Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Page 1

daily herald the Brown

vol. cxxii, no. 90

INSIDE

Page 3

Presidency adapts as U. transitions to global enterprise

In-betweeners

By mathias heller and alison silver

Documentary screening brings director to Cable Car

senior staff writers

Page 7

Selfless success Brundage ’15 calls for altruistic achievement Page 8

Thwarting abuse Domestic violence month seeks to spread awareness today

tomorrow

Herald File Photo

64 / 46

57 / 48

since 1891

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Former president Ruth Simmons worked largely to fundraise and network, a shift from the focus of former presidents on day-to-day management.

When Christina Paxson is formally inaugurated as the University’s Shaping the 19th president Saturday, she will Presidency join a long list of Part one of three individuals who have left their mark on Brown in unique ways. But the office Paxson will officially assume this week is not the same as the one envisioned by the University’s founders in 1764. As the University has grown in size during its almost threecentury history, presidents have had to adapt to changing social and economic environments and have faced resulting shifts in their responsibilities. A job that initially focused on managing the day-to-day aspects of the University has evolved into one that requires balancing diverse constituencies while shaping the University’s broader role

within higher education, according to longtime faculty members, administrators and others familiar with the University’s top post. Presidents increasingly have found the need to look beyond College Hill as the University continues to expand and adjust to a more competitive world. In certain respects, the office has not changed since 1765, when Princeton graduate James Manning, a Baptist minister who helped found the University, became its first president. Then as now, the president reported to the Corporation, managed the overall governance of the University and served as a member of the Corporation’s Board of Fellows. But the presidency has also undergone major changes since Manning’s days. Paxson, for instance, will not be able to act as independently of the Corporation as the presidents of the mid20th century, who enjoyed a high level of autonomy. Nor will she have to teach a capstone course in moral philosophy, which was a duty of the first few presi/ / Presidents page 4 dents,

Under Paxson, admins look toward new capital campaign U. plans to By Shefali Luthra and Eli Okun News Editor and Senior Staff Writer

The University’s next capital campaign will be contingent on priorities to be outlined by the six strategic planning committees established earlier this fall, President Christina Paxson told The Herald. The University has not yet set a fundraising goal or concrete timeline for the campaign, Paxson said, adding that both of those questions will be addressed after new Senior Vice President for Advancement Patricia Watson assumes office Dec. 1. Administrators have in the past suggested that a capital campaign — often seen as one of the defining elements of a University presidency — could be tied to the celebration of the University’s 250th anniversary, which will begin May 2014. “It makes sense to try to take ad-

vantage of the natural publicity that’ll come from something as impressive as a 250th birthday party,” said Provost Mark Schlissel P’15. At the October faculty meeting, Paxson spoke about the need to raise $500 million to fund eight priorities outlined under previous president Ruth Simmons, including brain science, the Humanities Initiative, public health, engineering, dorm renovations and financial aid. The intent is to raise as many funds as possible to address these issues before the launch of a capital campaign. But if those priorities are not fully addressed in the next two years, they will likely be folded into the capital campaign, Paxson said. After Watson arrives, administrators will have to determine how much money is available and what exactly the University needs, she said. “Who’s out there?” Paxson said.

M. Hockey

Bears hope to start strong after last season’s icy end By Caleb Miller Contributing Writer

The men’s hockey team will rely on its roster depth and the chemistry among its players to start the season off strong as it retakes the ice for the 2012-13 campaign Friday. The team started practice two weeks ago, looking to rebound after a firstround loss in last spring’s Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament put an early end to last season. Preseason polls predict Bruno will finish at the bottom of the conference, but assistant captain Richie Crowley ’13 said such talk is a motivator for the Bears. “One of the major driving forces behind us will be the fact that we got disrespected by media polls,” Crowley said. He added this year’s challenge will be

“changing the culture of Brown Hockey to a winning organization.” The Bears received a taste of the season ahead in a scrimmage last Saturday against conference foe Harvard. Bruno took the two-period exhibition match 3-1. Captain Dennis Robertson ’14 said the squad felt positive after the scrimmage, and the win gives them confidence heading into the regular season. Robertson said the team’s depth this year will be its greatest strength. “We don’t have lines that will be a liability anymore,” he said. “All four forward lines especially are going to be able to attack and be a threat to other teams.” Head Coach Brendan Whittet ’94 said these qualities — a deep Bears squad and the feeling of camaraderie the players / / Hockey page 2

“How deep and broad is the pool of alumni and friends of the University who will support us?” New presidents usually take anywhere from six months to a year and a half to announce a capital campaign, said Stephen Nelson, higher education expert and senior scholar in the Leadership Alliance at Brown. Simmons, who assumed office in 2001, launched the Campaign for Academic Enrichment the following year. That campaign, the largest in the University’s history, raised $1.6 billion by its conclusion in 2010. The University should be able to build on that, said Chancellor Thomas Tisch ’76, adding that Simmons left behind a base of alums both energized and optimistic about Brown’s potential. “The alumni and donors feel that Brown can do things and want to participate (in that),” he said. “She basical-

ly instilled the deep sense among the Brown community that we can believe in ourselves.” Though it is clear that areas like financial aid and engineering are important to Brown’s growth, how exactly to address those needs is something to be researched and discussed, Paxson said. “I have no doubt that financial aid will be a component of the next campaign. The hard question is going to be, how far can we go with that, and where to prioritize it among all the other needs, and that’s something that’s going to come out of the planning,” Paxson said. “Would I like to be able to say right now, ‘We will be need-blind for everybody within five years?’ I would love it if I could,” she added. “Will we be able to do that, given the financial realities of where we are? I don’t know, and we’ll see.”

S e l f - S ta r t e r

Courtesy of Brown University

Professor of History Robert Self spoke with The Herald about his new book, the history of family values and the current election. See page 3.

purchase Thayer St. property By caroline flanagan senior staff writer

Fairview Inc., a University subsidiary, is planning to purchase the 271 Thayer St. property that currently houses City Sports, said Mark Nickel, senior editor and writer at the Office of Public Affairs and University Relations. While the University does not pay property taxes on any building used for educational purposes, Fairview will pay taxes on the building so long as it is not used for such purposes. The University has not yet released plans for the property, Nickel said. Brown uses Fairview to control forprofit entities until it wants to buy them, said Will Touret, former president of the College Hill Neighborhood Association. The University also owns the Brook Street strip mall that includes Bagel Gourmet and the Providence Police station and can arrange for Fairview to sell its properties as needed, opening up future real estate options. Should the University acquire the property from Fairview, the city would cease to receive revenue for the property. “I can only assume that Brown is looking to control that block in the long term,” Touret said. Real estate tycoon Ed Bishop ’54 P’86 P’91, who owns many Thayer Street properties, said the purchase will not have a big effect on the College Hill neighborhood. “(City Sports) has been struggling, there’s not a lot of parking on Thayer Street and it’s not a big-time sports store,” he said, but the store should survive through the end of its lease, which ends in three years.

city & state


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.