Blog

Posted Mon, Nov 15, 2004

Update on the University - Nov. 2004

By Ellen (Gibson) McGinnis

I just returned from 4 days at Yale for Board meetings of the AYA and the annual AYA Assembly. Topic: The New Yale: A Decade of Extraordinary Progress. I'm sure Ed Sevilla, our intrepid AYA Class Delegate, will write one of his fine summaries of the event, but I wanted to put a thing or two out there as well.
I've been going back to campus pretty regularly for AYA-related events for over ten years now. It's truly amazing how much has changed, from the dynamic administration to the physical spaces. The college renovations are splendid - I took a tour of Pierson and it is stunningly beautiful. Then I had lunch in (unrenovated) Trumbull and realized how much grime can accumulate in 70 years. But it's not just new paint - they've re-imagined a lot of the spaces and it all just works better. For instance, they created 10% more student "beds" in Pierson, by moving some administrative functions and professors' offices, so now pretty much every student who wants to live on-campus in Pierson can do so. The basement of Pierson is going to be connected to Davenport, once D-port is done, so the use of the space can be leveraged and both colleges can have access to libraries, squash courts, practice rooms, exercise equipment, the buttery, etc.
I really could go on for pages, but what I thought might be of initial interest is Rick Levin's list of the top eight priorities for Yale in the NEXT ten years:

1. Strengthen Yale in science and technology (already under way).

2. Continuing Internationalization of Yale (lots going on here - check out http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/ for the online magazine of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization - three new articles a week on topics of current interest to us all - including the US election).

3. Yale College: working from the recent curriculum review - science for liberal arts majors - incorporate writing and reasoning into all disciplines - etc.

4. SOM (new Dean search, draw effectively on strengths of university to help get SOM to the top tier of business schools - advanced leadership education).

5. Medical School - historic strengths in basic research - needs help in clinical care/research areas. New Dean is highly regarded within and without and should make a big difference.

6. Arts - renovations and buildings form Art Gallery, Art History, Drama, Music School (Sprague Hall is renovated and gorgeous).

7. Finanical Aid (esp. at Graduate and Professional schools).

8. Yale's Management of Itself - John Pepper has been brought in to help Yale become a service organization with a teamwork approach. High hopes for rethinking union relations, and making Yale a great place to work.

I have more info on much of this, so let me know if you want it!