Reporter Volume 25, No.28 Commencement Extra

Statement from the Deans of Arts and Sciences

The Deans of Arts and Sciences (Arts and Letters, Natural Sciences and
Mathematics, Social Sciences) have already begun to work closely with
each other and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education to enhance
the quality of undergraduate education at the University at Buffalo.
To this end, the four of us are meeting regularly to coordinate our
activities and initiatives in undergraduate education (general
education curriculum, access to and quality of instruction provided to
majors in the arts and sciences, recruitment, advisement and retention
of students). We will bring to bear the full weight of our budgetary
authority in tackling these long-standing problems, keeping in mind
the other important missions of our facultiesQgraduate education,
research and scholarship, and public and University service.
	The Deans are committed to work within the context of the
existing general education curriculum, address problems of
implementation, and develop faculty structures that allow for the
modification, improvement, and extension of the curriculum to a larger
student population. We plan to continue to use the existing structures
of curriculum committees in Science, American Pluralism and World
Civilization. Others may be created as deemed necessary.
	We will make every effort to ensure that students in the arts
and sciences are properly advised; are able to enroll in the courses
they need to fulfill University-wide, arts and sciences, and
departmental requirements; are able to graduate in a timely fashion.
	We encourage all faculty, especially those who have already
devoted considerable energies to improve undergraduate education, to
work with us within this three-faculty cooperative structure.