Preface

Under the guidelines of the Northeastern Association of Schools and Colleges, Dartmouth College completed a Self-Study in preparation for its decennial reaffirmation of accreditation. The study consisted of two parts: a report on compliance with NEASC's eleven Standards of Accreditation and a report on topics (Areas of Emphasis) that comprise the strategic or focused portion of the Self-Study. Dartmouth selected the following areas of emphasis: Computing, Internationalism, and Undergraduate Involvement in Research. The evaluation team used this structure to shape the following report and its contents. Appendix I details the particular areas of responsibility of members of the Evaluation Team. Appendix II provides the itinerary of members of the Evaluation Team and the names of the individuals with whom they met. Appendix III is Dartmouth's mission statement.

Members of the committee wish to acknowledge the extraordinarily good work of Peter Gilbert in preparing for this visit and the expert assistance of Patti Moffitt. Every request for a meeting or information was met promptly and completely. Faculty, staff, and students were forthright and helpful in discussions, and the accommodations for work on campus were comfortable and convenient. We extend thanks to all of those individuals and groups who made the visit so productive.

Finally, we want to express our great appreciation to President James Wright and Provost Susan Prager. From the outset their desire to make this process as useful as possible to Dartmouth was evident. They were candid in their judgment of the opportunities and challenges that face their great institution and their hopes for what the College will be able to accomplish over the next several years. It is an honor to serve Dartmouth, and the members of our team felt privileged to play a role in the reaccreditation process.