Thomas Jefferson viewed higher education as the means "to form the statesmen, legislators, and judges, on whom public prosperity and individual happiness are so much to depend." He hoped to instill in our youth "habits of reflection and correct action, rendering them examples of virtue to others, and of happiness within themselves.
At a time when other institutions set themselves apart from the world, Jefferson placed the purposes of his university at the center of society. This concept, revolutionary in his day, has always shaped the student experience at the University of Virginia. Our goal is to produce graduates who are intellectually adventurous, who are engaged in their communities, and who can lead, not just by virtue of the knowledge they have acquired here, but because they have been steeped in the principles of responsibility, honor, and mutual respect.
Our students take the lead in upholding these principles and in promoting them among their peers. With the help of a new CD-ROM, the Honor Committee is ensuring that new students understand the Honor System. Melissa Stark (College '95), former correspondent for ABC's Monday Night Football, narrates the video portion of the CD, which also contains an interactive segment that follows two possible outcomes of an honor offense. The Honor Committee is using the CD-ROM to reach out to faculty, who also have been invited to attend honor trials to see firsthand how the Honor System works.
Relishing Academic Rigor
The cornerstone of our student experience is the academic rigor of our programs. We offer a challenging and rewarding curriculum that continues to attract extraordinary students from the Commonwealth of Virginia and from every state in the nation. This year, we received nearly 14,700 applications for 3,100 positions in the undergraduate Class of 2007. The first-years who joined us this fall make up the brightest, most diverse, and best prepared group of students ever assembled on the Grounds. Their SAT scores average 1,323 out of a possible 1,600; more than 85 percent of them ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.
Students of this caliber seek out and discover an outstanding educational experience at the University. They benefit from faculty who are making significant contributions to their disciplines and whose passion for learning is infectious. Our students also find opportunities for personal development outside the classroom, whether by becoming involved in a student organization or by breaking new ground in a research project.
For models of excellence, they can look to several current and recently graduated students. This past year, John Kiess (College '01) became the University's first recipient of the George J. Mitchell Scholarship, named in honor of the former U.S. senator who played a central role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Mr. Kiess will use the award to study comparative ethnic conflict while at Queens University in Belfast. Political and social thought majors Kathleen Hamm (College '04) and Sean Driscoll (College '04) have been named Truman Scholars for 2003. Selected on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability, and their capacity to make a difference in the world, twenty-two University students have won this prestigious award. It carries a stipend of $30,000.
An Evolving Curriculum
The University is in the early stages of a careful examination of its curriculum, a study that will lead to decisive steps to strengthen the academic experience of our undergraduates. In the meantime, we continue to introduce new programs that reflect advances in knowledge, that capitalize on expertise we have developed, and that respond to students eager to pursue new intellectual challenges.The College of Arts and Sciences launched its "common course," a series of team-taught classes in which some of our most distinguished scholars provide perspectives from a variety of disciplines on pressing contemporary issues. "War, Justice, and Human Rights" was offered last fall, followed by "Environmental Decisions" in the spring. The courses were well received and have set the stage for additional interdisciplinary offerings. The School of Engineering and Applied Science also has focused on interdisciplinary educational efforts. A new bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering will draw on the strengths of a longstanding graduate program offered jointly by engineering and medicine.
Cross-disciplinary thinking has led to innovations at the graduate level as well. The University has introduced new master's degree and doctoral programs in computer engineering, and in January, the Board of Visitors approved the creation of a new master of public health program. The University's new Ph.D. program in music, the first in Virginia, has been a success right from the start. Students are able to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of music, whether it's a composer combining music with video and interactive performance, or a music historian revealing the role of women in nineteenth-century opera in light of feminist literary studies.
Other curricular initiatives are emerging from the Health System's Decade Plan. The plan calls for greater support for the clinical educator, construction of a new medical education and simulation facility, and a new research program on the way medicine is taught and learned. A new Academy of Medical Educators will reward excellence in teaching in much the same vein as the annual Innovative Teaching Awards sponsored by the School of Nursing's Alumni Association.
were recognized for their superb teaching. Inspirations in the Classroom Our best teachers bring their enthusiasm for intellectual inquiry into the classroom, providing the spark for student discovery and innovation. "In Celebration of Teaching," an annual ceremony held in the Rotunda, offers the opportunity to recognize their work. This year, twenty-three faculty members and graduate teaching assistants received honors. Among them were Claire Cronmiller, associate professor of biology, named to the Cavaliers' Distinguished Teaching Professorship, an endowed chair partly supported by athletic bowl earnings; Paul Freedman, assistant professor of politics, awarded the Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award; Pamela Kulbok, associate professor of nursing, given the USEMS Outstanding Teaching Award; and Kenneth Schwartz, associate professor of architecture, recipient of the Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award. All-University Teaching Awards were given to Gerard Alexander, associate professor of politics; Barry Cushman, professor of law and history; Dean Dass, professor of art; Jonathan Haidt, associate professor of psychology; Donald Jordan, assistant professor of engineering; Dr. Mark Mendelsohn, associate professor of medicine; Pamela Roland, assistant professor of continuing and professional studies; and Laura Smolkin, associate professor of education. |
Ensuring Openness and Civility
Our growing diversity is a tremendous source of strength even as it raises new challenges. A climate of inclusiveness and civility is vital to our progress, and we are unwavering in our conviction that upholding human dignity and mutual respect is a responsibility shared by all students, faculty, and staff on Grounds.
Faced by a string of racially charged incidents, including an assault on a candidate for Student Council president, we have launched intensive efforts to examine our social and academic environment and to understand how diverse members of our community define the University experience. The Board of Visitors established a special committee on diversity to focus on the policy issues that relate to the University's climate and culture. President Casteen also has convened a Commission on Diversity and Equity. Under the leadership of Angela Davis, associate dean of students, and Michael Smith, the Thomas C. Sorensen Professor of Political and Social Thought, the commission will pinpoint inadequacies in University programming and will identify best practices, here and at other institutions, that address the needs of under-represented populations. The commission will issue its final report in 2004.
— Daisy Lundy (McIntire, '05), Student Council President
Students and faculty are already taking steps to make appreciation of diversity a core value at the University. Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil to call attention to diversity issues. Growing numbers of students have enrolled in classes on multiculturalism, and the University Guide Service developed a tour titled "From Slave to Scholar: The History of African Americans at U.Va.," which was introduced during African-American Heritage Month. Paul Gaston, professor emeritus of history, has raised awareness of the historical context of our present initiatives. In an article written for Inside UVA, the faculty and staff newspaper, he helped us look unflinchingly at our past to understand why our current efforts are so important. His article can be found at www.virginia.edu/uvadiversity/, a new Web site that serves as a central repository of information on our quest to create a fair and equitable community.
A Lifetime of Public Service
Students who attend the University are the recipients of great gifts, and we strive to instill in them an obligation to use these gifts for the common good. In the Engineering School, the new Washington Internship Program gives students firsthand knowledge of the shaping of public policy, especially as it relates to science and technology. The Law School has added two new clinics, "Advocacy for the Elderly" and "International Human Rights Law," to its public service offerings. Participants gain hands-on experience in these areas while being supervised by practicing attorneys.
The success of these programs-and the popularity of activities such as Madison House, which provides 115,000 hours of volunteer service each year, is one reason the University has achieved a first-place ranking among mid-sized colleges and universities in providing Peace Corps volunteers. Over the years, some 730 Virginia graduates have joined the Peace Corps, including more than sixty current members.