In his novel Hard Times, Charles Dickens wrote, "It is the drifting icebergs, setting with any current anywhere, that wreck the ships." This quote applies to Adelphi's state during the past five years. With administrations coming and going and new plans being proposed each time, Levermore seemed like an iceberg destined to wreck the Adelphi ship.

With the appointment of Adelphi's new president and his introduction of a new plan, stability seems to be taking hold and the Adelphi ship seems headed for safer waters. Under a three-year enrollment and budget plan Adelphi hopes to achieve financial stability through increased enrollment and investment. The specifics of the plan will be presented to the University today at an open forum at 2pm in Alumni House. Applied Concepts, a consulting firm hired by the University, assisted in the formulation of the plan. Five-year plans submitted by deans who consulted with their faculty were reviewed as part of the process.

The plan, which also calls for a new dormitory, a new athletic, educational, and recreational service center and 34 new faculty, was presented to the Board of Trustees February 26. The board endorsed it according to President Robert A. Scott. The plan "provides guidance to achieve fiscal stability and a balanced budget; improved academic quality through...investments and controls" according to its Executive Summary. Scott said, "the trustees seemed quite pleased." Gayle Insler, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said she felt "conformable" with the plan.

At an open forum February 21 before the plan was presented to the trustees the general findings and recommendations of the consultants were discussed. Despite a general sense of stable direction, some faculty expressed concerns over the lack of details.

Martin Haas, chairman of the History Department, said "I came to see a plan and all I see is a vision." He went on to ask when the university is going to see the plan and asked if there would be faculty input. Scott emphasized that the overall plan grew out of consultation with the individual deans and their plans for their schools.

Insler backed Scott up saying after the meeting ?everything that is in that plan comes from discussions with faculty both formally and informally.?

Scott also made the point that he did not want to publicly present a plan and have the board say "no." Haas replied, "God is in the details and we are waiting to see the details." David Gliecher, an economics professor, following Haas said that he and some faculty fear that the plan would include the cutting of programs and that those decisions would not be debated by the faculty. Scott assured those in attendance that any programmatic issues would go through the normal process that includes extensive faculty debate and decision.

At a Faculty Senate Meeting February 26, many made the point of asking, "why wasn't the Senate consulted." In response Patrick Kelly, chair of the Senate and a History professor, said that while the Senate was not asked to debate the plan itself, he said he and the Senate executive committee were in contact with the president while the process was underway. Valerie Fineman, a professor in the library, said "I was disappointed with the presentation we knew all of that in advance." She said she wanted to know "what was next" and was not happy that it was being withheld. Steven Goldberg, a chemistry professor, brought up concern over proposed changes to the core curriculum.

At the February 21 presentation Scott made it known that he would like the core to focus on three areas: the natural world, the manmade world and ethics. Charles Shopsis, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, tried to quell fears that the faculty would be bypassed on that count saying "any change in the core would go through the gen. ed committee." The plan itself states "specific actions, such as new programs and faculty appointments, must be approved by campus governance procedures."

The basis for the plan rests on the achievement of enrollment goals. Overall 17% enrollment growth is necessary to achieve a balanced budget in two years.

According to Bill Proto, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, "enrollment goals can be achieved." He said that already this year the University is running ahead of projections for enrollment goals for this year. The plan calls for overall enrollment to increase from 4350 full time equivalents (fte's) in 2000 to 5245 fte's in 2003.

According to the plan outline if these goals are met then a balanced budget is attainable the 2002-03 academic year. "The plan is ambitious but feasible," said Catherine Hennessy, Vice President for Finance and Treasure. "It is a very exciting plan but it will take the effort of the whole campus to meet enrollment goals. It will allow us to balance the budget in two years."

Yet this increased growth is causing some students to take a second look at the plan. Royce D'Orazio, president of the class of 2003, asked if all this emphasis on growth would hurt the "intimacy" of the campus. Scott agreed that the intimacy of the campus should be respected. Scott assured D'Orazo that he was not looking to go back to the 10,000-student population of the early 1990s and said that growth is "not just with more students but with added quality."

Yet this plan all comes back to enrollment goals. "The plan was built on other plans that the deans drew up," said Lester Baltimore, an associate provost and a History professor. "The investment of new faculty and two new buildings [a new dorm and a new recreational center] is very exciting. In general is gives a sense of direction but we must meet enrollment goals."