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News
Commentary
Student Services: Designing an Integrated Experience
By Mel Bernstein, Dean of Arts, Sciences and Engineering
and Kristine E. Dillon, Dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs
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Mel Bernstein and Kristine E. Dillon
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Enormous cultural changes of the late-twentieth-century
define the students entering Tufts in the new century. Busy and
structured lives, pressures on families despite a period of unprecedented
economic prosperity, the information revolution-these are only some
of the contributing factors. One thing has not changed: as in prior
years, Tufts students form an outstanding leadership group who have
high expectations about their four years at Tufts. How are we responding?
At Tufts, and within the Arts, Sciences and Engineering community,
we remain convinced that we've "gotten it right." Our educational
and student service philosophy is to prepare, in the best possible
manner, graduates confident of dealing with an uncertain and changing
environment, able to take on leadership roles and navigate the challenges
of their chosen fields. We can assure this by personalizing and
shaping our students' academic experience, both within and outside
the classroom, laboratory and studio. Today, Tufts is providing
students with integrated services, with creative choices and with
programs that focus university resources on individual needs with
appropriate flexibility.
In June 2000, we took a major step to strengthen this
effort: student services at Tufts was intentionally placed largely
under one roof in the new Dowling Hall to consolidate services through
collaboration among academic-support and student-life professionals.
Tufts has already been recognized nationally as an IBM Best Practice
Partner for the development of this student-services program. Through
improved communication and cross-functional planning, we now increasingly
can provide a well-marked path, pointing students to our rich array
of resources.
We are certain of the success of this new venture
in student services because it builds on our strengths-our commitment
to teaching excellence and strong faculty-student advising. Our
young people come from many backgrounds and all bring a huge range
of life experiences to their study and other activities while on
campus or in study abroad programs. Our mission has never been more
challenging. Why? The world demands more of young people than ever
before. Thus, Tufts' ability to prepare students for lifelong learning
and productive careers, and to be citizens of the world, is the
true measure of our success. To deepen this effort, Tufts also recently
established Class Teams, a student services initiative that sets
a precedent at universities generally. Composed of a class dean,
a career services counselor and a student- life professional, each
of five teams will ensure a strong comprehensive advising process
for students throughout the four undergraduate years at Tufts as
well as at the graduate level. By actively linking with faculty
advisors and with student-led and university-wide initiatives, team
members will guide the class as a whole, paying special attention
to developmental issues associated with each class year and issues
that may affect a student's whole experience at Tufts.
Most important, as we help students intentionally
tailor their own experience at Tufts, we anticipate at least three
positive results: students who fully understand the breadth of opportunity
offered within Tufts' huge variety of programs; who are deliberate
about the way they deepen their knowledge and experience in chosen
areas; and who will experience the strengthening of bonds within
their graduating class. Such an integrated student services program
will reap real benefits for Tufts students in the present and in
their future careers. For example, improved technology underpins
the program, speeding indispensable information to students. We
can examine student progress over time, enabling us to guide them
to fellowship opportunities; support others who are developing a
distinctive major; or work collaboratively to find solutions with
a student who may be having difficulty completing academic requirements.
Integrated student services also links our alumni
to their "new relations," the currently enrolled students. The Career
Advisory Network (CAN), a critical tool for Tufts undergraduates,
provides a means for alumni to seize the special opportunity to
give back to generations of Tufts students to come. A key to the
continued vitality of this network is making it as comprehensive
as possible, both by field and geography. We welcome new, creative
ideas and additional avenues to develop stronger ties between alumni
and students, a relationship that can only strengthen Tufts as a
valuable asset.
We've presented lofty goals here, but we know that
we will attain them. We want students to fulfill their high expectations
of a Tufts education and we are here to support them on their journey
to become citizens of the world. Alert to changes in our global
society and in culture, in business and in education, the student
services program at Tufts aims to compound the value of the Tufts
experience for each and every student. More important, we expect
this comprehensive experience will be firmly woven through the portfolio
of skills, knowledge and broadened perspective that the Tufts graduate
will be able to carry forward into the future.
Mel Bernstein, Dean of Arts, Sciences and Engineering
Kristine E. Dillon, Dean of Academic Services and
Student Affairs
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