Invention 2000

Invention 2000

1. Summary

INVENTION 2000 is a blueprint for developing all academic and operational aspects of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering from a clean slate. The plan outlines an intense two-year project intended to produce innovative educational processes for preparing the next generation of leaders in a technological society and institutional policies which will establish a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. Intense efforts will be focused on (1) a comprehensive re-examination of engineering curricula and educational processes, (2) student life and social development, (3) institutional culture of innovation and continuous improvement, (4) college operating procedures, (5) college marketing, external relations and development, and (6) college governance. The project will be funded by generous support from the F.W. Olin Foundation in New York. As a result, the faculty and staff will be able to devote two full years of effort to this project without the distraction of simultaneous teaching responsibilities. Staffing for the project will be provided by the founding faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees, as well as selected students, consultants, and corporate partners who will work primarily in residence on the Olin College campus in Needham, MA.

As an entirely new institution, the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering has a unique opportunity to innovate. Beginning with a clean slate implies that there are no legacy systems, traditions, or "bad habits" to change. As implied in INVENTION 2000, it will require considerable time and effort to take full advantage of this opportunity to rethink basic processes and to thoroughly investigate "best practices." To rush this process would ensure that the search for innovative alternatives is cut short and require off-the-shelf familiar processes or curricula to be employed simply to meet the schedule.

2. Outline

INVENTION 2000 is organized into six independent, but inter-related, projects which will proceed simultaneously. Efforts to address each of the six projects will begin in Fall 2000 when the first wave of the founding faculty arrives on campus. These six projects will proceed simultaneously on the schedule provided below. A list of the fundamental issues to be addressed in each project and at each stage is also presented.

Before any of these activities begin, the leadership team (consisting of the President, Vice Presidents, and Deans) will develop a brief preliminary outline of the curricular, organizational, and cultural aspirations of Olin College. This outline will be based on the vision of the F.W. Olin Foundation as expressed in the Petition to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education for a charter, appropriately enhanced by the collective learning of the leadership team and Trustees in the intervening period. This preliminary document will be used to focus the inquiry implied in the discovery phase of each of the projects identified below. Such an initial focus is necessary to ensure that the investigations planned at the beginning of each project are properly aimed at institutions and questions likely to guide Olin College to important models of best practice in an efficient manner.

2.1 Curricula and educational processes

This project will involve the founding faculty, educational consultants, and students in the creation of innovative engineering curricula which simultaneously address all major challenges identified by the National Science Foundation. These, together with several additional features, will distinguish Olin College from all other engineering colleges. These anticipated distinctive features of the curricula include the combination of a rigorous science and mathematics core, an integrated project-based design component, a firm grounding in the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship, a strong international component, a vigorous co-curricular component which makes good use of strengths in humanities and social sciences at nearby colleges, and an emphasis on student service to society and a lifestyle of philanthropy.

The project will be addressed in four sequential stages. For brevity, these stages will be referred to as (1) discovery, (2) invention, (3) development, and (4) test. The general nature of the activities intended to occur during each phase is as follows. During the discovery phase, research into "best practices" at other institutions will take place. Deliberate efforts will be made to visit other campuses, host visitors from other campuses, obtain advice from knowledgeable consultants, and obtain broad knowledge of the various successful practices in use today. During the invention phase, knowledge of best practices will be applied in a creative way to the problem of inventing an overall vision of the four-year educational experience. This will begin with a fundamental evaluation of educational goals and objectives and end with a comprehensive concept for obtaining balance in the overall curriculum. During the development phase, the needed detail for the freshman year experience will be developed. This will result in a set of specific courses or educational experiences for teaching the freshmen in Fall 2002, as well as textbooks, laboratory experiments, reading materials, etc. Finally, during the test phase, the specific educational materials will be tested with the help of a small group of student "partners" who will be recruited specifically for this purpose as part of a unique one-year experience at Olin College. Each of these stages will take from four to eight months, with the first (discovery) beginning in Fall 2000 and the last (test) ending in Summer 2002. An approximate project schedule is provided below:

Discovery September 2000 to December 2000
Invention January 2001 to March 2001
Development April 2001 to November 2001
Test December 2001 to July 2002

During each of the steps, the following fundamental issues will be explored:

Discovery

What are the best practices (pedagogical principles, structure of curriculum, educational processes, etc.) relevant to the goals of Olin College at innovative engineering schools and other quality academic institutions around the world?
How effective are these programs at producing engineering graduates who excel in their careers?
What are the resource implications of the most effective programs available?
How transferable are these educational models to Olin College and to other major engineering schools?
What unique educational opportunities are enabled by the proximity to Babson College? What opportunities exist for collaboration with Brandeis University, Wellesley College, and other institutions?
What unique opportunities are enabled by the proximity to many high-tech corporations and start-up firms in the Boston area?
What resource constraints, accreditation requirements, credit hour limitations for the BS degree, time requirements, and other restrictions must be observed in the development of the curriculum at Olin College?

Invention

What desired characteristics should distinguish Olin College graduates? What will differentiate the educational experience at Olin College from that at other premier academic institutions?
What specific educational goals and objectives are required to achieve these desired outcomes?
What educational principles and processes (project-based learning, integrated curriculum, asynchronous learning networks, traditional course work, field-based learning and industry internships, combinations of these and others) are best suited to Olin College and its specific goals and objectives?
What overall structure of four-year curriculum at Olin College is most likely to deliver the educational experience needed to achieve the desired outcome?

Development

How should the freshman year educational experience at Olin College be structured to ensure rigorous preparation in mathematics and science, engineering project design, and humanities and social sciences? What specific freshman courses/activities are needed?
What should be the mathematics, science, engineering, communications, teamwork, and design content of each course or activity? Are there particularly effective ways to organize these courses and activities?
Which courses from Babson College or other institutions will be utilized in the freshman experience at Olin College? Will new courses need to be developed at Babson College?
What materials (books, reference materials, classroom demonstrations, laboratory experiments, design projects, on-line educational materials, etc.) are needed to deliver these courses? Are there methods for developing or partnering with others to ensure the availability of the needed materials?

Test

How can we be sure the innovative new curriculum will result in the desired level of educational achievement of the students?
How can we build into each course a fundamental mechanism for continuous assessment?
Innovative new approaches to teaching will require testing in a classroom, laboratory, or project setting with real students to answer questions of the following type:
Are the projects/problems/materials aimed at an appropriate level of academic ability?,
Are the planned materials sufficiently complete to provide the necessary background?,
Do the projects/problems contain elements which will lead students into undesirably difficult and discouraging experiences?, etc.

To adequately explore these issues will require selective testing of the courses with a small number of students in residence at Olin College beginning in Fall 2001.

Leadership and Staff

Primary leadership for this project will be shared between Richard K. Miller, President; David V. Kerns, Jr., Provost; and Sherra E. Kerns, Vice President for Innovation and Research, with assistance from virtually every member of the Olin College staff. Specific tasks to be accomplished will be carried out by the founding faculty, selected consultants, selected corporate partners, and a small group of selected students carefully chosen for participation in the test phase. Overall supervision will be provided by President Miller.

2.2 Student life and co-curricular experiences

Olin College is certain to attract a distinctive student body. These students will have uniformly high levels of academic achievement with particular abilities in science and mathematics. Experience at other selective technical universities indicates that students at Olin College are likely to be distinctive in several ways. In addition to being unusually gifted in science and mathematics, we expect many of them to be equally talented in music, literature, and the arts. Furthermore, many will be attracted to business and entrepreneurial endeavors. Some may have not fully developed their social skills-thus requiring Olin College to be sensitive to and supportive of their needs. Of course, the admission process at Olin College will provide an opportunity to balance the student body with well-rounded individuals who will both benefit from and contribute to the intellectual and social vitality of the entire campus community.

Designing a highly effective residential life experience for this unique student population will be challenging. The coordination of student cultures at Olin College and neighboring Babson College is particularly important. The desired outcome is a supportive residential community in which students will not only grow academically but also socially, emotionally, spiritually and ethically.

As in the curriculum project, this effort will also be broken into stages with the approximate schedule outlined below:

Discovery September 2000 to December 2000
Invention January 2001 to April 2001
Development May 2001 to August 2001
Test September 2001 to September 2002

During each of these stages, the following fundamental issues will be explored:

Discovery

What are the best practices around the nation with regard to fostering successful student culture in selective technical universities and other high-quality institutions?
What are the best models of educational opportunities for developing leadership skills?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Babson College student culture?
What opportunities are provided by the potential to share athletic teams, intramural and club sports programs, social clubs and events, music and art facilities and organizations, health care services, and similar activities with Babson College and other neighboring colleges?
How do other educational collaborations work in providing shared student life opportunities at the Claremont Colleges, the Five College Consortium in western Massachusetts, etc.?
What is an appropriate model for cost sharing in such a consortium?
How does a college which shares so much of its campus life with another institution maintain and grow its own identity?
How do the best colleges achieve an appropriate level of integration of student life with the surrounding communities and corporations?

Invention

What desired characteristics should distinguish the Olin College student experience?
What student life structure and programs are required to achieve this desired student experience?
What role should the student culture at Babson College play in the development of the culture at Olin College? What role should the culture at other neighboring colleges play?
How can the culture and programming of student life at Olin College contribute to the development of leadership skills, entrepreneurial thinking, community service and a philanthropic spirit among students?
What role should adult presence on campus play in student life at Olin College?
What role should an honor code play at Olin College? How can this be coordinated with the existing judicial procedures at Babson College?
How can Olin College provide a deliberate but subtle program to address the unique social development and emotional health needs of Olin students?
What role should community and corporate activities play in student life at Olin College?

Development

A specific plan for Olin College student life in all dimensions will have to be developed in close cooperation with Babson College.
The development of this plan will require in-depth meetings with many individual groups at Babson College to explore appropriate opportunities for Olin students and to develop appropriate cost sharing models.
Some of the issues to be addressed include residential life policies, food services, resident advisors, student health services, athletic and physical development goals and programs, mental and emotional health counseling services, effectiveness and compatibility of student registration and records, student clubs and activities (music, drama, the arts, etc.), fraternities and sororities, honor code and disciplinary procedures, etc.
In addition, any community service or corporate internship/co-op/professional development experience will also require coordination with the appropriate external bodies.

Test

Since many of the approaches at Olin College will be new, it is necessary to test them before the arrival of the first full class of freshman students in Fall 2002.
In Fall 2001, 20-30 undergraduate students will be housed in the residence halls to test facilities (including dormitories, food service, IT equipment, etc.), registration and records procedures, and student social and academic interactions with Babson College. This may involve most of the academic year 2001-2002, or it may involve students in residence for several specific periods of a few weeks each.
The desired outcome is the elimination of many errors and omissions in the student life program, procedures, and systems, and the development of a few experienced Olin students who could serve as resident advisors for the first class in Fall 2002.

Leadership and staff

Leadership for this project will be provided jointly by Provost David V. Kerns, Jr., and the Dean for Student Life. Involvement of all key administrators at Olin College is expected, as well as selected faculty, students (during the test phase), and key people from Babson College. Overall supervision will be provided by President Richard K. Miller.

2.3 Institutional culture of innovation and continuous improvement

A founding principle of Olin College is that it should attempt to develop a unique culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Traditional educational institutions in the U.S. are well known for their remarkable resistance to change. This has resulted in serious difficulties in providing a contemporary education in engineering where the underlying science is changing at an accelerating pace and where leading edge discoveries in industry often precede those at universities.

In recognition of this important need, Olin College created the unprecedented leadership position (for an undergraduate institution) of Vice President for Innovation and Research. The primary duties of this position are to lead the institution in developing a distinctive culture which embraces continuous improvement and change, stimulates intellectual vitality of both faculty and students through learning by discovery, and encourages appropriate risk taking in a wide spectrum of activities, including teaching, research, invention, commercialization and entrepreneurship.

In order to address this issue in a fundamental way, Olin College will need to develop an innovative relationship among all of its internal constituencies which recognizes and rewards the taking of appropriate risks and the acceptance of change and innovation. For this reason, Olin College will not offer traditional tenured appointments to its founding faculty and will study best practices before developing a permanent policy in this and many other areas. The intent is to explore opportunities to improve on existing models of faculty/staff/student relationships and policies in order to develop a more agile and effective institutional culture.

This effort will be broken into stages with an approximate schedule outlined below:

Discovery June 2000 to September 2000
Invention October 2000 to March 2001
Development April 2001 to December 2001
Test and improve January 2002 to September 2002

During these stages, the following issues will be explored:

Discovery

Why are academic institutions in general, and engineering colleges in particular, so often resistant to change? Why are academic institutions so slow to adopt curricular changes widely recognized as important to the success of graduates?
What organizational structures and environments create the lowest barriers to innovation and improvement?
What role does the traditional faculty tenure system play in establishing a culture that accepts or resists continuous improvement and change? What are the comparative advantages and disadvantages of a faculty contract system in this regard?
How can creativity be stimulated within the Olin College community?
How much creativity is desirable, and how can it be measured?
What are the best models of engineering schools and faculty/college relationships which encourage innovation, acceptance of change and continuous improvement?
What are the best models among primarily undergraduate engineering schools which stimulate and support student research projects as well as funded faculty research and scholarship?
What are the best models of engineering schools that successfully involve and optimize the special talents of faculty from industry and government?

Invention

During this stage, an innovative new model for institutional behavior will be defined.

This model will include:
a proposed contract system that attempts to improve on the traditional tenure system for faculty,
intellectual property policies which encourage invention, commercialization, and philanthropy,
appropriate provision for faculty developmental leave from regular teaching and administrative duties to maintain professional competence,
institutional stimuli that encourage learning by discovery within all academic sectors of Olin College, and
identification of any administrative policies likely to inhibit reasonable experimentation and innovative improvements.
Working with the Provost, academic structures (centers, institutes, etc.) likely to optimize innovation and improvement, collaborations, and teamwork in the intellectual activities of the Olin College community will be identified. Processes for periodic external review to ensure continuous improvement of all such structures will be simultaneously developed and implemented.
A set of metrics for faculty performance in teaching, research/discovery/invention, and service will be articulated and included in a faculty manual.
A resource center or other appropriate means for encouraging and facilitating innovation and research at Olin College will be developed.
Appropriate external opportunities will be identified to enhance intellectual vitality of the Olin College community.
Activities of the Olin College community that emphasize the value and impact of philanthropy and contributions to the larger society in all its forms will be identified.

Development

The founding faculty will be invited to review the new model and offer suggestions for refinement and improvement.
Faculty input will be used to further develop the draft faculty manual for administration and Board approval, including the development of specific means of implementation of the best of the ideas which emerge from the invention phase.

Test and improve

The testing period of the new academic culture is continuous, since it is intended to assess and modify policies and procedures in order to make improvements each year. Thus, the faculty manual will be viewed as a living document, subject to annual review and improvement.

Working with the Provost, faculty and student achievements and experiences will be evaluated according to trial metrics. Evaluation methods will be revised and improved, as appropriate.
Working with the Vice President for External Relations and Enrollment Management, Olin College's institutional partners will be contacted to assess their satisfaction with the types and levels of their relationships with Olin College faculty and, where appropriate, students. Members of the Olin College community capable of effecting improvements in these relationships will be identified and appropriately engaged.
Working with the Dean for Student Life, the success of off-campus activities, including international programs, will be evaluated according to their impact on Olin College students, with focus on enhancing self-confidence and communication skills, raising social and international awareness, and providing a positive perspective on philanthropic activities. Results of these assessments will be applied to improve program structure and content.

Leadership and staff

Leadership for this project will be provided by Sherra E. Kerns, Vice President for Innovation and Research, with heavy involvement from the President and Provost. The founding faculty, and later all faculty and students, will be deeply involved. Overall supervision will be provided by President Richard K. Miller. The Board of Trustees will be involved in approving the outcome.

2.4 College operating procedures

Starting an entire educational institution from a clean slate offers a multitude of opportunities for innovation beyond those in the development of a new curriculum and educational experience for the students. Many of the barriers to achieving continuous change and improvement in those areas are rooted in antiquated administrative and financial processes and equipment. In order to fully optimize the potential of Olin College, it is necessary to explore the opportunities for innovation in administrative systems as well as educational systems.

The unique partnership with Babson College, and the founding principle that Olin College does not seek to own all necessary facilities but rather seeks to acquire access to them, provides an increased level of complexity in this area. The complexity arises from several features including (1) the need to thoroughly understand and assess the capabilities and costs of Babson College in their systems, as well as alternatives at other institutions before developing a solution for Olin College, and (2) the acceptance of a degree of loss of independence and control which is inherent when reliance must be made on others to provide services. Examples such as the library and electronic information technology infrastructure, administrative software for student records, financial accounting and budgeting, sponsored research administration and accounting, and human resources and benefits each requires a period of assessment before an appropriate "lease or purchase" decision can be made. In each area, there is a trade-off between the potential cost savings of purchasing services through Babson College and the potential advantages of developing a unique new system more finely tuned to the special needs of Olin College. In the case of information technology, the needs of Olin College are largely distinct from those of Babson College and require a degree of autonomy to establish a leading edge computing environment to support the highly technical academic programs in engineering. However, the administrative computing needs overlap substantially, and the need to provide a seamless experience for students as they cross the boundary between campuses favors a degree of commonality. Furthermore, as Olin College develops its own expertise and sophisticated systems, Babson College may choose to purchase some of these services from Olin College, thus providing a degree of balance to the relationship.

This multifaceted effort has already begun. Some topics will be investigated in depth with four stages (discovery, invention, development, and test), as outlined in previous sections of this outline, while other topics will require less innovation and more practical implementation. Some areas, like general accounting and information technology planning are well under way. Others, such as student records and sponsored projects accounting, have not yet begun. Clearly, it will be necessary to complete all fundamental administrative systems before the arrival of the first full-sized freshman class in Fall 2002. The elements of a budget and financial management system have already been completed, and the sponsored projects accounting systems must be completed by Fall of 2000 in order to accommodate the research activities of the founding faculty. The information technology system must be operational in an interim mode in Fall 2000, when the founding faculty arrive, must transition to the new buildings in Fall 2001 when the construction project is completed, and must ramp up to scale for the Fall 2002 freshman class.

A partial list of topics to be investigated includes administrative and financial systems, information technology and student information systems. Under each of these broad categories are numerous important areas requiring investigation and policy development, as outlined below:

Administrative and financial systems

Human resources, including policies and procedures, salary and benefits alignment with Babson College, benefits plans, compensation analysis, government reporting, employment law compliance, staffing, and institutional reporting systems.
Financial services, including budgeting, contract and grant accounting, general ledger, payroll (including processing, withholding, reporting, payments, etc.), accounts payable, processing of construction project invoices, financial modeling, expense tracking, variance analysis, and administrative software systems.
Procurement services, including purchase order preparation, vendor relations, data entry into accounts payable systems, purchasing cards, and e-procurement.
Legal services, including human resources, employee relations, intellectual property, and liability issues.
Risk management.
Environmental health and safety, including hazardous materials management, environmental regulatory compliance of laboratories, fire safety, worker protection, and industrial hygiene.
Public safety, including campus security issues and coordination with the Needham Public Safety Department.
Housing and dining services.
Bookstore and convenience store issues.
Records management, file maintenance and security.
Information resources in support of sponsored research programs.

Information technology/Student information systems

IT master planning, including joint planning with Babson College, administrative software system planning, and infrastructure design and compatibility.
Network services, independent e-mail and internet presence, computer security system development, printer network issues, intranet applications development, ISP selection and management, campus-wide telephone service, and shared staff and services with Babson College.
Academic systems, including determination of web-based instructional needs, selection of engineering instructional software, development of IT support for faculty research, development of distance learning capabilities, and consideration of the preferred student personal computing platform, applications, and vendors.
Library, including cataloging systems, patron processing systems, materials procurement and periodicals subscriptions, etc.
Student information system development, including admission, registration, student accounts, financial aid, and housing.
Alumni and development tracking systems.
Facilities management systems.

Leadership and staff

Stephen P. Hannabury, Vice President for Administration and Finance, will provide leadership for this project together with his professional staff, key consultants, and professional staff at Babson College. President Richard K. Miller will provide overall supervision.

2.5 College marketing, external relations, and development

Starting from a clean slate provides special challenges in the area of marketing, external relations and development. Marketing an innovative engineering educational experience to gifted high school students and their parents is challenging, even for well-known schools. However, when a totally new school like Olin attempts to attract these students, the lack of identity, national recognition, accreditation, curriculum, faculty, or traditions creates both an enormous challenge and a unique opportunity. An intense and creative campaign aimed at high school students and counselors is essential, as well as focused efforts designed to establish a degree of national visibility. In addition, the development of a clear image and supporting materials is of obvious importance. Credibility and relationships with the media are absolutely essential and this requires a policy of utmost honesty and integrity in all of our public relations. National media can play an important role. The development of a credible institutional mission, as well as a record of impeccable quality in all of the college's programs and in the choice of students, faculty, and staff, is necessary to gain their attention, respect, and support. Marketing to high school students and their parents is an art and requires intense personal involvement and support from hundreds of high school counselors around the country. Building that network is a massive job requiring frequent travel, creative written materials, strategically planned mailings, and personal relationships and credibility with literally hundreds of individuals.

The maintenance of effective external relations in an environmentally sensitive and politically decentralized local community like Needham, MA, is very challenging. The goal of becoming an asset to the community, a good neighbor and a partner with the local schools, requires an investment in long-term relationships in the community, and the absolute suppression of personal frustrations in every public forum. Olin College seeks to earn the respect of the citizens in the local community, as well as the Greater Boston area, by always taking the high road and providing an example of neighborhood sensitivity and community-mindedness in its actions. In this context, Olin College expects to demonstrate by example its fundamental commitment to philanthropy and "giving back" through its actions in the community. Nothing will have a more profound effect on the stated mission of Olin College to emphasize philanthropy and community service among its students than its example of leadership in the local community.

Within the next year, Olin College will need to seriously address the development of a broader base of financial support. This will require a new level of relationship building with capable donors attracted to the unusual mission of Olin College. This will also greatly increase the level of correspondence and travel of the leadership team. In particular, if this effort is to succeed, the Board of Trustees will need to consider expanding its membership to include other capable donors. The College will also have to consider establishing councils or committees to foster close relationships with individuals, foundations, or corporations to gain their financial support.

Clearly, the campaign to market the College to incoming freshmen must be complete about one year before the arrival of the class. The development of effective community relations is a long-term effort and is never finished. On the national level, a remarkable degree of visibility for a new college has already been obtained. There is potential for much-needed additional visibility, provided the credibility of the College remains intact. Efforts at developing the national visibility of the College will never end. Efforts to begin the expanded private fund-raising campaign have not yet begun but should be initiated by Fall 2000. An opportunity exists for a campaign for private support for Building "B" in phase II of the campus construction project, provided the fund-raising efforts can begin in the Fall of 2000.

As part of this effort, a strategic plan for external relations, a plan for College marketing, and a plan for fund raising and development will be developed and submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval.

Leadership and staff

Duncan C. Murdoch, Vice President for External Relations and Enrollment Management, will provide leadership for the marketing and external relations aspects of this project. His professional staff will provide support, and Richard K. Miller, President, will provide overall supervision. President Miller will also provide leadership for the development aspects of this project.

2.6 College governance structure

A very small Board of Trustees and a relatively informal set of operating procedures currently govern the College. Since the multitude of fundamental issues which must be addressed to establish Olin College as a first-class institution is enormous, and since the Board of Trustees must be involved in oversight of many of the related decisions, it is essential that the College move forward with a plan to establish well-documented operating procedures and expansion of the membership of the Board. The need for this development of the Board is clear.

In addition, it is important to realize that Olin College also faces an extremely rare opportunity to establish an efficient and effective new governance structure starting from a clean slate. No existing college has such an opportunity and most college presidents and boards of trustees of existing institutions would envy the opportunity to make substantial changes and "get it right."

It is planned that the Trustees of Olin College will undertake the systematic development of detailed governance procedures following a multi-step process. The Trustees will work closely with the College administration in this process. The first step will be a discovery process, followed by an invention process and a development process. Instead of a formal test process, it is planned to establish a deliberate periodic review schedule of governance procedures with the specific purpose of identifying and implementing needed changes and improvements.

This effort will be broken into stages with an approximate schedule outlined below:

Discovery September 2000 to December 2000
Invention January 2001 to March 2001
Development March 2001 to June 2001

During these stages, the following issues will be explored:

Discovery

What features of college governance are most important in establishing a successful environment for academic excellence?
Which independent colleges (or other institutions) should be studied in order to understand the best existing models of college governance?
What special challenges and opportunities for college governance are provided by the close collaborative partnership with Babson College?
How should Olin College's distinctive commitment to innovation and change be supported by and reflected in its own governance structure and procedures?

Invention

What is the optimal size of the Board of Trustees for Olin College?
What are the most important characteristics and background of Trustees of Olin College? How should Olin College Trustees be identified, selected, and appointed?
What process should be used to assure vitality and commitment of Trustees to the mission of Olin College?
How should the Board of Trustees of Olin College govern itself?
How should the Board interact with the administration of Olin College?
What additional boards and councils are needed to provide Olin College with optimal resources for achieving its mission and how should they relate to the Board of Trustees?
How should the relationship with the F.W. Olin Foundation evolve?

Development

How should the By-Laws and Procedures of Olin College be modified to reflect the needed changes and improvements?

Leadership

Lawrence W. Milas, founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees, will provide leadership of this effort. Mr. Milas will, from time to time, involve other Trustees to assist him and will work in close cooperation with Richard K. Miller, President.

3. Budget and Facilities Requirements

Work has begun on the development of practical procedures for implementation of this plan. Specific tasks and staff assignments are planned in the appropriate periods to address the issues identified above, together with necessary budgetary support. These results have been used to develop estimates of budgetary requirements for each section of the plan and these budget estimates have been incorporated in the proposed budget for the College.