Gearing up for a new year

Author: editorial

With the capital campaign gathering speed, the upcoming opening of the Donald E. Axinn '51 Center at Starr Library slated for this summer and the affiliation between the College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies blossoming, 2008 promises to be a big year for Middlebury College. Students can expect to see the first significant alterations to the commons system in over 10 years. Applications arriving in record numbers could change the dynamics of the student body. The College's growing presence in town may provide students with more opportunities for social and cultural exchange with local residents.

These developments, however, should not mask the issues on campus that warrant attention. As students settle in for the daily grind, we offer a few suggestions for inclusion on the College's list of New Year's resolutions.

Taking on Tenure

An assessment of the process by which the College reviews and tenures its professors should take top priority for the faculty and administration this year. The College's current system, adopted decades ago, is outdated and, though designed with good intentions, is ill suited to today's classroom. The focus on punitive evaluation fosters an atmosphere of anxiety and restriction for un-tenured professors, and the strict tenure timeline not only stifles academic creativity but also complicates the balance between personal and professional life.

Furthermore, while necessarily confidential, the current process does not allow for administrative transparency, alienating large portions of the community invested in building a strong faculty. Including younger faculty members and potentially student representatives in review committees would foster a greater diversity of voices. In the coming year, the College should commit itself to, at the very least, undertaking a thorough examination of the effectiveness of the review process.

Reevaluating the Playing Field

In the wake of a highly successful fall sports season, in which the College brought home one national championship and several conference titles, Middlebury is poised to reflect both on the nature of athletic excellence at the College and the necessary balance between the classroom and the playing field. It is time to start asking some important questions. How will the increase in applications to the institution affect athletic recruiting? How will the College maintain an emphasis on academics over athletics, particularly as Division III academic regulations ease? Would the College benefit from the creation of and move to a smaller, more academically minded athletic division?

Activate the Student Body

Finally, students must not lose sight of this year's importance in the world outside of the Middlebury. With primary elections already underway in the most wide-open presidential race of our lives, the time has come for Middlebury students to shed their reputation as well-meaning but apathetic citizens. Though there are students on campus who are deeply involved in political and social movements, the majority is content to politely abstain from heated political debate. Students should encourage each other and their professors to tackle important political topics, both inside and outside of the classroom. The forum that arose in the wake of last fall's controversial poster campaigns was the perfect example of constructive dialogue. Especially in the months leading up to the Nov. 4 election, such debates could serve to inform the student body and personalize larger national issues.

Ultimately, the shape of the new year will be determined by those who step up to the plate. What we will see in 2008 is up to the outspoken, engaged members of this community. We hope you will be one of them.