If the University College of Citizenship and Public Service closed down for good, would anyone notice or care? After all, the program has no towering building or visible niche. There are no professors who work exclusively for the college or staff members that the average student could point out. There isn't a major or a minor. Not even a curriculum. Its only class has a measly 11 students signed up for next semester, although a forthcoming e-mail from the president may rekindle interest. But, the UCCPS plays an important role at Tufts and the trustees should find a president who will preserve and expand the nascent program.
President DiBiaggio brought the UCCPS to Tufts after several arduous years of planning, lobbying trustees, and accumulating adequate funding for its launch. His undertaking was not easy, especially considering he began work on UCCPS at the start of his tenure, some 8 years ago. Judging by the size of this year's Leadership class - UCCPS's only visible academic program, a class partially taught by DiBiaggio himself - the process hasn't been as successful as many hoped. The ideals of citizenship have not yet been integrated into the liberal arts education. But if the UCCPS is discarded like some failed Ex College course after DiBiaggio' exit, the endeavor will represent one of Tufts' most egregious misuses of funds and administrative energy in recent history.
Furthermore, Tufts shouldn't be so quick to trample on DiBiaggio's legacy. In hisprofessional career, our university president has been at the forefront of American community service and active citizenship. He made this clear in his interview with the trustees upon first arriving at Tufts; at the time, he explained that the UCCPS would be an important goal of his administration, one that would require the active support of the Board. Now, as he nears the end of his presidency, he is finally witnessing the realization of this goal.
The College took form last year with roughly one million dollars in seed capital, and a ten-million dollar donation from Tufts most hip alumnus and newest Light on the Hill recipient, Pierre Omidyar. The UCCPS will not, however, continue to exist on its own - it is a project that requires constant honing and tremendous financial upkeep. UCCPS Dean Robert Hollister wields significant influence in the non-profit sector, but for the school to survive, let alone thrive, it requires continued vision and leadership from both Tufts' new president and its trustees, who seemed skeptical at the outset that this would ever become a good project. Since the school is in its infancy, the trustees and the next president must demonstrate a real commitment to fundraising, and they must identify qualified people to attract the attention of politicians, media, and prospective students.
UCCPS can do great things with solid leadership and sufficient financial support. Tufts can be to active citizenship what Notre Dame is to football. Because of its national prestige and incredible alumni network, Notre Dame has one of the nation's best recruiting records and is considered a football powerhouse.
DiBiaggio's project should be just as pioneering for Tufts, even though he may leave before it gets on its feet. He has laid the groundwork; and the next president must carry it forward. When people talk about citizenship education and volunteerism, as they do so often in today's society, the Omidyar Scholars program should be at the top of their list for places to obtain scholarships and training. As MIT is to math, and as Penn's Wharton school is to business, UCCPS should be the premiere place for leadership and citizenship.
A presidential candidate's commitment to fostering a program with national prestige and acclaim would provide a positive signal for his vision for Tufts' future. It signals a candidate who isn't afraid to take on a new idea and build from the ground up in order to improve this university.
At an open session with the presidential search committee last week, students limited themselves to narrow suggestions. A commitment to volunteerism, however, reflects something more comprehensive about a presidential candidate's beliefs. It shows a president who has more than a deep commitment to one cause, like diversity or the arts. Rather, someone who is willing to fight for the UCCPS likely has a deep commitment to active communities, where people are engaged in issues and working for constructive change. This is the kind of community that President DiBiaggio found at Tufts when he decided to leave Michigan State. And this is the kind of community that the next president should be looking for as well. The UCCPS is a perfect litmus test for the kind of leader Tufts is seeking in its presidential candidate.
A time will certainly come when all students will feel UCCPS's impact. As the world changes, and as academic fads move in other directions, UCCPS can become an important player in academia. President DiBiaggio's dream of creating the first school with citizenship as its focus should not die with his departure. And, since no current students would realize if the UCCPS fell off the map, the trustees should invest in a president who would notice and who will make it a hallmark of the University. A monumental program, like Penn's Wharton school, could truly give Tufts a great PR boost, not to mention help in those pesky rankings.
