Readers sent in questions via email and Twitter to ask candidates for UCS vice president at the UCS/UFB Candidate Debate, which The Herald co-sponsored last Thursday. Due to time constraints, not all questions could be answered during the debate. The candidates have since submitted their answers to the Herald via an online document.
The Herald: The Corporation will vote in May on whether to pilot an executive master's program for mid-year professionals. Some have argued that this will raise money and expand Brown's educational work, while others have argued it could dilute Brown's name or may not have the same academic standards as current undergraduate and graduate programs. If approved, the program will be reviewed after three years to see if others should be implemented as well. What is your stance on the issue of developing an executive masters program?
Brandon Tomasso '13: Unfortunately, I do not feel as though I have enough information to take a definitive stance on the proposal for an executive master's program at Brown. I would have to research the proposed program and find out the curricula they plan to implement, the expected qualifications of the mid-year professionals they would like to admit as well as the projected revenue this program would bring to Brown. While I admire the University's brainstorming initiatives to generate revenue and expand its reach, I feel as though Brown currently enjoys great academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students, so they should focus on making these programs the best they can possibly be.
Michael Schneider '13: I do not believe that Brown should be developing an executive master's program. Although it will raise money, I think that the cost of diluting Brown's name and taking attention away from the other graduate programs will outweigh this benefit. Brown should instead be focusing on the graduate programs that are already in existence.
Q: What do you think of the University's expansion of its graduate programs?
BT: "Proceed with caution," I warn Brown. While it is certainly admirable of them to enhance grad programs and the research that Brown conducts, administrators must remember that Brown does not enjoy the same resources as its so-called "peer institutions." We need to get the term "peer institutions" out of our vocabulary at Brown and stop catering to our obsession with "keeping up with the Jones'." Our arbitrary placement in the Ivy League must not come to dominate our identity. The Ivy League was founded as a sports conference and the schools in the conference were in no way grounded on a level playing field in terms of the resources they enjoyed.
MS: I think that the University needs to be very careful in its expansion of graduate programs. At this point, I think the University should focus on strengthening the graduate programs already in existence, such as the school of engineering and the school of medicine and now the program in public health. Expanding further is unnecessary. Strengthening the graduate programs that already exist can definitely lead to tangible benefits to Brown undergraduates. But UCS needs to ensure that these expansions help students, meaning that students have access to the research going on at these schools and the professors as well.
Q: Do you think the university-college model applies to Brown today? How should this model influence projects Brown undertakes, if at all?
BT: The university-college model certainly applies to Brown. Brown is known for astounding undergraduate curricula as well as cutting-edge research. As I stated earlier, however, Brown must embrace its strengths and fortify them further. Brown is better known for its premier undergraduate programs and should be wary of becoming stagnant or negligent on that front.
MS: The university-college model still applies to Brown today. Even though Brown has expanded its graduate programs enormously, we still must preserve our undergraduate focus. Based on this model, we need not expand graduate programs. I also believe that this model proves that we must focus on how the graduate programs will help undergraduates. UCS must work to ensure that there is more student input in the tenure process so that every professor that Brown hires is held accountable to the Brown undergraduate community. I have already been in meetings with the Faculty Executive Committee pushing for more student input in the tenure process and I hope to continue to do so next year as Vice President.
Q: What do you think of offering gender-neutral housing for first-years and expanding gender-neutral housing for upperclassman?
BT: Students should be able to live with whomever they would like at Brown. Brown should simply caution students of the possible consequences of rooming with a significant other, for example, so that they will be wary when making their housing decisions. They can also provide additional support to these students through the Women's Peer Counselors in the freshman residence halls and the Residential Counselors in general.
MS: I am 100 percent in support of it. Earlier this year, I co-sponsored a UCS resolution in favor of a gender-neutral housing option for first years. I have been in conversation in officials throughout the administration expressing student support for this option.
Q: How do you intend to support LGBTQ students if elected?
BT: I intend to support LGBTQ students if elected by opening up dialogues. My candidacy is founded upon the need for enhanced communication between students, administrators, student activities, UFB and UCS at Brown. Student voices must be heard, and LGBTQ students should not be any different. At the monthly UCS-organized town-hall meetings I hope to implement, I would urge LGBTQ students to raise issues they feel should be addressed on campus.
MS: To me, one of the best things about Brown is the fact that it is so welcoming to all LGBTQ students. I am gay, so this is a very personal issue to me. If it weren't for Brown, I don't think I would be as comfortable with myself as I am now. If there is not a gender-neutral option for first year students for next year and if I am elected UCS Vice President, I will make it one of my missions to ensure that this option is available for students in the year after. I also will work to preserve the welcoming environment by communicating in our meetings with President (Christina) Paxson next year that this environment is something that has to be preserved. If I ever hear of any threats to this environment, I will not hesitate in bringing it up in meetings with the President as well.
Q: Aside from financial aid, what is one long-term initiative you would like to start if elected vice president?
BT: As Vice President, my primary long-term initiative is achieving autonomy for UFB and increasing collaboration between the two groups (UFB and UCS). This trivial power struggle has gone on long enough and I am ready to put an end to the nonsense. The students are the ones who suffer as a result of the hostilities. Another long-term initiative I hope to implement is the establishment of town hall meetings. I hope these meetings will become an integral part of student life on campus and the work UCS does on a daily basis.
MS: If I were elected UCS Vice President, I would undertake a long-term initiative to expand the number of seminars available to students. I took two first-year seminars my freshman year, and they were both amazing and allowed me access to and attention from professors in a way that I have not really had since then. I believe that all first-year seminars should have the opportunity to do this so I want to push the Dean of the College to expand first year seminars. I also believe that there should be first-year seminars outside of the humanities. In my conversations with Brown students, I have learned that there are at most four first-year seminars that are in science departments. This is
also something that must change. I also believe that Brown departments must commit to offering more seminars to sophomore students. There are many seminars designated for freshmen and for upperclassmen, but the same is not true for sophomores. This must change, and if elected as UCS Vice President, I would work with the Chair of the Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee to convince departments and the Dean of the College and President Paxson to commit to an expansion of seminars.
Q: You all seem to agree on many of the issues addressed in your campaigns. What will make you most effective as UCS vice president?
BT: As Vice President, my focus on the general body members of UCS is what will set me apart from the other candidates. I believe the most important facet of UCS is the work the GBers do on a daily basis and the passion behind their work- not so much the work UCS leaders do themselves. I will be working hard to fully engage our general body membership and inspire them to do great things! After all, I will only be at Brown for one more year. The majority of general body members will be underclassmen, and they are our only hope for Brown's future. I hope to inspire them just as much as previous UCS and CCB leaders have inspired me.
MS: I would be the most effective UCS Vice President because I have the best understanding of what the role entails and also have proven myself effective at advocating on behalf of students. I chaired the Campus Life Committee of UCS this year, and in that capacity I was very effective at motivating a group of people to collaborate and take up projects. The UCS Vice President will have to do a similar job next year with the Executive Board of UCS and the General Body of UCS. I have never been afraid to forcefully, yet respectfully advocate on behalf of students, and this is most evidenced by the strongly-worded housing statement I co-authored that was pivotal in pushing the Corporation to vote for $56 million in housing renovations. I also have proven myself to be effective at bringing tangible benefits to Brown students, as evidenced by the water that will be available next year in the satellite gyms and the online program detailing nutritional facts and allergen information that will be available next year as well.
