Nearly 25 faculty members, administrators and search committee members discussed research, interdisciplinarity and the University's mission at a Tuesday evening faculty forum on the search for the University's 19th president.
The transition to a new president offers "an opportunity to take a close look" at the University and its priorities, said Chancellor Thomas Tisch '76, who chairs the Corporation Search Committee and moderated the forum. He emphasized that the forum should be "as conversational as possible."
The next president should understand what makes the University distinct without letting it become stagnant, said Thomas Lewis, associate professor of religious studies. The University is distinguished by intellectual curiosity, high regard for the humanities, interdisciplinary collaboration and a blend of teaching and scholarship, he said.
The requirement that all faculty members teach is one of the University's key values, said Bill Warren, professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences.
The University must be careful not to overemphasize research under a new president and neglect teaching, Warren said. "I don't think we're heading in that direction," he said. "I want to make sure that we're not."
John Savage, professor of computer science, expressed worry that the University is disinclined to take risks. Under a new president, the University could restructure and split the role of the dean of the faculty into multiple positions based on academic division, he suggested.
Other professors also suggested the new president could facilitate or incentivize greater interdisciplinary collaboration, perhaps through projects involving brain science or the Humanities Initiative.
Though the new president may not influence "key pieces" of collaboration, he or she could promote large-scale interdisciplinary projects, Lewis said. He cited the Watson Institute for International Studies and the University's plan to offer international MBAs as areas where collaborative work could be most beneficial.
Tisch said the committees are "open to lots of suggestions" and that at this phase, they have few ideas about specific presidential candidates.
Bruno Harris, professor emeritus of math, said he would trust a new president promoted within the University more than someone hired from outside, citing a need for the president to "know (faculty) very well." In response, Tisch asked all faculty members to consider brainstorming and submitting names of possible internal or external candidates.
Forum attendees discussed vision, prioritization, fundraising skills and charisma as traits a future president should possess.
Tisch said though fundraising skills may be hard to identify, "great fundraising starts with great vision." He cited a former Brown professor who compared fundraising to "selling participation in a dream." Those same skills contribute to effective internal management, he said.
Marty Granoff P'93, the principal donor behind the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts and a member of the Corporation Search Committee, called fundraising ability a skill of "paramount" importance in a president, adding that without it, the University would not be able to attract strong faculty members.
Tisch ended the forum by asking attendees to suggest other groups to solicit feedback from, such as representatives of particular campus groups, assistant professors or representatives of certain disciplines. Few junior faculty members attended the forum, and no female faculty members contributed to the discussion.
