Academic Plan Release Pushed to December

The Academic Plan Task Force met Monday to review what was intended to be a final draft of UNC's academic plan.

But the task force decided not to submit the draft to the University community in early November, which was the projected deadline.

Darryl Gless, co-chairman of the task force, said the process of revising and pulling together a final document has been a challenge. Task force members offered their final recommendations Monday on how to improve the plan.

Frustrations ran high as the task force debated how to deal with the expansion of the University and UNC Hospitals. Committee members said issues such as parking and faculty recruitment have become complicated by the simultaneous growth of the University and UNC Hospitals.

The task force agreed that growth needs to be curbed, but many said this will only solve a portion of the problem.

According to the draft, "a vibrant intellectual climate ... serves as perhaps the truest indicator of (the University's) stature."

Ronald Strauss, professor and chairman of the dental ecology department, said he is in favor of a common gathering ground for graduate and professional students, which would contribute to UNC's intellectual climate.

"We are about building the community and the common identity," Strauss said.

The draft doesn't sufficiently address the need to incorporate these students into the campus community, Strauss said.

Further incorporation of freshmen and sophomores has been an ongoing concern for the task force. The draft proposes moving underclassmen to North Campus to better link intellectual life with a student's living environment.

Elizabeth Gibson, a professor in the School of Law, said the switch could cause upperclassmen to move off-campus.

Richard Superfine, professor of physics and astronomy, said he thinks the "intellectual climate" section would be incomplete without addressing the Honor Code. "We need to teach honesty and integrity to further the students in all areas."

Task force members also said they don't think improvements can be made without addressing the faculty shortage. Faculty and graduate student resources aren't keeping up with the rising undergraduate enrollment.

"We want to excel with teaching, but we cannot do this now because a faculty member does not have the time," said Linda Carl, assistant provost for educational programs.

Gless said they hope to have a final draft before the close of the semester.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.