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April 17, 1999
To: The Dartmouth Community
In February, the Board of Trustees launched a process to engage the community in a comprehensive effort to strengthen Dartmouth's educational experience and its sense of community. We undertook the student life initiative because the quality of students' residential and social experience is an essential aspect of our ongoing responsibility to educate students, in the broadest manner possible.
We are writing to you now because we want to bring you up to date, first, on what the process has accomplished, and second, on where it is headed.
To guide the community in seeking the best ways to improve residential and social life at the College, we outlined five core principles: that there be greater choice and continuity in residential living and improved residential space; that there be additional and improved social spaces controlled by students; that the system be substantially coeducational and provide opportunities for greater interaction among all Dartmouth students; that the number of students living off campus should be reduced; and the abuse of alcohol be eliminated. We further noted that these issues are interrelated and must be dealt with in a comprehensive program.
The Trustees do not have a specific new model for residential and social life in mind, but are prepared to commit significant resources to improve student life at Dartmouth. Now is the time for the community to apply its creative energy to identify new models and proposals for social and residential options for future Dartmouth generations. We welcome the ideas of all Dartmouth constituencies, particularly students, in this process.
We appreciate the intensity of the passion and concern for Dartmouth that has been expressed so forcefully over the last two months. Few colleges or universities inspire the loyalty Dartmouth does, from our students, from our faculty, and from our alumni. We all want Dartmouth to be the strongest institution it can be. We know that we need to be willing to change to meet the challenges of the future as Dartmouth has always had the courage to do in the past.
Since we outlined our five principles in February, President Wright assigned to several senior officers of the College the responsibility for seeking responses from the Dartmouth Community. Acting Dean of the College Nelson chairs the task force to coordinate discussions with students, parents, and staff. Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Colla is seeking alumni input, while Provost Prager and Dean of Faculty Berger are responsible for faculty participation.
To move forward, we will establish a new Committee on the Student Life Initiative led by two Trustees, Susan Dentzer '77 and Peter Fahey '68, with the following charge:
- To receive and evaluate feedback from the groups that have gathered responses to the Trustees' principles.
- To encourage further discussion among Dartmouth constituencies and to seek counsel from experts in the areas under review.
- Based on the information gathered, to formulate various new approaches to residential and social life at Dartmouth consistent with the five principles.
In addition to the Trustees, the committee will include undergraduate and graduate students, administrators, faculty, and alumni. The full membership of the committee will be named in the next few weeks.
The Committee on the Student Life Initiative will organize during the spring term and continue its work throughout the summer. The Board will have a preliminary discussion of the Committee's work in August, and the Committee will issue a report to the President and Board before the end of the fall term. During the winter term of 2000, the Board anticipates campus and alumni discussion of the Committee's report. The Board will take final action after this process is completed. Because of the complex nature of the changes we envision, we expect implementation may require a considerable period of time.
Once again, we encourage all members of the Dartmouth Community to think about the ways in which we can enhance student life at Dartmouth and to participate in the discussions now underway.
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