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Published byMercy Gilmore Modified over 9 years ago
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Why a world-class public research university is also a great place to learn Holden Thorp, Dean College of Arts & Sciences Oct. 5, 2007 Board of Visitors
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What is the purpose of the College? To promote original thought and produce the people and ideas needed to solve our biggest problems
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Core Values of the College Originality Curiosity Transparency Diversity A thorough liberal arts education is the best preparation for leadership in the 21 st century
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Teaching mission of the College We teach all the important stuff
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College faculty teach 100% of 1 st and 2 nd year students and 87% of ALL undergraduate credit hours
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Junior-Senior Majors in the College account for 74% of all Junior-Seniors, but the College teaches 79% of their credit hours Arts & Sciences 79% Arts & Sciences 74% Jr/Sr MajorsJr/Sr Credit Hours
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The College has 22% of all UNC graduate & professional students
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People on College Payroll Tenure-track faculty710 Fixed-term faculty 261 Full-time staff540 Part-time staff748 Post-docs140 Graduate students 2140 Total 4539
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Why choose a public research university for college? Enhanced opportunities, engaged faculty
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Attributes of a great research university Introduction to original thought Wide range of opportunities for faculty & students in the College and professional schools Engaged faculty excited by their research Right mix of graduate students and undergraduates Great graduate students attract great faculty Our most important learning resources are professors who are excited about their subjects
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Special Opportunities for Undergraduates at Carolina First Year Seminars (small classes with outstanding faculty) Undergraduate Research (1:1 mentoring by world- class scholars) Study Abroad (many led by UNC faculty) Honors (not just for Honors students) Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative (teaching liberal arts students to think/ act creatively)
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What is different about Carolina? High-quality Ph.D. programs combined with outstanding undergraduate program
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Carolina is a research university Great schools we’re nothing like: Davidson Washington and Lee Grinnell Swarthmore Maintaining faculty energy at a four-year liberal arts college without a research program is a daunting challenge
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Some thoughts on rankings Schools we’d like to emulate: Stanford Harvard University of Chicago Northwestern World-class research and great undergraduate programs
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Some thoughts on rankings Schools ranked “above” us that we don’t emulate: University of Southern California (tied) Emory University Dartmouth Washington University in St. Louis Brown Vanderbilt Notre Dame Georgetown Carolina’s academic departments are much stronger than counterparts at these schools
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Some thoughts on rankings Schools ranked “below” us with great research programs: Wisconsin Illinois Texas UC-San Diego Carolina has comparable Ph.D. programs to these schools, but we’re higher on the list because our undergraduate program is better
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Why we raise private money Help the best faculty and students choose Carolina, and succeed
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Fundraising Priorities Faculty expansion Faculty retention Graduate student support Facilities Initiatives Undergraduate education
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Faculty Expansion Naming Opportunity for Junior Faculty Positions: enable the College to add faculty by creating new privately-funded positions for an assistant professor New: Can now do with $1M gift and $0.5M state match. Allows us to expand the faculty without relying on state money
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Faculty Retention Distinguished Professorships: recruit new senior faculty or retain outstanding faculty who are attracting outside offers Requires a state-funded position from the College in addition to the private endowment
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Graduate Student Support Ph.D. Fellowships: $25,000 per year in salary support ($0.5M to endow) Great graduate students attract great faculty Graduate students are mentors for undergraduates
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Undergraduate Education Kenan Music Scholars Phillips Ambassadors Study Abroad Honors First Year Seminars Undergraduate Research
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Initiatives Carolina Center for Jewish Studies Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative and minor in entrepreneurship Fine Arts Global Education Nanoscience, imaging and energy Creative initiatives energize faculty and students, lead to new ideas
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Facilities Chapman Hall Caudill Labs Kenan Music Building FedEx Global Education Center New Computer Science Building Winston House in London Huge needs in social sciences and humanities Great facilities attract great people
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What would you do with $100M gift for anything? Endow 200 Ph.D. fellowships OR Secure the faculty by providing $5M/year for compensation and research support OR Add 100 junior faculty in strategic areas, expanding Honors and First-Year Seminars
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Challenge: Maintaining the distinctive ‘Carolina experience’ Expanding enrollment
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Carolina = teaching + research Total Students College FacultyUndergraduates: Faculty Ratio (Now) 28,136 71023:1 29,500 76523:1 35,000 91023:1 To reach 35,000 students and maintain the same high quality of faculty and learning environment, the College would have to increase its faculty, graduate students, staff and facilities by about 28%.
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What will they say Thorp has done five years from now? So far
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Goals Maintained the great Ph.D. programs in the College, moved a few more into the top tier Built appreciation for Carolina as a major research university with a great undergraduate program Increased interaction of undergraduates with idea generation and originality, infused entrepreneurship Increased the profile of the fine arts Improved leadership culture in the College Made faculty retention pro-active instead of reactive
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