Message for Tuck, Thayer, and Medical School Alumni April 14th, 2007
As you may know, I have been emphasizing the need for the College to recommit itself to its historic “small college” academic mission. Some of you may be wondering: what are the implications for the professional schools?
I can assure you that there is no greater supporter of excellence in Dartmouth’s professional schools than I am. As a tenured professor at a professional school — the University of Virginia School of Law — I know the value of excellent professional schools and the challenges they face.
The professional schools at Dartmouth add immeasurably to the intellectual life at the College. For example, research at the Medical School provides valuable opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in cutting-edge research aimed at easing human suffering. The professional schools also serve to distinguish Dartmouth from schools such as Amherst and Middlebury, which are entirely focused on undergraduate education. Dartmouth would be considerably worse off without the professional schools — and considerably worse off if the professional schools were allowed to slip in quality.
If elected to the Board of Trustees, I will vigorously protect the quality and character of Dartmouth’s professional schools. My goal for the professional schools and the College alike is what Tuck’s dean has called “dual excellence”; that is, excellence in both teaching and research. Dual excellence must be the objective — and the reality — not just at Tuck, but in all of the academic components at the College. Our students deserve nothing less.
