Fall 2022
Informed by peer organizational and budget structures and knowledge of Dartmouth’s culture and expectations, the working groups developed potential organizational and budget structures for a new A&S unit. Their work focused on assessing potential organizational structures and reporting lines, the tenure and promotion process, offices serving undergraduate and graduate programs, the financial implication of different organizational scenarios, and a need for resources for strategic investment.
At the end of the fall term, the working groups recommended an initial “core” organizational and budget model for a single A&S entity, as well as potential alternatives in its structure, that would bring together scholarly pursuits, student support, and co-curricular expertise. Dartmouth senior leadership (Dean Smith, Provost Kotz, President Hanlon, and President-Elect Beilock) reviewed this recommendation and asked the groups to investigate additional alternatives in its structure in winter 2023.
Winter 2023
In the winter term, the working groups evaluated the additional structural options, articulating potential modifications to faculty governance, assessing current levels of faculty support, evaluating different reporting lines for Student Affairs and enrollment management, and discussing student advising models.
The working groups also discussed scenarios for how tuition and financial aid might flow to a new A&S entity.
Building on working group and Executive Committee discussions and emerging institutional priorities, senior leadership drafted a set of potential organizational and budget models. The models were evaluated based on several stress tests related to budget scenarios and how they embody the project’s guiding principles and objectives.
Spring 2023
In spring 2023, senior leadership solicited insights and feedback on the potential models from the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, other Dartmouth leaders and stakeholders, and the working groups. During the remainder of the spring term, the working groups identified “open questions” about the potential models and suggested paths forward, all of which need further consideration.
Summer 2023
President Beilock established a project steering committee to lead the project through its second phase, co-chaired by Provost David Kotz and Professor Nina Pavcnik. Task groups were established to advance the potential organizational and budget models.
Fall 2023
Task groups met regularly to address open questions articulated by working groups in the prior phase. Steering Committee and Task Group representatives met regularly with faculty, staff, and other community members for feedback as they developed more refined organizational and budget models.
Winter 2024
Following the final task group recommendation reports submitted in late December, a draft proposal for a new A&S was initiated. The Steering Committee continued to meet with the task groups, faculty governance committees, staff, and other key groups of stakeholders. The goal was to incorporate subsequent feedback and share a draft proposal with the broader community by the end of March.
Spring 2024
As planned, following the final task group recommendation reports submitted in December 2023, a detailed proposal for a new Arts and Sciences unit was created. To do so, the Steering Committee met with task groups, faculty governance committees, staff, and other key groups of stakeholders throughout the Winter to receive feedback and refine specific findings and recommendations.
After incorporating this feedback, the proposal was shared with senior Dartmouth leaders and the president at the end of March 2024. Presentations and town hall meetings in April and May provided more opportunities for community discussion. Following a meeting of the Faculty Coordinating Committee in early May, it was decided to delay the vote on the A&S Future project until the Fall A&S Faculty meeting.
Summer 2024
Following the release of the proposal in the Spring, faculty committees submitted a response to the Steering Committee related to their concerns over the budget, graduate school, and other operations. The Project Leads and Steering Committee responded to these memos and are preparing addenda to the proposal.
Fall 2024
The Project Leads will continue to meet with the A&S faculty and other stakeholders about the both the proposal and addenda in preparation for the A&S advisory vote taking place in the Fall. The President will then consider the A&S deliberations and advisory vote together with comments and suggestions from other schools before making her final recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees would then vote to establish a new school of Arts and Sciences.