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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013
Spires initiatives bring debate
Opinions mixed on research initiatives four years later Danielle Kaidanow Cynic Correspondent Lauren Giery Assistant News Editor
In 2009 the University launched the Transdisciplinary Research Initiative (TRI) to advance UVM as a premier small research university. Members of faculty and administration as well as students are now giving their perand downfalls. With the creation of the TRI or “The Spires of Excellence,” the University decided to increase research in three speFood Systems, and Neuroscience, Behavior and Health. about because of two thoughts, said professor and Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies Domenico Grasso. First, UVM is a relatively small research university in comparison to its peers, he said. “If we were going to do signame for ourselves we would have a challenge in front of us because often times scale correlates with reputation and then with productivity,” Grasso said. Second, problems in so-
ciety are rarely contained to one discipline, therefore the University wanted to capitalize its excellence in a variety of departments to tackle the most pressing problems, he said. “If we do this well we will be bringing resources to the University, we will be bringing notoriety to the University which will be good for the undergrad, graduate, and faculty as well,” Grasso said. One drawback is that the University has not been able
In her opinion, TRIs have taken away from the humanities. “The way I see this is as taking away from the undergraduate experience in order to fund the graduate experience,” Youngblood said. “I don’t think that’s right because UVM is primarily an undergraduate institution.”
“UVM doesn’t have enough money to get these programs up and running.”
to TRIs in comparison to peer institutions, he said. Four years later, UVM is funds toward these programs without doing so at the expense of other departments, situation. “There are institutions that have been able to invest hundreds of millions of dollars,” Grasso said “We just don’t have those resources, we’re doing the best we can with what we have.” Professor of history, Denise Youngblood said she thinks TRI is a good idea but the problem is that it is an unfunded mandate at the University. “UVM doesn’t have enough money to get these programs up and running,” Youngblood said.
Denise Youngblood History Professor dinsky said she does not think tion to pursue this initiative. “Financially UVM is in a crunch and when you have new initiatives you have to put said. “Other institutions like Stanford put millions and at UVM there is about $50,000 for each spire.” Vice President of Finance and Administration Richard vestments from the provost
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for the initiatives comes from a number of different places it does not appear as one number in the budget. “I don’t see this as some bringing more focus on research across the different colleges and schools.” Professor of religion Richard Sugarman said he thinks the TRI initiative is a part of a huge national trend. “It’s not just UVM,” he said. “My understanding is that the governor of Vermont is apparently strongly encouraging students by giving them incentive to study in these areas [STEM].” However, Sugarman said he thinks pushing students too far with technology and research classes is a mistake. “There is a crisis between the easier route of technology, not in it of itself a bad thing or a good thing,” he said. “Technology has to be in the service of something higher than itself, better than itself.” On the other hand, senior Tenley Burlingame said she wishes more of her classes could be integrated between the sciences and arts. Burlingame, who double majors in Dietetics and Nutrition and Food Sciences, expressed discontent for her
classes being listed as sciences courses despite dealing with social sciences and humanities, such as psychology, human cultures and social work. Each spire has a Steering viding leadership and cultivating cross-campus collaborations and transdiciplinary research teams and projects. Behavior and Health steering committee, Dr. Rae Nishi said “I believe the mission of [the Neuroscience, Behavior and Health steering committee] is to enhance undergrad education and training in cross-disciplinary studies,” Nishi said. idea of transdisciplinary is not just science-based. “The spires include notion basic sciences all the way to how people make their choices – it inherently incorporates natural and social sciences,” she said. Even so, professors and students alike are split on their views of the “Spires of Excellence”. “I don’t even know about these ‘spires’, maybe they’ll change in a year,” Sugarman said. “I think you’d be better off sticking to the time tested ideas, authors and texts.”
UVM considers adding semester to school year Lauren Giery Assistant News Editor UVM is currently in the process of becoming a trimester school. President Thomas Sullivan outlined his ideas for enhancing the quality and affordability of UVM in his Strategic Action Plan. Among these considerations is the expansion of UVM’s curriculum to three semesters in order to optimize the use of University facilities, technology assets and shared services, Sullivan said. To do so, the University is considering expanding the current summer school program to allow students to attend full-time during the summer, he said. “An expanded summer school curriculum will give both students and faculty greater choice in schedules,” Sullivan said. Both the SummerU and study abroad course offerings would expand, said Sullivan. As a result, Sullivan said he believes tuition could be reduced in the future. However, the University is still early in the process and consultation of implementing a three-semester system. In addition, the president’s Strategic Action Plan also addresses the possibility of Jterms, classes offered over the winter break, to maximize the
University’s facilities. A three-semester curriculum would also present more opportunities for students to graduate earlier, Sullivan said. First-year Sophie StokerLong said she is an advocate of expanding the University’s curriculum to three-semesters. “I think offering an extra semester over the summer dents here,” she said. Stoker-Long said she has met multiple super seniors at UVM, and believes a curriculum with more course offerings would assist students in graduating on time. “Those who take time off from school or have a rough semester are permanently setback,” she said. “I think expanding the curriculum would help so many students graduate on time, or even early.” First-year Heidi Harris is considering declaring a double major in business in addition to her molecular genetics major which would normally take “If I could have the option of taking an extra semester over the summer, ideally I could still graduate in four years,” she said. Sullivan said he expects to receive recommendations for this project by fall 2013.