"Institutions, like individuals, should pause from time to time to reflect on what they are doing well, what they could do better, and how they might adapt to the changes that are likely to occur in future years," said Professor of History John Servos, co-chair of the CAP. "[CAP] is undertaking such a review and, focusing in particular, on the College's academics needs."
Regular self-reviews are typical within the College's history. A decade has passed since the last academic review, reports the CAP Web site. In order to ensure that it hears multiple voices, the CAP will both consult and work with standing committees, working groups, administrators, student representatives from the AAS and the Board of Trustees in the next few months.
"[CAP] will be drawing heavily on the advice of other committees and working groups as it conducts this review, including groups that have been studying ways to improve academic support services, to enhance opportunities for foreign study and community-based learning, and to improve our system of academic advising," said Servos. "CAP will also be exploring ways to expand opportunities for students interested in emerging areas of scholarship, science, and artistic expression. As the word 'priorities' suggests, the Committee will be seeking to find principles to help the community frame an agenda for the coming years."
President Anthony Marx discussed the retreat and the other two meetings of CAP. "The retreat as announced to the public focused on a whole array of issues so that we could get a sense of what the full plate looks like," he said. "The last two meetings have focused on the issues of financial aid and access, given constraints, federal and state funding ... [and] given the concerns of the rising price of coming to Amherst."
In order to ensure that the CAP stays committed to the College community, the Committee hopes to stay on schedule. "We hope to have a preliminary version of [the] report ready well in advance of the December deadline so that we can benefit from the community's advice and comments as we work toward a final version," said Professor of History John Servos, a member of the CAP.
Members of the CAP are eager to have the opportunity to influence the College in a most positive way. "Now that I have more clearly seen what lies within our jurisdiction and what our schedule looks like, I can safely and reasonably say I stand with many others on the Committee who absolutely want to see effective writing and better quantitative skills be main academic priorities of the college," said Mike Simmons '06, a member of the Committee.
Simmons reported that the recent meeting was helpful for organizing the Committee's plans. "The vigor with which I will approach these issues is better focused and smarter as a result of our deliberations. Equally as important is improved and more effective academic advising," he said. "Of course, I want to see the Committee do a lot over the next 11 months, but I believe these are matters of highest urgency. I will work hard on behalf of the greater student body to accomplish these goals and much more over the coming months."
Jake Thomas '07, another student member of CAP, also hopes that advising will be one of the Committee's goals. "The CAP has set out to accomplish so much that one goal was tough to come up with," he said. "Personally, however, I hope to see the CAP better support the advising system on this campus with the hope that fewer students will find it so wanting at the end of their four years here."
Servos agrees that the College is in need of productive changes. "Amherst is a splendid school, but there are surely ways to improve it," said Servos. "I hope that CAP will help build a consensus about those areas where additional investments of time and money might enhance the opportunities available to students, enrich the quality of the education we offer and strengthen the relationships between faculty and students that are so vital to an institution of our size and character."
The CAP is charged by the President, after consultation with the Committee of Six, to deliberate with the campus community in order to develop proposals to meet the academic needs of the College over the next decade.
In December of 2005, the CAP will submit its recommendations to the President and the Committee of Six for consideration by the faculty.