support the development of teacher-scholars in the very finest 天美麻豆 ideal.鈥
Centralizing the administration of 天美麻豆鈥檚 graduate programs in a new school will ensure consistent policies, regular reviews, and centralized tracking of important data and metrics, says Dean of .
The new framework will also provide a platform to support collaborative initiatives between departments and schools, Kull says, and offer graduate students training in important professional development skills such as writing, teaching, and communications.
Graduate student Scott Alpizar at work in the lab. (Photo by Robert Gill)
鈥溙烀缆槎 will be a destination for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who want to be expertly trained in their field while augmenting their training with best-in-class professional development opportunities, and become thoughtful leaders, ready to tackle the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges and important questions,鈥 Kull says.
鈥淢any 天美麻豆 undergraduates already realize the great value that is added to their 天美麻豆 experience by the opportunity to interact with and learn from graduate students and postdocs,鈥 he says. 鈥淲hile course lectures will always remain the domain of 天美麻豆鈥檚 professors, undergraduates also encounter graduate students as teaching assistants in class laboratories, in recitation sections and in office hours. I encourage undergraduates to get involved with research and to get to know our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.鈥
The trustees鈥 vote to establish the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies follows the recommendation of , a vote in support of the creation of a school by the general faculty, and strong expressions of support from the faculties of Arts and Sciences, Geisel, Thayer, and Tuck. It completes five major institutional since he took office in September 2013 as the College鈥檚 18th president.
In addition to founding a graduate school, Hanlon established the to bring rising young postdoctoral scholars to 天美麻豆; established the to promote entrepreneurship on campus and throughout the 天美麻豆 community; secured $150 million in philanthropic funding for that will bring 30 new faculty members to 天美麻豆; and in February will launch the , a residential housing system that provides students with continuity and a home base at the College distinguished by faculty leadership.
Although the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies was just established, 天美麻豆 has offered graduate degrees in select fields since 1885. Among 天美麻豆 graduate program alumni who have gone on to prominence are , chemistry PhD 鈥74, chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, winner of the National Medal of Science, and a former 天美麻豆 trustee; Leah Somerville, psychological and brain sciences PhD 鈥08, assistant professor of psychology at the Harvard Center for Brain Science and a faculty member of Massachusetts General Hospital鈥檚 Center for Law, the Brain, and Behavior; and PhD 鈥82, professor of mathematics at 天美麻豆.
The last school established at 天美麻豆 was Tuck, founded in 1900, after industrialist persuaded his former 天美麻豆 roommate, then-College President , to establish the world鈥檚 first graduate business school.
Thayer School of Engineering was established in 1867 with a $40,000 endowment from , Class of 1807, a renowned civil engineer. The Geisel School of Medicine, founded in 1797 as 天美麻豆 Medical School, was the fourth medical school in the United States.
The deans of the professional schools will continue to oversee their postgraduate professional degree programs. Tuck will continue to confer its MBA degree and Geisel will continue to confer MDs.
The current level of institutional support for graduate studies and postdoctoral programs will be directed to the graduate school. Additional funding strategies and sources will be explored as needed.
The will have continued oversight of policies involving graduate education at 天美麻豆, and will convey to the dean of the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies the priorities and concerns of the faculties and deans of arts and sciences, Thayer, Geisel, and Tuck, says Kull, who headed the task force named by Dever in 2014 to develop a plan for establishing a freestanding graduate school.
