City Planning Dept. still afloat

Despite talk last spring about closing the Department of City and Regional Planning within the Graduate School of Fine Arts, the department now appears to be saved. Admissions to the masters and doctoral degree programs have been re-opened since March, after they were shut down last December as a result of budget squabbles. GSFA Dean Patricia Conway said although the department is now on fairly stable footing, the issues involved in the dispute concern the entire school, not just City and Regional Planning. "There was a consultation in the Graduate School of Fine Arts about restructuring the entire school and all of its programs, both academically and financially," she said. "One of the key considerations in that consultation was the Department of City and Regional Planning, which historically had had some financial and, frankly, academic problems." The freeze on admissions ended in March when City and Regional Planning Department Chairperson Tony Tomazinis came to an agreement with the offices of former interim Provost Marvin Lazerson and Vice President for Finance Stephen Golding. According to Conway, the agreement specifies that the masters program can accept students for this academic year, but is required to meet three criteria in order to be allowed to continue accepting applicants in the future. These criteria include setting up an internal curriculum committee "to revamp their curriculum," putting together a faculty development plan and sustaining a predetermined level of enrollment in the program. Conway and Tomazinis had different perspectives on the implementation of the requirements. To her knowledge, Conway said there have been no meetings of the curriculum committee, nor have they made any recommendations. In addition, she said the Department of City and Regional Planning has not put together a faculty development plan. Tomazinis contradicted Conway's claims. He said the department has already revamped the curriculum, and that all new courses in place will be submitted this semester to the GSFA administration for formal approval. In addition, Tomazinis said the faculty development plan is already "being implemented to its fullest extent." Changes involve secondary appointments with other departments and new appointments within City and Regional Planning. Enrollment in the masters program has gone from the required 69 students to 90, he added. Tomazinis was enthusiastic about the current status of the department. "I believe the whole idea about eliminating the department is dead and gone," he said. Joe King, a third year graduate student and former president of the Student Planning Association, agreed. "The situation has changed quite a bit from last semester," he said. While Conway said she thinks the department has been operating under a deficit, Tomazinis said the department expects "no deficit whatsoever." In fact, he said the department expects a surplus of $200,000 to $300,000 this fiscal year. Janice Madden, vice provost for graduate and professional schools, said the City and Regional Planning Department has been hurt by a lack of funds in recent years. "I think it's been a long time since the University has engaged in any serious investment in that program, and that program has suffered from that lack of investment," she said.