The TPC Planning Program

A Review of the First Five Tears

lOOKING forward to the College's Bicentennial Anniversary in 1969, Dartmouth's long-range planning program is designed to provide the blueprints for preeminence in all areas of the life and the work of the College. Since its inception in 1954 this program has been coordinated by a central Trustees Planning Committee which has been respon- sible for reviewing all aspects of the College's operations, for defining goals towards which the College should move, and, when these goals have been established, for forwarding completed plans to appropriate parties for implementation.

During the past five years, the Trustees Planning Committee has consisted of members of the College administration and the faculty, as well as Trustees of the College. In June 1959, however, the Board of Trustees approved the report of its special ad hoc Committee on Trustee Organization which recommended certain changes in the existing TPC organization. As a result, specific long-range planning projects in the future will be supervised directly by appropriate administrative officers of the College, and all such projects will be reviewed periodically by appropriate standing committees of the Board of Trustees. Overall responsibility for the coordination of the entire planning program will be transferred to a reorganized Trustees Planning Committee of the Board which will consist solely of Trustee members.

At this time of transition, it seems appropriate to review the College's planning program to date and to summarize the major recommendations which have grown out of this program during the first five years of TPC's operations. Since its founding in 1954 the original Trustees Planning Committee has been chaired by Harvey P. Hood '18, senior member of the Board of Trustees. This committee, which has averaged from six to seven permanent members, has utilized the services of the following individuals at one time or another during this five-year period: Harvey P. Hood '18, Dudley W. Orr '29, and Ralph W. Hunter '31 from the Board of Trustees; and John P. Amsden '20, Al Bert I. Dickerson '30, Ross Gamble, Orton H. Hicks '21, John F. Meek '33, the late Donald H. Morrison, Thomas E. O'Connell 50, Frank Smallwood '51 (who served as a non-member committee secretary from 1957-59)' and Justin F. Stanley '33 from the College administration and faculty.

In order to discharge its responsibilities, the Trustees Planning Committee has relied upon TPC subcommittees to conduct detailed studies of various phases of the College's program. Since 1954 eighteen such subcommittees have been activated by the Trustees Planning Committee. These groups have ranged in size from the one-man subcommittee which investigated the operations of the Council on Student Organizations to the twenty-man study group which explored Dartmouth's alumni relations program. In all, the subcommittees have involved the services of approximately 150 individuals, including members of the alumni body, the College administration and faculty, the Hanover community, and consultants and interested friends of the College drawn from all regions of the country.

It is, of course, difficult to provide a comprehensive description of a program this vast in scope in any brief, summary fashion. However, at its final meeting, held in December 1959, the Trustees Planning Committee as originally organized decided that an attempt should be made to summarize major progress in the long-range planning field. Hence, the following outline, while in no way attempt- ing to pose as an all-inclusive survey, does highlight some of the major recommendations which have grown out of the TPC program to date.

DARTMOUTH'S PURPOSE

In January 1954, President Dickey prepared the initial report for the Board of Trustees on the crucial issue of the central purpose of Dartmouth College. In this report, the President cited the following basic elements of purpose which have been inherited from the past as possessing special relevance for the Dartmouth of the present and of the future:

(I) An over-riding sense of public obligation. The work of the College proceeds on the historic assumption that the ultimate obligation of this institution is to human society.

(2) A commitment to the liberal arts as the best educational foundation for the fullest possible development of individual goodness and competence.

(3) A commitment to the primacy of undergraduate education.

President Dickey concluded his report by stating that:

. the liberal arts college, more than any other institution in American life, is directly concerned at the higher levels of education with the development in all its products of both the will and the capacity to serve the public good regardless of how the individual makes his own living. If Dartmouth annually can put six hundred such public-minded, competent citizens back into the home communities of our forty-eight states during the next fifteen years, she may be able to make a truly decisive contribution to the perpetuation of the human heritage which all education holds in trust. That, at this point, should be her ennobling aim."

The Trustees endorsed President Dickey's concept of purpose in full, and all subsequent long-range planning has proceeded on the assumptions contained in this first long-range planning report.

DARTMOUTH'S SIZE

The TPC Subcommittee on the Future Size of the College submitted its report to the Trustees Planning Committee in October 1954. After studying the potential future size of the undergraduate college in terms of its relationship to the quality of the faculty, the quality of the student body, the adequacy of the College plant, and the educational environment of the Dartmouth community, the subcommittee recommended that:

(1) "... there be a planned increase of 400 undergraduates (added to the then existing total of 2600), bringing the undergraduate enrollment exclusive of graduate students in the Associated Schools to 3000 in the early 1960'5; if further study indicates that changes in personnel, program and facilities along the lines recommended ... can be carried out by that time.

(2) "... in planning beyond 1960, an increase in size beyond 3000 be assumed to be undesirable, but...if there are pressing reasons making such an increase desirable, a satisfactory experience with a college of 3000 might change this recommendation."

The Trustees Planning Committee accepted the subcommittee's recommendation on the size of the College and referred other subcommittee recommendations on the College's educational program to a new TPC study group on Educational Program Planning.

PLANT PLANNING

During the past six years, the TPC Subcommittee on Plant Planning has been engaged in a continuous series of studies of the master plan and the future plant needs of the College. Actually this is the only active planning subcommittee which was established prior to the Trustees Planning Committee, with the original plant planning study group being organized, under the chairmanship of Prof. John P. Amsden '20, in the late fall of 1953. In addition to overseeing the detailed studies which are made on specific plant projects by special ad hoc building committees (i.e. the Hopkins Center, the proposed auditorium-arena, etc.), the Plant Planning Subcommittee is responsible for recommending priorities to govern the future building program of the College. These priorities are then submitted through the Trustees Planning Committee and the Trustees' Committee on Buildings and Grounds to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

THE MEDICAL SCHOOL

In a report submitted in January 1955, the TPC Subcommittee on the Medical School recommended that Dartmouth's unique two-year medical education program should be continued, provided adequate funds could be secured to improve plant facilities and faculty compensation in the future. After considering the report, the Trustees Planning Committee agreed that Dartmouth's two-year program served as a much-needed prototype for alleviating some of the critical problems which faced American medical education, and that in addition to making an important contribution to society, the Medical School was contributing important positive values to the life of the undergraduate College. In light of these facts, TPC recommended - and the Board of Trustees approved—the launching of a $10,000,000 Medical School Fund Drive, to be conducted concurrently with, but separate from, the College's Capital Gifts Campaign. To date, some $5,000,000 has been raised in this drive to cover future Medical School needs, and a new Medical Science Building, located adjacent to the Mary Hitchcock Hospital, is currently under construction.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

A number of key changes were made in the College's fund-raising organization as a result of the recommendations submitted in May 1955 by the TPC Subcommittee on Development. Among the major moves in this area were the creation of a standing Board of Trustees' Committee on Development (now renamed the Committee on Alumni and Public Affairs) and the realignment of a number of Alumni Council committees responsible for various phases of the College's fund-raising program. Once this reorganization had taken place, the College was ready to launch its successful Capital Gifts Campaign under the chairmanship of Charles J. Zimmerman '23 (who also served as chairman of the TPC Subcommittee on Development) - which realized its goal of $17,000,000 in June 1959.

THAYER SCHOOL

In June 1956 the TPC Subcommittee on the Thayer School submitted a report which recommended a basic shift in the engineering education program at Dartmouth from that of specialization to that of increased emphasis on the basic sciences. Under the new concept, the central focus of Dartmouth's engineering program is based upon a new engineering science major, leading to the regular four-year Bachelor of Arts degree with the option of continuing on for a five-year Thayer School Bachelor degree in either civil, mechanical or electrical engineering. The Thayer School also continues to offer a Master's degree option. After both the faculty and the Trustees Planning Committee had endorsed this new program, it was approved by the Board of Trustees in April 1958, and a Department of Engineering Science was created in the Science Division of the undergraduate College. The new program is now in its second full year of operation.

UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM

A special TPC Subcommittee on Educational Program Planning and the standing Faculty Committee on Educational Policy submitted a joint report to the Faculty in February 1957. Among the major recommendations contained in this report were:

(1) The adoption of a three-term, three-course calendar.

(2) The institution of an independent program of general reading for the first two years and of independent reading prescribed by the major department for the last two years in the undergraduate college.

(3) Modification of certain distributive requirements for freshmen and sophomores in the science, humanities, and foreign language areas.

At a meeting held in March 1957 the faculty approved the new three-term, three-course educational program, which was granted final approval by the Board of Trustees in April 1957. The new curriculum was put into operation in the fall of 1958 and available evidence indicates that it has been an extremely successful educational experiment.

DARTMOUTH OUTING CLUB

In a report submitted in October 1957 the TPC Subcommittee on the Dartmouth Outing Club recommended a number of changes in Outing Club operations looking forward to the DOC's fiftieth anniversary in the academic year 1959-60. One of the major recommendations contained in this report was the establishment of a capital improvement program to renovate the Outing Club's cabins, trails, and shelters which are subjected to heavy use by both undergraduates and alumni. The Trustees Planning Committee endorsed this capital improvement program and at the present time the Office of Development is attempting to secure the funds necessary for its implementation.

ALUMNI RELATIONS

In a major seven-volume report, the TPC Committee on Alumni Relations summarized the results of an exhaustive survey of all phases of the Dartmouth alumni program. In all, the Committee reviewed the history and objectives of alumni relations at Dartmouth and submitted eighty separate recommendations covering the areas of alumni communications, alumni organization, intellectual interests and activities, and alumni activities. Three of the major recommendations were:

(1) The installation of a periodic "intellectual supplement" in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. (The first supplement appeared in 1958.)

(2) An increase in the size of the Alumni Council from 40 to 50 members to permit representation from the newly established Class and Club Associations, as well as more proportional representation. (This recommendation, which was endorsed by TPC and approved by the Alumni Council, has been placed into effect.)

(3) The establishment of a new regional alumni organization designed to supplement and strengthen existing channels of communication between the College, the Alumni Council, and the alumni body. (At the present time, the Office of the Secretary of the College is experimenting with the new regional organization on a pilot basis to determine the effectiveness of the proposed system. The first regional meeting is scheduled to take place this year in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.)

ATHLETICS

The TPC Subcommittee on Athletics submitted its final report to the Trustees Planning Committee in December 1958. On the basis of a detailed study of the Dartmouth physical education, intramural, and intercollegiate programs (including a comprehensive survey of the athletic programs of ten other colleges and universities), the subcommittee recommended that athletics at Dartmouth be consolidated under a single administrator, with overall policy guidance in the athletic area being provided by the Dartmouth College Athletic Council. With the exception of the DOC winter sports program (which will remain for the present under the direction of the Outing Club), the Trustees Planning Committee has endorsed this recommendation and has formulated basic plans for strengthening the Athletic Council's organization. Appropriate administrative officers of the College are now studying the most feasible timing and implementation.

TUCK SCHOOL

In a report submitted to the Trustees Planning Committee in February 1959 the TPC Subcommittee on the Tuck School set forth the following objectives as constituting the central purpose of the Tuck School:

(1) The preparation of qualified young men for eventual service to society as managers of business enterprises.

(2) The conduct of research in business administration and related disciplines for the purpose of advancing knowledge in these fields.

(3) The encouragement of qualified students to continue preparation for careers as teachers and researchers in business administration.

The Trustees Planning Committee has endorsed these objectives and approved in principle various specific recommendations in the report relating to future teaching, curriculum, and research activities at the Tuck School, as well as revised plans for the development of the joint Tuck-Thayer program.

STUDENT HEALTH

The TPC Subcommittee on Student Health submitted its final report to the Trustees Planning Committee in June 1959. This report contains 21 recommendations relative to the scope, organization, and financing of the College's health service program. Many of these recommendations are just now in the stage of initial implementation. One of the major changes recommended by the subcommittee and approved by TPC involves the reorganization of the existing Council on Student Health to provide for more effective executive direction of the College's student health program in the future.

A number of completed studies, as well as a number of study projects currently under way, have been omitted from the above summary. However, the listing of major subcommittee recommendations does give some indication of the depth and scope of the TPC program to date.

No summary of the Trustees Planning Committee program is complete without the expression of deep gratitude to the many individuals who have taken the time and effort to serve on the various TPC subcommittees. The College's long-range planning program is highly ambitious perhaps even unique —in its scope and significance and the Trustees Planning Committee is most thankful for the services being performed by the many subcommittee chairmen and members who are attempting to ensure that the Dartmouth of the future will not fall short of the best in all areas of activity. In addition, TPC thanks go to the many outside professional consultants who have assisted the subcommittees in the course of their studies.

The following is a complete listing of the TPC subcommittee organization, as of

January 1, 1960

Subcommittee

College Purpose College Size Plant Planning Medical School Development C.O.S.O. Thayer School Educational Program

Use of Plant By Other Than Undergraduates Dartmouth Outing Club Alumni Relations Athletics Tuck School Student Health

Admissions and Financial Aid Community Environment Financial Relationships with Associated Schools Transportation

Chairman

President Dickey Dudley W. Orr '29 John P. Amsden '20 Donald H. Morrison Charles J. Zimmerman '23 Thomas E. O'Connell '50 Donald H. Morrison Dudley W. Orr '29 (Study done with Faculty CEP)

Ellmore A. Hammesfahr '28 J. Hartness Beardsley '37 Guy P. Wallick '21 Charles W. Bartlett '27 Charles F. McGoughran '20 Andrew B. Foster '25

Hadley Cantril '28 John V. Neale

John W. Masland Richard W. Morin '24

Report Submitted

January 1954 October 1954 Continuous Study January 1955 May 1955 February 1956 June 1956

February 1957

August 1957 October 1957 June 1958 December 1958 February 1959 June 1959

Presently Under Way Presently Under Way

Presently Under Way Presently Under Way

Frank Smallwood '51, author of this TPC report, is Assistant Professor of Government. He was secretary of TPC from 1957 to 1959 while serving as Assistant to the President.