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Archives
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November 2009
Squeeze the Orange, Red
Tonight, at the Dome, we're going to eradicate the Orangemen. But not in this way: Meanwhile, I am still trying to chase this nightmare out of my dreams: Matthew Nagowski | November 24, 2009 (#) Munier's Take MetaEzra failed to get around to reporting on the release of the summary reports for the 'Reimagine Cornell' task forces over the weekend, but luckily the Sun's Munier Salem is on task. He gets some things right, but I think he errors on others: For instance, the Social Sciences Task Force speaks of consolidating departments spread among several colleges into a single School of Public Policy, while the College of Human Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Arts and Sciences, and School of Industrial and Labor Relations task forces do not offer such a recommendation. Similarly, the one of three options recommended in the online summary by the “Management Sciences” Task Force calls for consolidating Applied Economics and Management, Policy Analysis and Management and ILR into an undergraduate “School of Management and Public Policy.” The fact that the individual colleges and schools failed to look past their own boundaries was particularly discouraging to me. I actually have had the opportunity to see the CALS report in its entirety and it was shocking to discover that none of the other management and economics programs were mentioned when discussing AEM. So the inferences on what AEM means to the Ag School are clear. At the same time, though, I don't think the individual colleges are going to have much of a say when it comes to rethinking the conundrum of the applied social sciences at Cornell. It needs to be a University-level decision in concert with the State of New York. So while ILR and Human Ecology may think that they can go along with what they have been doing over the past decade, the welfare of the University at large will require them to work outside of their own quads. Where I think Munier may be a little bit off the mark, however, is in his suggestion that 'Reimagining Cornell' will only serve to make Cornell more like its other Ivy peers and disinvest in its world class programs in plant sciences, labor history, or human development. And finally, I personally felt that the reports promoted a sort of “Arts and Sciences first” mentality. The life sciences task force recommended diverting resources towards computational bio, genomics and genetics, and molecular and cell biology while cutting from departments that do not “bring distinction to the University,” which by process of elimination, sound like plant science or entomology or horticulture: also known as bio in the Ag school. I'll have more to add in the near future, but I disagree with this take. And I don't think Munier should be concerned that the Lab of Ornithology is going to be moving anywhere. Nor do I think that Cornell is thinking about turning away from the Life Course Center, the Food and Brand Lab, or the Institute on Conflict Resolution. The question is how to make all the parts work better for the whole. Matthew Nagowski | November 09, 2009 (#) |
-- College: The Sequel (AGuess) -- Reunions Wrap-Up (Nagowski) -- Cornellians in Politics Roundup (EBilmes) -- Matt and Andy: Reunion Weekend Free-For-All (Nagowski) -- Fuchs and Skorton Did Not Want AEM in CALS (Nagowski) -- Breaking: Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (Nagowski) -- Reunion Week! (Nagowski) -- Elie's Graduation Post (Nagowski) -- Gifting Demographics (Nagowski) -- Skorton Increasingly Lehman-esque (Nagowski) -- On The Sport of Lacrosse (Nagowski) -- Fuchs: I Am The Decider (Nagowski) -- The Cornell Reunion Blazer! (Nagowski) -- AAP Has Erosion Issues (Nagowski) -- An Interview With Student-Elected Trustee Nighthawk Evensen (Nagowski) -- The Real 161 Things (Nagowski) -- The Costs of Decentralization (Nagowski) -- University CIO To Start Own Hedge Fund (Nagowski) -- Overenrolled Again? Yield Higher Than Expected (Nagowski) -- Supporting Students (Nagowski) -- Steven Strogatz is a Cornell Treasure (Nagowski) -- Happy Slope Day (Nagowski) -- Incoming Freshmen Class Always Impresses (Nagowski) -- Munier's Swan Song (Nagowski) -- $71 MM in Cuts, Future Layoffs Imminent (Nagowski) -- Skorton's Bedside Manner (Nagowski) -- Historical Integrity (Nagowski) -- Discriminatory Professor Loses Discrmination Lawsuit (Nagowski) -- Introducing Opzi, a Cornell Startup (Nagowski) -- Courting the Canucks (Nagowski)  |