University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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The Chancellor is the chief execu- tive officer of the campus and is responsiblefor carrying out policies and procedures as established by the Board of Trustees and the Uni- versity President. Additionally, the Chancellor is responsible for the establishment of long-range aca- demic and fiscal plans and person- nel policies, coordination ofcampus operations and policies, including budget development and allocation, academic and administrative pro- gram review, and liaison with cam- pus governing units, the President's Office, and other external agencies. Three members of the Chancel- lor's immediate staff hold key posi- tions within the Campus Adminis- tration: The Legal Counsel is the chief legal officer and is responsible for providing legal counsel to the Chancellor, other administrative of- ficers, academic departments, and individual employees at the ,,S.,.. ,.k,.F,..,W .,.., ..., ..r..,,, .,,.., .. . . .,.. . ,,.. X, k if,-ye.,,.x..-W-.YM-is , ,. , 1, , W K 04 ' ' ' 'eff' 'W - ' -f--'vf-.1-w-v-H-1.1-,A-we-I Amherst Campus on matters per- taining to University business. The Legal Counsel represents the Uni- versity and the Commonwealth as special Assistant Attorney General and also acts as liaison between general University Council and the Chancellor. The Associate to the Chancellor is responsible for adminstering the collective bargaining contract with the faculty and librarians, acting as the Chancellor's designee in hear- ing contract grievances and serving as the Chancellor's representative in matters affecting the Faculty Sen- ate or individual faculty members. The Division of Development and Community Relations is responsi- ble for communicating a positive image of the Amherst Campus both externally and internally and for the development of comprehensive community relations programs. ln carrying out these duties, the Div- ision has the responsibility of assist- ing the University in gaining recog- nition as a vital resource for Wes- tern Massachusetts, in social, eco- nomic and cultural affairs, initiating programs and activities that will en- able the University to work closely with the business and industrial segments of the community, and maintaining relations with the alum- ni and other external constituents. Also the Division is responsible for the coordination of alumni relations, public events, special programs, and for . public information fnews media and publicationsl. lt estab- lishes policies for programs design- ed to increase funds flowing to the Amherst Campus through contacts with individuals, corporations and foundations. Offices within the Div- ision are: Alumni Affairs, Community Relations, Public Affairs, Develop- ment, Publications and the Photo Center.

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The new Commission on Higher Education in Massa- chusetts must reduce the size of the public higher edu- cation system as it struggles with reorganization - but it will find major political problems along the way. . .. There will be an overcapacity within institu- tions for the next two dec- ades more institutions than necessary, he said. But how do you squeeze that capacity and who gets squeezed when every insti- tution is part of somebody's constituency? But they're going to have to squeeze. Dr Knapp also made the following observations: - By the year 2000, high- er education will need about the same capacity as it has now. Top state education administrators sense that Blueprint fer UMass!Amherst are signifi- cant. We're going to have to do something about it, Dr. Knapp said. - Public schools are fail- ing students. Higher educa- tion institutions will have to work more closely with pub- lic schools. If public schools don't shape up, particularly in educating the disadvan- taged and minority students, then the university may have to lower its admission standards and do the job it- self. - Social, technological and ecological problems abound. No way has yet been found to mobilize the university's resources to solve these problems. Reorganization of higher education in Massachusetts is talked about annually. Re- the commission sees only short-term problems and short-term needs. The ques- tion is how to mothball suf- ficient capacity to accommo- date the projected needs of 20 years hence. - Institutions of higher education must prepare for a different student body dur- ing the next two decades - disadvantaged, Hispanics and blacks. The question is whether colleges and univer- sities will be able to pro- vide opportunities for those peoplef' Few officials are facing up to the facts. - Retraining adults, such as some middle-aged people with doctorates no longer worth much in the job mar- ket, will be a major focus. - How to maintain qual- ity education and campus fa- cilities in the face of infla- tion is a dramatic struggle. Physical plant and lands- Caplng deterioration at higher education in the 80's happens. Something must be done about it. - A UMass president op- erates in a highly charged atmosphere. I've never seen a culture where there are so many politicians - or pseu- do politicians, said Dr. Knapp. There is so much media exposure and 5 mil- lion influence brokers . . . - Unless there is a major recession that lasts a decade, the need for college-trained people will continue in order to satisfy the demand of business and industry. Dr. Knapp noted that the state has five boards of trustees for public higher education, more than any other state, and there is no coordination .... However, he found draw- backs to a super board for all tend to lead to diminished quality - and it would like- ly become a highly political instrument. He also cited the lack of coordination between public and private higher educa- tion in Massachusetts as a significant problem. The real question of reor- ganization is how we use our very limited dollars, he said. Both public and pri- vate institutions must be looked at very hard. In response to questions, Dr. Knapp noted the univer- sity's tremendous building program during the last 20 years. When you build fast and in large numbers, you run into difficulties, he said. And that's what the state did for the last 20 years at

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I came to the campus with a good impression of the overall quality of this University. What I have found in the first few weeks has exceeded even my most opti- mistic expectations. Wherever I have gone, I have found original and productive people involved in stimulating and challenging en- deavors. I have found a strong and dedicated faculty and I have found considerable evidence that most of that faculty possesses in large measure values that I respect most in others and which we need to cultivate also in our students, namely, compassion, commit- ment, and a sense of responsibil- ity. You are better than you think! I have found an involved stu- dent body, which in many ways perhaps does not realize how im- pressive it is. I was delighted to learn from recent studies that ap- proximately three-fourths of our students are satisfied or very satis- fied with their experience at the University, and in most respects regard their academic and other experiences here about as highly as do students in Amherst, Hamp- shire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges. This response of our stu- dents is of great credit to our fac- ulty, who obviously take their teaching responsibilities seriously. M firt various missions, it is kept great by rewarding excellence and cre- ativity, in a word, merit. I believe these problems, and others, can be confronted constructively and that the University can come to realize its full potential. Before I address the subject of our future directions, I would like to expand briefly on my own view of academic leadership. The qual- ity of any universitydepends most of all on the individuality of each of its members - faculty, staff and students. Yet the university's ultimate success in pushing for- ward the frontiers of knowledge and in contributing to the solution of the problems which confront society also rests on its ability to engage those talented individuals in collective institutional goals and aspirations. This is the para- dox which underlies the dual roles of the academic leader. On the one hand we must attract and nurture individuals of talent and fan the spark of their individuality, on the other, we must bring those indivi- duals to identify with institutional goals and rally them around com- mon purposes. In my view this calls for aca- demic leaders to pay particular at- tention to four matters. First, it is nmsnn+ial +A an-.-.-A +L-.+ +L..-. ITB: I have found the structure of the University to be functional and uncluttered, with relatively little duplication or overlapping en- deavors. You have avoided the ex- treme of a narrow concentration on a few selected areas and the equally troublesome unbounded pursuit of every interest ever known to mankind. I am not yet prepared to be spe- cific in identifying those aspects of the University where improve- ment is desirable. Quite clearly the strains of rapid growth have left some unevenness of quality which will demand attention. There are two points, however, on which I want to be specific be- cause they represent quantitative or perhaps attitudinal differences between this University and the more prestigious Land Grant Uni- versities in the country. These in- stitutions are all characterized by more intensive research and other creative efforts and by more com- prehensive outreach programs. In- quiry is the Wellspring of all the learning that universities must transmit and of the ultimate prac- tical benefits that come from its application. More fully developed outreach programs place the cam- pus in direct contact with virtual- ly every group in the community, impression and tures individuals of talent in all of its endeavors of research, teach- ing, and public service. This re- quires the most careful and consis- tent attention to quality in the re- cruitment, appointment, promo- tion, and reward of faculty and staff. It also requires the identifi- cation of potential leaders and the provision of opportunities for them to develop their skill so that future leadership is assured. Sec- ond, it is essential to create the favorable climate which high quality research, teaching, and public service require. This de- mands the reduction of red tape, the anticipation of developments in new and existing fields, and an absolute insistence on quality per- formance as a requisite for the al- location of resources to indivi- duals as well as units. Third, it requires thoughtful and creative institutional development and al- location of resources. No institu- tion can do everything. It is neces- sary to identify institutional priorities with care, to develop well-understood criteria and pro- cedures for allocating resources, to reduce redundancies and consoli- date activities where savings can be attained. We must develop re- alistic expectations, and reach an incfiflifinviqxrirln nnnnnnmm fl-out and have provided those institu- tions with their enthusiastic sup- porting constituencies. I shall re- turn to these themes a little later. I am in no sense dismayed by whatever problems confront us. To an overwhelming extent they are not unique to this Common- wealth. They represent the prob- lems which confront public higher education nationally. It is true that the level of state support is somewhat inadequate, but our budget is lean, not poor. We need to be more precise in identifying our priorities and supporting them, and shall of course try to do our best to make a persuasive case for increased funding. There is no doubt that inflation has seriously eroded our purchasing power and thus our ability to maintain and build a high quality institution. However, just as critical as the lev- el of support is the manner in which we are hamstrung by tight restrictions on the internal man- agement of funds. This weakens our ability to cope creatively with our problems. I am especially dis- tressed over the serious limita- tions on top salaries. Exceptional performance deserves outstanding rewards. A great university is built by bringing together the highest quality people to accomplish its confession Fourth, our leaders must give at- tention to fund raising. In this area the leader must act as a cata- lyst. The best assurance for con- tinued external support, particu- larly federal support, is a produc- tive faculty, but that faculty must be given the guidance, the assis- tance, and the urging that ,is re- quired to obtain the funds. In my opinion these are the primary du- ties of academic leadership at all levels in the institution, beginning at the department level. I shall certainly give them priority in my role as Chancellor. Now let me turn to the objec- tives to which my leadership will be directed. First, it is essential that we stop thinking about the 1960s and devote our attention to the 1980s and the remainder of this century. I have a feeling that in Amherst, as everywhere in aca- deme, too many people are look- ing backward with nostalgia to the period of rapid growth, rather than forward with expectation to the challenges of the future. At the very least, we must accept the changes in our environment and learn to live within whatever means we can achieve. We must ready ourselves for the new de- mands and demography of the Tqflfle nnri mn lwnvn lif+lp fimn tn