By Lucia Allen, News Correspondent
The deans of the three newly-formed colleges met Jan. 27 in Curry Student Center’s McLeod Suites to meet students and discuss concerns and new ideas for the future of their new institutions, all saying they were optimistic toward programs and co-ops offered through the university.
Students met the founding deans of the new College of Science, College of Arts, Media and Design and College of Social Science and Humanities. The event was co-sponsored by Student Affairs and the Student Government Association (SGA).
“I think my goal is to take Northeastern, which I think is already a unique place … and figure out how we can take it even further in terms of providing the best possible environment for students to get experiential learning in science,” dean for the College of Sciences J. Murray Gibson said.
He said the college hopes to build up programs for undergraduate research opportunities.
“I think we have to be very innovative on the education side of it, too. I think we want to find ways to take advantage of technology to improve the way we deliver education … and the time we have to talk to students more rich,” Gibson said.
Dean of the College of Arts, Media and Design Xavier Costa said he has been involved in discussions this month for a “five-year strategic plan,” that has included students, faculty, staff and administrators on the planning board.
“What is important for us [with such] creative disciplines in our college … that also have a very strong professional presence [is] to establish new partnerships in the region and also internationally, and build new programs because our college is not as developed at the graduate level as the other colleges,” Costa said.
He said having a wide range of programs available in the college is important to both the university and the college faculty.
“We are hiring new faculty,” Costa said. “And, like the university, we believe very strongly in interdisciplinary work, because in these professional fields, things are changing very rapidly, so we need hybrid fields of knowledge.”
College of Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele said he is focused on finding bigger, better, more exciting co-ops both here and abroad.
“I think that’s a top priority,” Abbeele said. “Another one is really supporting the programs that students want … more dialogue programs, more international opportunities and through social sciences in particular … finding more opportunities for them to work in government and agencies.”
He said in majors such as philosophy, English, foreign languages and history, there needs to be a focus on finding work in different venues people haven’t thought about.
The new deans have also found other ways to engage students, faculty and staff before the event, through either co-ops or official and unofficial meetings, they said.
“I try to get out to clubs and meet with people,” Gibson said. “Formally, of course, through student government and things, and I’ve also set up my own council of undergraduate students [from] a diverse range of disciples, some juniors, some freshman, in science … to meet with me once a month.”
Costa met with his college’s entire faculty his first week and most recently went to New York and to meet students on co-op there.
“We have a large number of students there, and I just took advantage [while in New York],” he said. “We had dinner and time to discuss in detail what they enjoy doing, what they enjoy most, what are they most concerned about.”
Abbeele has also held “student council-type” meetings and has met with his junior faculty to help them become better teachers and better scholars, which makes the college stronger for everyone.
“We’ve got to do more, make [events] more exciting, and one of the ways to do it is have more living learning communities, resident halls with more academic content, more interaction between [everyone], and just more of a sense of community,” Abbeele said.
SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Sabo, who has been in office since July, worked with the Provost of Academic Affairs Stephen Director on this event for two months with part of his senate committee, as well as outside volunteers in SGA.
“I thought [this] would be a great way for students to really get the deans out of their regular setting,” said Sabo. “You see students bring concerns to the deans in a very not-pressure situation, very conversational, so I think it’s a very, very good thing.”
Vice President of Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier had similar thoughts to Sabo’s.
“It’s an exciting time; we have three new colleges, so we have this kind of inaugural here, so students will be able to … hear from [the deans] and be informed on what their new ideas [are], what they’re going to do at their respective colleges,” Klotzbier said.
He also mentioned SGA’s T-shirt competition to “brand” the colleges with their own colors and logos.
Senior economics major Brian McMahon said he knows the previous restructuring was fairly controversial, but feels that it was somewhat necessary.
“While the College of Arts and Sciences was good, it’s also better that it’s split into more related majors,” McMahon said. “I think it’s a better collaborative environment.”
Sophomore communication studies major Minggan Wei said she was not really clear about this new restructuring.
“We’re getting more money and more students, but … the school is getting crowded,” Wei said. “The library is always full in the daytime, especially the computer lab, so maybe we need to spend on the library, and add more equipment and facilities, too.”
