The current financial crisis is creating uncertainty around plans to merge the cognitive science and psychology departments.
Overlap between the two departments is tied to construction of the planned $69-million Mind Brain Behavior Building. Plans have indicated that the new facility will sit on Angell Street where the Urban Environmental Lab currently stands. University officials said the original plan was for construction of the new building to coincide with steps to combine psychology and cognitive science into one department by the summer of 2010.
Tough economic times have complicated that plan. Administrators and faculty said the University seems unwilling to move forward with new capital projects without the strong support of a donor or until cash from pledged donations comes in.
While any decisions to delay projects will be made by the Corporation, many involved in the project felt the original timeline is unlikely to be met.
"I just don't see how we can go forward with these huge capital projects when we've already got commitments to financial aid, students and faculty," said Ruth Colwill, associate professor of psychology and past chair of the Faculty Executive Committee.
The construction "is going to be delayed," said William Heindel, associate professor of psychology and chair of the department. "But I think everyone, on all levels, is working with a good faith understanding that it's going to move forward."
William Warren, professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences and chair of the department, said he was still planning for the construction of the MBB building and the integration of the two departments to happen in tandem. But, he added, "that's my optimistic prediction."
If construction on the new facility is delayed, the merging of the departments would also likely be pushed back. "The timing of all this is very connected to the timing of the building if we want to make it successful," Warren said.
Heindel echoed this sentiment but added that it was "premature to speculate" on whether a merger would be delayed. The cognitive science and psychology departments have only recently begun the work of integrating their programs, he said. "We're all just talking about it at this point," Heindel added.
Dean of the Faculty Rajiv Vohra P'07 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that the departments are searching for people to fill several joint positions. "The two departments have been hard at work, coordinating curricular issues, making plans for faculty hiring and being involved with plans for the building," he wrote.
Both department chairs emphasized that students would benefit from a unified department. "A bigger department is going to have bigger benefits and going to be able to do more things," Warren said, citing more faculty hirings and increased course offerings.
