Why a world-class public research university is also a great place to learn

1. Why a world-class public research university is also a great place to learn Holden Thorp, Dean College of Arts & Sciences Oct. 5, 2007 Board of Visitors

2. What is the purpose of the College? To promote original thought and produce the people and ideas needed to solve our biggest problems

3. Core Values of the College • Originality • Curiosity • Transparency • Diversity A thorough liberal arts education is the best preparation for leadership in the 21st century

4. Teaching mission of the College We teach all the important stuff

5. College faculty teach 100% of 1st and 2nd year students and 87% of ALL undergraduate credit hours

6. Junior-Senior Majors in the College account for 74% of all Junior-Seniors, but the College teaches 79% of their credit hours Jr/Sr Majors Jr/Sr Credit Hours Arts & Sciences 74% Arts & Sciences 79%

7. The College has 22% of all UNC graduate & professional students

8. People on College Payroll • Tenure-track faculty 710 • Fixed-term faculty 261 • Full-time staff 540 • Part-time staff 748 • Post-docs 140 • Graduate students 2140 Total4539

9. Why choose a public research university for college? Enhanced opportunities, engaged faculty

10. Attributes of a great research university • Introduction to original thought • Wide range of opportunities for faculty & students in the College and professional schools • Engaged faculty excited by their research • Right mix of graduate students and undergraduates • Great graduate students attract great faculty Our most important learning resources are professors who are excited about their subjects

11. Special Opportunities for Undergraduates at Carolina • First Year Seminars (small classes with outstanding faculty) • Undergraduate Research (1:1 mentoring by world-class scholars) • Study Abroad (many led by UNC faculty) • Honors (not just for Honors students) • Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative (teaching liberal arts students to think/ act creatively)

12. What is different about Carolina? High-quality Ph.D. programs combined with outstanding undergraduate program

13. Carolina is a research university Great schools we’re nothing like: • Davidson • Washington and Lee • Grinnell • Swarthmore Maintaining faculty energy at a four-year liberal arts college without a research program is a daunting challenge

14. Some thoughts on rankings Schools we’d like to emulate: • Stanford • Harvard • University of Chicago • Northwestern World-class research and great undergraduate programs

15. Some thoughts on rankings Schools ranked “above” us that we don’t emulate: • University of Southern California (tied) • Emory University • Dartmouth • Washington University in St. Louis • Brown • Vanderbilt • Notre Dame • Georgetown Carolina’s academic departments are much stronger than counterparts at these schools

16. Some thoughts on rankings Schools ranked “below” us with great research programs: • Wisconsin • Illinois • Texas • UC-San Diego Carolina has comparable Ph.D. programs to these schools, but we’re higher on the list because our undergraduate program is better

17. Why we raise private money Help the best faculty and students choose Carolina, and succeed

18. Fundraising Priorities • Faculty expansion • Faculty retention • Graduate student support • Facilities • Initiatives • Undergraduate education

19. Faculty Expansion • Naming Opportunity for Junior Faculty Positions: enable the College to add faculty by creating new privately-funded positions for an assistant professor • New: Can now do with $1M gift and $0.5M state match. Allows us to expand the faculty without relying on state money

20. Faculty Retention • Distinguished Professorships: recruit new senior faculty or retain outstanding faculty who are attracting outside offers • Requires a state-funded position from the College in addition to the private endowment

21. Graduate Student Support • Ph.D. Fellowships: $25,000 per year in salary support ($0.5M to endow) • Great graduate students attract great faculty • Graduate students are mentors for undergraduates

22. Undergraduate Education • Kenan Music Scholars • Phillips Ambassadors • Study Abroad • Honors • First Year Seminars • Undergraduate Research

23. Initiatives • Carolina Center for Jewish Studies • Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative and minor in entrepreneurship • Fine Arts • Global Education • Nanoscience, imaging and energy Creative initiatives energize faculty and students, lead to new ideas

24. Facilities • Chapman Hall • Caudill Labs • Kenan Music Building • FedEx Global Education Center • New Computer Science Building • Winston House in London • Huge needs in social sciences and humanities Great facilities attract great people

25. What would you do with $100M gift for anything? • Endow 200 Ph.D. fellowships OR • Secure the faculty by providing $5M/year for compensation and research support OR • Add 100 junior faculty in strategic areas, expanding Honors and First-Year Seminars

26. Challenge: Maintaining the distinctive ‘Carolina experience’ Expanding enrollment

27. Carolina = teaching + research To reach 35,000 students and maintain the same high quality of faculty and learning environment, the College would have to increase its faculty, graduate students, staff and facilities by about 28%.

28. What will they say Thorp has done five years from now? So far

29. Goals • Maintained the great Ph.D. programs in the College, moved a few more into the top tier • Built appreciation for Carolina as a major research university with a great undergraduate program • Increased interaction of undergraduates with idea generation and originality, infused entrepreneurship • Increased the profile of the fine arts • Improved leadership culture in the College • Made faculty retention pro-active instead of reactive