Volume CXXXII, Number 3 September 27, 2002 f

Campus expansion

The campus has been buzzing lately with rumors of expansion, and such rumors strike fear into the hearts of many students who selected Bowdoin for want of an intimate academic environment.

In truth, though, we have been expanding from day one. For 200 years Bowdoin has been purchasing land, raising buildings, hiring more faculty, and admitting more students. One-hundred sixteen buildings have followed the construction of Massachusetts Hall, and for years the faculty has been too large to convene there. It is not the expansion of the physical plant that concerns most, rather it is the idea of admitting hundreds of additional students.

Bowdoin prides itself on an impressive student to faculty ratio. More students, though, mean a larger faculty. So perhaps hiring more professors should be the first step taken in expanding the campus. Many departments eke by with a handful of professors, while others find themselves with little to offer while members of the department are on academic leave. If we were to focus now upon increasing the size of the faculty, we would soon find ourselves in a better position academically, and would find ourselves better equipped for an increasing student body.

Growth is inevitable, our history will tell us this. The class of 2007 will probably be a little bigger than the class of 2006, but hopefully they will continue in our new trend of increased diversity.

As long as the transition is slow, the student to faculty ration does not suffer and first-year triples do not become first-year quads, our growth could be a very good thing. Growth should be synonymous with maturity and improvement; we should not grow for the sake of becoming bigger.
A growing campus means that when we return for reunions, years down the line, the campus will be a different place, physically at least. Space will become an issue, buildings will be knocked down, halls will be wedged into vacant spots on campus. So long as the college maintains its spotted history of good taste, the campus should remain as attractive as ever. Let's just hope they don't put up any more sixteen-story eyesores.