Difference between revisions of "Faculty of Arts and Sciences"

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From the founding of King's College in [[1754]] until [[1880]], the "Arts and Sciences" at Columbia consisted of little more than rigid undergraduate instruction in the classics and a few other basic disciplines (maths, natural science, etc.) One June 7, 1880 the [[trustees], at the urging of [[University President]] [[Frederick A. P. Barnard]], Professor [[John W. Burgess]], and trustee [[Samuel Ruggles]], voted to establish the [[School of Political Science]], a graduate school granting the [[PhD]] degree. Thus was born graduate study and education in the Arts and Sciences at Columbia. Ruggles telegraphed Barnard after the vote: "Thank God! The University is born."
 
From the founding of King's College in [[1754]] until [[1880]], the "Arts and Sciences" at Columbia consisted of little more than rigid undergraduate instruction in the classics and a few other basic disciplines (maths, natural science, etc.) One June 7, 1880 the [[trustees], at the urging of [[University President]] [[Frederick A. P. Barnard]], Professor [[John W. Burgess]], and trustee [[Samuel Ruggles]], voted to establish the [[School of Political Science]], a graduate school granting the [[PhD]] degree. Thus was born graduate study and education in the Arts and Sciences at Columbia. Ruggles telegraphed Barnard after the vote: "Thank God! The University is born."
  
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Over the next twelve years, Political Science would be joined by the [[School of Philosophy]] in [[1890]], and the [[School of Natural Science]] in [[1892]]. In 1891 [[Seth Low]] would reorganize Columbia, creating a system of University Faculties, which provided instruction to students through the vehicle of "schools". Tellingly as to Columbia's priorities, the graduate faculties were formed completely independent of the undergraduate division, unlike at other universities, where graduate schools were built atop the foundation of the undergraduate college. As Professor Roger Bagnall would note in a historical sketch he penned for the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2003, the modern history of Arts and Sciences at Columbia would be profoundly effected by this siloed development, where by the mid twentieth century "there were three faculties dealing with arts and sciences subjects, the Graduate Faculties<ref>While the three graduate faculties of Political Science, Philosophy, and Natural Science appear to have been administratively treated as one body, they weren't formally consolidated into one graduate faculty/school until [[1979]] when [[GSAS]] was formed.</ref> and the faculties of the College and General Studies, for the most part in that order of prestige and power (although there were plenty of individual exceptions)." Bagnall noted that being appointed to an academic department had no correlation to appointment to a faculty, and that as late as 1980 he was still getting separate periodic appointments to the faculties of Columbia College and General Studies.
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Over the next twelve years, Political Science would be joined by the [[School of Philosophy]] in [[1890]], and the [[School of Pure Science]] in [[1892]]. In 1891 [[Seth Low]] would reorganize Columbia, creating a system of University Faculties, which provided instruction to students through the vehicle of "schools". Tellingly as to Columbia's priorities, the graduate faculties were formed completely independent of the undergraduate division, unlike at other universities, where graduate schools were built atop the foundation of the undergraduate college. As Professor Roger Bagnall would note in a historical sketch he penned for the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2003, the modern history of Arts and Sciences at Columbia would be profoundly effected by this siloed development, where by the mid twentieth century "there were three faculties dealing with arts and sciences subjects, the Graduate Faculties<ref>While the three graduate faculties of Political Science, Philosophy, and Natural Science appear to have been administratively treated as one body, they weren't formally consolidated into one graduate faculty/school until [[1979]] when [[GSAS]] was formed.</ref> and the faculties of the College and General Studies, for the most part in that order of prestige and power (although there were plenty of individual exceptions)." Bagnall noted that being appointed to an academic department had no correlation to appointment to a faculty, and that as late as 1980 he was still getting separate periodic appointments to the faculties of Columbia College and General Studies.
  
 
Ultimately, the economic pressures of the 1970s and 1980s forced consolidation. The "problem" of the organization of Arts and Sciences was reviewed repeatedly, by the [[Woodring Committee]], the [[Rice Committee]], the [[Marcus Commission Report|Marcus Commission]], and the [[Strategies of Renewal|Commission on the Future of the University]]. Even [[Dean of Columbia College|Dean]] [[Peter Pouncey]] got in on the act, proposing a restructuring favorable to the power of the College. The 1980s especially saw repeated reorganizations of the constituent arts and sciences faculties until [[1991]] when the [[trustees]] voted to create a "Faculty of Arts and Sciences" without actually dissolving any of its constituent faculties (though they have ceased to have any actual meaning since then.)
 
Ultimately, the economic pressures of the 1970s and 1980s forced consolidation. The "problem" of the organization of Arts and Sciences was reviewed repeatedly, by the [[Woodring Committee]], the [[Rice Committee]], the [[Marcus Commission Report|Marcus Commission]], and the [[Strategies of Renewal|Commission on the Future of the University]]. Even [[Dean of Columbia College|Dean]] [[Peter Pouncey]] got in on the act, proposing a restructuring favorable to the power of the College. The 1980s especially saw repeated reorganizations of the constituent arts and sciences faculties until [[1991]] when the [[trustees]] voted to create a "Faculty of Arts and Sciences" without actually dissolving any of its constituent faculties (though they have ceased to have any actual meaning since then.)

Revision as of 10:57, 29 May 2013

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is one of the 20 faculties of Columbia University. It is big. It is headed by the Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences, a position currently held (in interim) by David Madigan, following the resignation of long-time head Nicholas Dirks in 2012.

Schools

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has control over several constituent schools:

History

From the founding of King's College in 1754 until 1880, the "Arts and Sciences" at Columbia consisted of little more than rigid undergraduate instruction in the classics and a few other basic disciplines (maths, natural science, etc.) One June 7, 1880 the [[trustees], at the urging of University President Frederick A. P. Barnard, Professor John W. Burgess, and trustee Samuel Ruggles, voted to establish the School of Political Science, a graduate school granting the PhD degree. Thus was born graduate study and education in the Arts and Sciences at Columbia. Ruggles telegraphed Barnard after the vote: "Thank God! The University is born."

Over the next twelve years, Political Science would be joined by the School of Philosophy in 1890, and the School of Pure Science in 1892. In 1891 Seth Low would reorganize Columbia, creating a system of University Faculties, which provided instruction to students through the vehicle of "schools". Tellingly as to Columbia's priorities, the graduate faculties were formed completely independent of the undergraduate division, unlike at other universities, where graduate schools were built atop the foundation of the undergraduate college. As Professor Roger Bagnall would note in a historical sketch he penned for the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2003, the modern history of Arts and Sciences at Columbia would be profoundly effected by this siloed development, where by the mid twentieth century "there were three faculties dealing with arts and sciences subjects, the Graduate Faculties[1] and the faculties of the College and General Studies, for the most part in that order of prestige and power (although there were plenty of individual exceptions)." Bagnall noted that being appointed to an academic department had no correlation to appointment to a faculty, and that as late as 1980 he was still getting separate periodic appointments to the faculties of Columbia College and General Studies.

Ultimately, the economic pressures of the 1970s and 1980s forced consolidation. The "problem" of the organization of Arts and Sciences was reviewed repeatedly, by the Woodring Committee, the Rice Committee, the Marcus Commission, and the Commission on the Future of the University. Even Dean Peter Pouncey got in on the act, proposing a restructuring favorable to the power of the College. The 1980s especially saw repeated reorganizations of the constituent arts and sciences faculties until 1991 when the trustees voted to create a "Faculty of Arts and Sciences" without actually dissolving any of its constituent faculties (though they have ceased to have any actual meaning since then.)

Modern History

The modern history of a unified Arts and Sciences, which dates back to 1982, is a history of repeated reorganization and power sturggles. In 1982, in lieu of fighting a costly political battle with the faculty over the consolidation repeatedly recommended in the 1970s, the administration created the office of Vice President of Arts and Sciences, who chaired a Policy and Budgeting Committee consisting of the deans of the individual arts and sciences faculties. The VP himself (though often a faculty member) was not a "Dean" of the faculties, but just an administrator.

In 1991, the trustees voted to finally consolidate the faculties. Out of the merger came the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (ECFAS), giving voice to the faculty directly (rather than just through their deans). Since the creation of FAS in 1991, periodic reorganizations continue to be a hallmark of the organization. George Rupp re-shuffled the deck by creating a "troika" of administrators in charge of FAS, which proved dysfunctional. In 1994, yet another report was produced on the structure of FAS, "Arts and Sciences Faculty Consultation: The Structure of the Arts and Sciences." As a result of this report, the VP of A&S simultaneously became the Dean of FAS. According to Bagnall, after 1995, the office of Vice President began to act with greater efficiency, but at the expense of consultation with the deans and ECFAS and any sense of coherent overall policy.

In 2009, FAS undertook a review of faculty governance in the Arts and Sciences, and ECFAS was replaced by a more powerful Planning and Policy Committee (PPC). Since then, political maneuvering has continued, most spectacularly resulting in Moodygate, which stemmed from a report on Arts and Sciences prepared by the management consulting company McKinsey.

External links

References

  1. ↑ While the three graduate faculties of Political Science, Philosophy, and Natural Science appear to have been administratively treated as one body, they weren't formally consolidated into one graduate faculty/school until 1979 when GSAS was formed.
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