It may be difficult to be hopeful, but if history is our guide, the economy is bound to rebound. When it does, a reorganized UMass Amherst will be positioned to emerge even stronger.
“I am optimistic about the future,” says Chancellor Robert C. Holub. “We start out from an advantageous position, as New England’s foremost public research institution. If we proceed with deliberate prudence, we will soon be poised, despite financial woes, to move into the top tier of public universities.”
Plato was onto something when he opined necessity is the mother of invention. Holub’s tenure began in August 2008, just one month before the onslaught of a global recession. When pieces of such a complex puzzle start to shift, leaders must examine problems deeply and act swiftly in order to find sound solutions.
In the short term, Chancellor Holub called for money-saving tactics including energy conservation, a hiring freeze, and restructuring of several administrative areas. At the same time, he deployed a task force to reorganize UMass Amherst’s schools, colleges, and departments to spur long-term savings while still strengthening the campus’s position.
The 16-member task force was made up of mostly department chairs; it was led by Jane Fountain, professor of political science. In an interview with Inside Higher Ed in March, Fountain noted, "We really support our chancellor here. He's new; he's come into a terrible situation. We are like other universities across the country...and there’s a lot of uncertainty.” Although he did not take all of the panel’s suggestions, Holub, Fountain says, generated some goodwill through a process of inclusion.
In its 146-year history, the institution has seen many cycles of boom and bust, yet commitment to its core mission of providing a stellar education in sciences, humanities, and at the professional schools has not wavered. Even in the latest downturn and belt-tightening, preserving the student experience is paramount.
The most significant campus change is the creation of the College of Natural Sciences by merging the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics with the College of Natural Resources and Environment.
James Kurose, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Steve Goodwin, dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment, have been collaborating on bringing the campus’s two pillars of scientific research and education under one administrative structure.
Goodwin says the consolidation of the two colleges has enormous benefits and potential. “It better positions us to compete nationally and internationally and enhances our ability to attract and retain the best faculty and offer excellent education for our students.”
Kurose echoes similar sentiments and adds that the collegiate structure will put UMass Amherst on the forefront of Massachusetts's life sciences initiative, enacted by Governor Deval Patrick. The $1 billion, 10-year investment in buildings and programs across the state specifically earmarks funds for a new life sciences laboratory research complex on campus—an expansion of the newly opened Integrated Sciences Building.
Reorganization Plan Highlights: |
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- By fall 2009, house the following departments in the new natural sciences college: Astronomy |
- Create a Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement position that replaces the Office - Study merging the College of Humanities and Fine Arts with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, with recommendation - Move Computer Science and Polymer Science and Engineering departments from the College of Natural Sciences to the College of Engineering, study, with recommendation due in 2010. - Find ways to create closer ties between the School of Public Health and Health Sciences and the new natural sciences college. |
