Please know that the questions do not presume that we are not a great institution currently nor does it presume that we are a small enterprise overall. They rather assume a sense of motion and proportion. our overriding goal simply must be to become greater, to aspire to preeminence in every area to which we apply ourselves. This is non-negotiable. And when we are measured, in terms of size, against some of our peers, we have to conclude that we are relatively modest in size and likely always to be. As a specific example, we know that BSD will never attract the same mass of aggregate NIH funding that a "peer" insitution with four times the number of research faculty will attract. We can, however, strive for greatness in the amount of NIH dollars we accrue by individuakl faculty member, which, given the NIH peer review process, says something important about our quality and our preeminence in discovery. More important than these measures of money, of course, are indices (harder to quantitate but known when seen) of innovative distinction and high intellectual impact of what we "produce".

My questions really have to do with discovering what it will take for us to achieve preeminence in all mission areas in light of our relatively modest size. The Aims process revealed to us that most importantly we must recruit, develop and retain the very finest faculty possible, and that greatness will follow from this premise. I was pleased to report in my recent State of the Division address that our overall attrition rate, for the second year in a row, was right at 8%, a figure close to our peers and well below the 12% rates the Division had been experiencing. What then are the strategic and structural keys to achieving preeminence? I believe strategically, now that the faculty-driven Aims process and implmentation of key recommendations have provided the Division with stability, that targeted investments in the three mission areas will stimulate new programs that can serve as the foundation of preeminence. We have begun this work through the dean's Initiatives in education, discovery and patient care, and the new Brain Rumor Program on page 1 is a fine example of the latter.

Structurally, and culturally, we must develop new ways of interacting and collaborating among and between departments and other organizations, and we must relewase old ideas that hinder our development. this will in turn require new models of leadership and new models of administrative structres, both on the department and Divisional levels. Many of our key steps to preeminence will likely be taken here.

REFINEMENTS/CLARIFICATIONS
In my State of the Division address I projected a roughly drawn column graph to highlight, in discussion of our new Tracks and Tenure policies, the point that our new policies permit tenure for those who demonstrate scholarly contributions of high originality and impact, regardless of Track. Hence the new policies adhere more closely to the Shils report, which emphasizes scholarship and impact and not the methods used to achieve such. Some faculty focused on the height of the columns in the CS and CE tracks in this imaginary graph and took from this that there was a defined quantitative ceiling on the number of tenured positions in these tracks. This is not so and was not intended - tenure in the BSD is achieved through scholarly distinction, not quota.

This clarification brings to light the fact that, as a critical policy changes, there will inevitably be questions raised and a need for reinforcing explanation. The Dean's office will be delighted to help with this, if invited for such purpose, at departmental faculty meetings. Additionally, Dr. Martin feder, Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology Anatomy and Faculty Dean of Administrative Affairs, will hold periodic workshops on tracks and tenure that are open to all faculty. These will be announced by email to all BSD faculty when they occur.

Lastly, I am grateful to the faculty who were thoughtful enough to convey to me their concern with the graph's interpretation.

Brain Tumor Center Funded by Dean's Initiative
Maciej Lesniak, M.D., Department of Surgery, is passionate about providing the best possible care to patients diagnosed with brain tumors...

A Novel Look at Speciation
Chung-I Wu, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolution, has taken on the process of evolution at its genetic core. His work, primarily using Drosophila melanogaster, seeks to understand how certain genetic alterations manifest...

BSD and Hospitals Sponser Achieving Breakthroughs Initiative
Leadership of the Hospitals and BSD have jointly committed to implementing an initiative called "Achieving Breakthroughs in Service and Operational Excellence...

DISCOVERIES
The BSD to announce the appointment of T. Conrad Gilliam, Ph.D., as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Human Genetics, effective September 1, 2004...

DEVELOPMENT
The new academic year is off to an energetic start. Spark Discovery, Illuminate Life has a new website, which was launched on October 18...

Dollars and Sense
The BSD financial highlights for fiscal year 2004

In Memoriam
Stanley Yachnin, M.D., professor emeritus and former section chief of hematology and oncology at the University of Chicago, died at his daughter's home in Hyde Park on Monday, Aug. 30...

ACCOLADES
Recent Awards and Grants Information for Biological Sciences Division Faculty

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Recent Recruitemnts and Appointments of Biological Sciences Division Faculty

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