Students express concern on Strategic Plan objectives

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by Peggy Lai

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A forum discussing the Strategic Plan was held Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in Dell Butcher Hall.

Jennie Leslie, a fifth-year student at Baker College and the only undergraduate representative on the Strategic Planning Committee, ran the meeting. Strategic Planning Committee Chair and Provost David Auston, as well as committee members Graham Glass, James Kinsey, Kathleen Matthews and Carol Quillen were present. Roughly 75 undergraduate students attended the forum.

"I want to stress the importance of student input and well-thought-through comments -- not just critique and criticism, but real solutions to be incorporated into the plan," Leslie said.

Auston said, "I was just pleased to see the interest students expressed. I think their comments will really help clarify the report." Both Auston and Leslie expressed their satisfaction with the turnout.

President Malcolm Gillis commissioned the Strategic Planning Committee a year ago to develop a draft of the plan; it was released last week to the Rice community.

According to Auston and Leslie, comments from students can be submitted to the committee.

After April 26, a final report will be drawn up and sent to Gillis and the Board of Governors for approval.

If the plan is accepted, the recommendations outlined in the Strategic Plan will be used to outline Rice's future for the next 10 years, though the student body will not have the opportunity to ratify the plan.

The forum had a question-and-answer structure. Wiess College seniors Carmen Peralta and Ryan Bates prepared statements to address the committee.

The major student concerns were that three of Rice's greatest known strengths -- tuition, smaller size and greater commitment to undergraduate education were being endangered by the plan.

Students felt that the plan implied increased tuition and undergraduate student body size, as well as a focus on graduate rather than undergraduate education. There were also concerns over the plan's suggestion that there be an increase in the number of graduate students teaching classes.

Still other concerns centered on the ambiguity and contradictions in parts of the plan. According to Auston, various parts of the plan were not specific in order to avoid unnecessarily tying the president's hands.

The Strategic Planning Committee is comprised of one undergraduate and one graduate representative, as well as the deans of all the departments and other faculty members.

Online feedback, accessible at "http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~pilgrim/form.html" will not be considered after April 26.

This item appeared in the News section of the April 19, 1996 issue.

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