【文章內容簡介】 alkposeanumberofquestio,explainwhyIraisethem,anddrawoutsomeoftheirimplicatio.ThefirstofmyquestioiswhetherCaltechistrulyimmunefrombecausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,withmanyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththefocusingonscienceandtechnology,Caltechhewstoeternaltruths,orwhethertheselfcriticismthattheintellectualworldhasembracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionofwhiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriouslyengagedonthestreetsofBerkeley,NewHaven,Cambridge,andParis,inPasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyand39。treflectonouractivitiesorevenhave39。sjustthattemperaturescale,weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight.Itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifourastronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywasrecordedatemperatureofaolutezero,ormadeaperpetualmotion,theexperimentwouldreceivethedeepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvivedtentativeaolutes,andwearefortablewiththem,needingnodailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoour,anditisaecialculturethatwelivewith,weteach,andwebelieveinalmostasamanyoftheselfdoubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallowsustomoveforward.However,fromwhichourcultureimmunizesutheyaretechnologicdevelopmentsandanincreasinglymarketdrivenaroachto,incorporatingtechnologyandlookingcarefullyatourcostsand,wearealreadyrated,wehaveaecialproduct,andrightnowtheworldwantstobuyitalicatioareupsomepeopletobescientistsandengineersthehonorcodeandthesmallnumberofstudentsmakeslearningasharedexperienceofgreatinteity,whileourlaboratoriesprovidethehandsonexperience,wecaotbeplacent。weneedtorethinkourvaluesandourvaluecontinuallyinthecontextofotheroortunitiesavailabletostudentsandothermodesofeducation.Letmeturnfromanatractquestiontoaconcreteone.“IsCaltechmakingasufficientcontributiontotheeconomiclifeofAmericaandeeciallyofPasadena?”Yearsago,CaltechwasthescientificandtechnologicenginethatdrovethedevelopmentofthelevelisparticularlyhighatJPL,whereneceitybreedsinventioniovationtobenefitthelocalmunityandthecountry,buthaenagaininchemistry,biology,putersoftware,electronics,andotherfields,StanfordandMITandevenUCSDbeeenginesofeconomicgrowthandCaltech,surelyasfecund,livesinacitywithminimalhightechinfluence?ThepoliticsofPasadenaarecertainlyaniue,butcouldn39。tCaltechhavemoreimpactifitmitteditselftothisgoal?AnotherofmyquestioisoneIhaveraisedpubliclyalready,“Areweactivelyenoughengagedinpromotingdiversityonthecampus?”Iphrasethisasaquestion,butIhavemadeitplainthatIpersonallybelievethatacampusthatbettermirrorsthedemographyofAmericaisdesirable.,itbringstheparticularvaluesofaCaltecheducationtoapartoftheAmerican,itauresthatotherstudentsatCaltechdevelopanareciationofthevarietyofculturesthatmakeupAmerica,betterpreparingthemfor,througheducatingawidermixofstudents,wecontributetothestabilityandeffectiveneAmerica,Latinos,andAmericanIndiaaccountforonethirdof,thereisanongoingbacklashagaitaffirmativeactionthatisreadingthroughthehundredperyearintheearly39。70sto6,39。sagreatachievement,butitisstillfarfromparity,andimprovementwillrequirecontinuedefforts.Anotheraectofthequestionofdiversityistheslowincreaseinacceleratethattrend?Themandateisthere:inthestudentlifesurvey,bothmenandwomenatCaltechwantedahigherfractionofwomenstudentsoncampus.Caltechhasforyearsrecognizedtheneedtofocusoniuesof,itisanunfinishedagenda,andadifficultoneonlythoughtfulanalysisandmitted39。ssmallstudentbodymeathattuitionisasmallpartof,wealreadygivefinancialaidto,weareinaparticularlygoodpositiontouseourfinancialresourcestoshape,weneedtorememberthatfinancialmattersareonlyapartoftheeduation:wealsomustaskourselveswhetherthecampusisweling,stimulatingandsuortivetoadiversestudentbody.InpaingIreferredtoCaltechasasmallschool,andthatis,interestingthingsemergewhenyouask,“InwhatseeisCaltechasmallschool?”Therearemanymantrasecifictothiscampusbutnoneisaspervasiveasthestatement,“Caltechisasmallschoolandwantstostaysmall.”canbeeanargumentfornottakingnewdirectio,fornothiringmorefaculty,fornotaddingtothestudentbody,forlivingwithalethancriticalmaoftalentinmanyareasofsciencerealvaluesofsmallnecollegiality,encouragementofinterdisciplinaryefforts,focusofactivities,inreality,Caltechisactuallysmallonlyinitsnumbersofstudentsschools,ithasthehighestratioofacetofacultyorfederalsuorttofacultyorprobablyanyothermeasureoftheamountoffacilitiesrunbyCaltech,theenormousplantonthecampus,themanytalentedmembersofthestaffwhoarewhollyinvolvedinresearch,andthepostdoctoralfellows,Caltechisalotbigger,therewereeightbuildingsputupthatincreasedthesquarefootageoncampusby20percent,whilethebudgetincreasedbyareal32,thefacultyincreasedby6percent,39。fourtimesthatofCaltechandisgrowing.Caltechisnotreallysmall,itisjustbalanceddifferentlyfrommaintainingsufficientcontroloverourgrowth?Isitaffectingthelifeofthecampus?Howcanwesafeguardthevaluesofsmallne?,“DoesCaltechsufficientlydevelopthoseaectsofthelivesofits20yearoldundergraduatesthatwillallowthemtobeethoughtful,balanced,productivemembersofsociety?”ItisaquestionthatIaskasIvisittheHousesandmeetwithstudent,manyofwhomseemtofeelthattheyenduredtheirundergraduatedaysratherthanCaltechprofeorfeelsthathisorherareaofteachingiscriticallyimportanttothedevelopmentofstudentsandthatstudentsitbeesalifeoftryingtokeepupacademicallywith,andhave,evensmallones,toencouragethecreativeartsasextracurricularactivities.TheCaltecheducationconcentratesontheproductsofrational,oneslikeart,butthat39。snotreallythemeagewearesending,becausethat39。snotthefacultyIhavee,devoteesofmusic,readersofthatyoudonotlearnabouttheroleofartorliteratureinclaesbecausetheclaroomisintriicallyananalyticframeworkyoulearnhowtolookatart,howtolistentomusic,realreasonforthearts,asareflectionoftheplexityoflifewithitsintricatemixtureofrationality,paion,andhistor