Spring Break
CARS drafts a timeline for academic cuts
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 3/24/09
Posted online at 5:38 AM EST on 3/24/09
The Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee plans to inform departments that could be affected by the cuts they recommend before presenting its recommendations and proposals to the Brandeis community, according to a draft timeline Provost Marty Krauss presented at last Thursday's faculty meeting.
According to the timeline, CARS plans to complete its report by April 16. Krauss explained that there will be meetings over a two-work day period, April 17 to April 20, during which departments for which the report recommends cuts will be notified before the report is released online April 20. CARS will then present its recommendations and the rationale for the recommendations at a special faculty meeting April 23.
This timeline grew out of discussions in a three-hour meeting last Tuesday that included administrators, representatives of the Faculty Budget Committee, the Faculty Senate Council and members of the University Advisory Councils, Krauss said Thursday.
Several directors of graduate school programs expressed concern about the timeline as it could relate to the reduction of Ph.D. programs, since many prospective doctoral students are expected to accept admissions offers by April 15, before the final decisions about the proposals would be made. After the meeting, Krauss and Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe said that they would inform graduate school doctoral programs of possible cuts at the beginning of Passover break, prior to the completion of the report and a final decision, to give them the option of informing prospective students.
Krauss emphasized the difference between having a timeline for cutting programs and not adding programs. "When you're talking about reducing programs ... it was felt that that's a much more difficult conversation to have; [it's] very difficult to agree to cut a program publicly," she said at the meeting. "We needed to create a specific time zone when these discussions would be taking place."
According to the timeline, CARS plans to complete its report by April 16. Krauss explained that there will be meetings over a two-work day period, April 17 to April 20, during which departments for which the report recommends cuts will be notified before the report is released online April 20. CARS will then present its recommendations and the rationale for the recommendations at a special faculty meeting April 23.
This timeline grew out of discussions in a three-hour meeting last Tuesday that included administrators, representatives of the Faculty Budget Committee, the Faculty Senate Council and members of the University Advisory Councils, Krauss said Thursday.
Several directors of graduate school programs expressed concern about the timeline as it could relate to the reduction of Ph.D. programs, since many prospective doctoral students are expected to accept admissions offers by April 15, before the final decisions about the proposals would be made. After the meeting, Krauss and Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe said that they would inform graduate school doctoral programs of possible cuts at the beginning of Passover break, prior to the completion of the report and a final decision, to give them the option of informing prospective students.
Krauss emphasized the difference between having a timeline for cutting programs and not adding programs. "When you're talking about reducing programs ... it was felt that that's a much more difficult conversation to have; [it's] very difficult to agree to cut a program publicly," she said at the meeting. "We needed to create a specific time zone when these discussions would be taking place."
Be the first to comment on this story