Executive Summary

Friday – University Update by President Levin – Yale and the Future

President Richard C. Levin ’74 PhD addressed Assembly participants warmly and emphasized the importance of alumni to the university. He went on to present the eight priorities he plans to address to strengthen Yale and to ensure the university’s position as the best in the world.

1) Strengthen Yale across the fields of science and technology. Yale has already articulated its commitment to this area with the dedication of $500 million on Science Hill, but there are more projects and plans underway including the renovation of Sterling Hall for undergraduate use.

2) Internationalize Yale by increasing the number of international students and faculty, sending Yale students abroad to study and work, and strengthening international studies at the University.

3) Improve and reform the Yale College curriculum based on the results of the recent undergraduate curriculum review, including developing rigorous science courses for non-science majors and giving students the full advantage of the university’s professional school resources.

4) Strengthen the School of Management and improve its rank among other top management schools by leveraging the university and offering SOM students access to faculty from other departments and schools. Increase the school’s prominence in the business world by offering advanced leadership education.

5) Strengthen the School of Medicine with improvements in the area of clinical care and clinical research.

6) Focus on improving facilities for the arts. A number of the schools in the arts area need building renovations and improved spaces.

7) Offer more financial aid to graduate students studying in fields with less earning potential, such as the School of Music, School of Art, School of Drama, Divinity School, and School of Nursing. Yale is not drawing the top talent because it is not offering enough support to the students in these areas.

8) Transforming the way Yale manages all of its support systems, and making the university more service oriented while improving the morale of non-faculty staff.

President Levin announced that a major fund raising campaign has begun its silent phase. He also noted that great support has been demonstrated thus far and he is very optimistic for the success of the campaign. However, the official campaign will not begin until 2006 and he emphasized that alumni involvement is critical to the University’s success and encouraged alumni to spread the news. He closed by saying, “I’m counting on you. Yale is counting on you.”