The Strategic Directions Task Force met on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in the Weyerhaeuser Boardroom to collect student input on the criteria that the Educational Policy And Governance (EPAG) committee is using to make allocation decisions in the future.

"We're looking at a budget deficit for the next few years, so things have to be changed," said Academic Affairs Commission Chair Cate McDonough '05. The forum addressed recent concerns over the elimination of certain programs and provided background information for developing a set of criteria by which the committee will make decisions.

In the 2000-2001 school year, the Academic Quality and Structure Committee assembled an extensive task force report, which is available only through the network for on-campus students. The report included a suggestion to develop a committee to make allocation decisions. Before the report came out, there were approximately 30 faculty committees on campus to evaluate requests; the creation of the Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG) eliminated the confusion caused by many smaller committees.

"The task force has asked some questions that need to be answered," said EPAG chair and History professor David Itzkowitz.

The Academic Quality and Structure Committee, which no longer exists, also developed a set of criteria for EPAG to use when evaluating allocations requests.

The criteria currently used by EPAG is divided into two categories, both of which are under debate and open to revision.

The first category includes academic excellence in a liberal arts setting, internationalism, multiculturalism and civic engagement. According to the proposed guidelines, "allocations should be evaluated in terms of how well the requested position will contribute to the college's goal of promoting" the above criteria.

Once a request passes the first set of criteria, it is judged against a second set. The second criteria ranks a request based on student interest in and demand for a program, past success and future prospects and its relationship to other departments and programs. "We want to encourage more interdisciplinary programs," McDonough said.

Adam Gailey '03 questioned the criteria, especially academic excellence in a liberal arts setting, because it includes comparing Macalester's departments to those of other similar schools. "It limits us," said Gailey, who added that the criteria restricts the natural sciences. "If other schools stop [focusing on] internationalism, do we stop?"

Many students in the audience criticized the practice of comparing Macalester to other schools in order to make decisions for the future. "It's very dangerous to compare Macalester to other schools," Robert Spurlock '05 said. He transferred to Macalester to study Geography, one of the departments currently being reviewed. "It's the uniqueness of Macalester that brings students here."

Committee member Josh Aaker '05 explained the reasoning behind examining similar schools. "They had to look at what constitutes a liberal arts education, and their decision was to use other comparable colleges as a starting point," he said.

Other students supported comparing Macalester to similar schools. "It is important to share a common language of academics," Rebecca Morris '05 said.

Another major issue of the night was the proposed changes to several departments, including Geography, Linguistics and Communication Studies. The Strategic Directions Task Force emphasized that none of the recommendations were necessarily going to be implemented. "Most people aren't aware of where the process is at this point," McDonough said. "Just because this report says that Communication Studies is going to go, doesn't mean it's going to go. At this point, the report constitutes suggestions only."

Significant department changes will be left to the faculty as a whole.

Some students were concerned about their level of involvement in the process. "I think it's important to have a formal meeting with students and their student representatives," said Aaron Malone '04. McDonough stressed in response that EPAG wants students in each department to get as much input as possible in meetings with their Legislative Body representatives.

Aaker explained that the school is also gradually moving toward an 11:1 faculty to student ratio in an attempt to alleviate the school's current budget problems. "We spent a great deal of time saying, 'What does this mean to Macalester?'" he said.