At a time when steep budget cuts force the University into a seemingly perpetual state of cautiousness, it’s unfortunate to see “sensitivities” stand in the way of a rare opportunity to expand rather than contract. But that’s just what administrators are facing in their pursuit of a multimillion-dollar expansion to the applied sciences.
With the chancellor’s hefty $125 million commitment to innovation in mind, the University must look past initial concerns about staying true to the liberal arts and avoiding duplication with N.C. State University.
At least initially, there is concern that an enlarged applied sciences program would overlap with existing programs 25 miles away at N.C. State. While concern about unnecessary duplication within the UNC system is merited, it can be taken too far. It fails to account for how a student’s interests might evolve or change entirely during their academic career. It runs the risk of having a student choose one school, only to have his field of interest change — but not be offered — at that school.
In this particular instance, the concern over duplication is more imagined than real. Michael Crimmins, the senior associate dean for natural sciences and a member of the applied sciences task force, said UNC has no interest in replicating similar programs, such as N.C. State’s College of Engineering. The plans for applied sciences would appeal to UNC’s strengths and be folded into the College of Arts and Sciences’ mission to “discover innovative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.”
The program would have a liberal arts, rather than professional focus, and would be based heavily on applied health sciences, an area in which Crimmins said UNC has an advantage over N.C. State.
UNC must have a larger presence in the applied sciences to cater to every student’s academic needs while also attracting research grants. As a flagship public university, UNC needs to establish any program that would keep it competing at the same level as its peer institutions.
If UNC ignores the applied sciences, it stands to lose some of its prized recruits to schools like the University of Virginia or University of Michigan, which both have some form of an applied sciences program.
UNC has pushed for its students and faculty to think outside the box and foster innovation. An increased focus on applied sciences would fit into this goal and should not be impeded by unfounded sensitivities.
