Student Assembly survey highlights comments on Vision 2026, data initiatives

During the April 6 virtual town hall for the steering committee of the Computing, Data Science and Applied Science Initiative, secretary of Data and Analytics for Student Assembly and Omnibus Project Director John Willis ’23 presented findings from the Omnibus Survey. The survey recorded student comments on the creation of a new “academic unit” for computer science, data science and applied science.

The Student Assembly Department of Data and Analytics conducted the survey between March 3 and April 2. The Flat Hat received a copy of the report that the Department of Data and Analytics gave to the steering committee, as well as the survey data.

A total of 1446 undergraduate and graduate students responded to the survey. The class of 2026 had the highest number of responses.

The report summarizes data from the Omnibus Survey that pertains to students’ perspectives and knowledge of Vision 2026 and the academic steering committee. Vision 2026 is the College’s strategic plan spanning 2021-2026, with three central goals: to expand the College’s reach, educate for impact and evolve to excel.

The findings of the report, combined with analysis from The Flat Hat, show that overall student knowledge of Vision 2026 and the steering committee is low, but most students report being at least somewhat receptive to the idea that data and statistical analysis are “core” to their liberal arts education at the College.

“The survey says that students are in support of the values of the committee, but they just don’t necessarily have a full grasp and they have some questions about how it will affect other aspects of campus, especially how it will affect tuition and how it will affect other class offerings and data science class offerings,” Willis said in his presentation to the committee.

The report also highlights the 10 most prominent student questions for the steering committee. Students submitted their top three questions for the steering committee in the Omnibus Survey, and the Department of Data and Analytics utilized machine learning and natural language processing methods to distill their responses. Committee co-chair and Dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences Suzanne Raitt addressed the above questions in an email to The Flat Hat.

According to Raitt, the creation of an academic unit for computer, data and applied sciences will not make it more difficult for students outside of the school to take computing classes. She noted that the school will be available to all students enrolled in Arts and Sciences. The plan is also not slated to impact current major requirements or what majors the College offers.

“Academic unit” is a broad term that encompasses potential administrative structures for the proposed computing, data science and applied science program. The goal of the committee is to evaluate different administrative structures such as departments, programs, schools or other designations for the new unit. A unit’s status affects faculty hiring, status and finances.

“We do not want to block students from entering these programs,” Anthony Stefandis, professor of computer science and director of data science, said. “We’ll do our best to make sure that we cater to all the needs of our student communities.”

Further, the physical location of the data science, applied science and computer science departments will be in ISC IV once the new facility is open.

“So, in that sense, yes, those units will be in a separate building,” Raitt said. “This doesn’t mean much about the administrative structure, though. Government and economics share a building, for example, but that doesn’t make them a separate school.”

In addressing the administrative status of the new “academic entity,” Raitt said the committee is yet to determine whether the entity would promote the units to department status or create a separate school. Raitt said there is no plan to merge the three departments into one department.

According to Raitt, the committee has not yet determined the funding levels for the new unit, but assured students that the

College does not plan on cutting funding from other departments.

“We value all the disciplines we offer in A and S and are eager to support all of them in every way possible,” Raitt said.

Raitt referred to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s “Tech Talent Investment Program” in her email as a source of funding for the initiative. The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of graduates in “computer science and closely related fields,” according to the TTIP. The initiative is a $2 billion dollar investment by the state, donors and corporate partners.

During an Arts and Sciences faculty meeting in April 2021, a motion to elevate the data science program to department status failed in a Zoom poll. 146 faculty members voted, with 38% of those responding voting in favor, 45% against and 17% abstaining. The proposal behind the motion notes the limits of program status:

“Programs at William & Mary are critically limited in four ways: (1) they are typically not provided with any annual operational funding; (2) they typically do not have dedicated administrative support; (3) they rely on joint faculty appointments; and (4) they cannot award tenure, or house tenure-eligible positions,” the proposal reads.

The proposal for the Department of Data Science from 2021 references the TTIP as a source of funding.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia has established ‘Tech Talent’ and ‘High-Demand Degree’ initiatives,” the proposal states. “As a result, the proposed department will be financially independent, does not burden our standard A&S operating budget, and is funded by money specifically ear-marked for Data Science in the context of tech talent.”

Funding from TTIP is available through 2038, but it is unclear how budgeting could change over the next 15 years.

“Dean Donoghue Velleca indicated that the funds provided by the Commonwealth were not for short-term use but were base budget additions that would continue for the next twenty years,” the minutes of the 2021 meeting state.

Tuesday, April 25 and Wednesday, April 26, the Student Accessibility and Disability Alliance at the College of William and Mary organized an advocacy campaign titled “F*ck the Stairs.” The campaign challenged able-bodied students to spend two days using accessible means of travel to better understand the experience of mobility impaired individuals, promoting accessibility awareness on campus.

Last fall, Student Assembly

Undersecretary of Disability Initiatives

Allison Stovall ’25, Heather Christensen ’23 and Cameron Lynch ’23 co-founded SADA. The organization received official recognition from the College in March 2023.

“There were three of us that ended up founding it,” Stovall said. “We got together in October last year and we got approved by the university in March. This has been a very short timeframe that we’ve done a lot of this.”

The “F*ck the Stairs” movement advocates for only using wheelchair accessible ramps, elevators, elevations and bathrooms for traveling around campus.

“F*ck the Stairs is all about showing everybody what it’s like to have to take inaccessible entrances on campus,” SADA Advocacy Chair Grayson Bunting ’26 said. “We’re making able-bodied students take only accessible entrances on campus today and tomorrow.”

In preparation for the campaign, SADA began posting on social media to publicize the event several weeks in advance.

SADA members drew chalk reminders on concrete in front of inaccessible entries and ramps to guide individuals participating in the campaign.

“We chalked, we got some yard signs that we put around, and the main way we’ve been advertising is through social media,” Bunting said. “I think we’ve gotten some traction, which is nice. And a lot of it was just planning and talking about it and figuring out the best way to bring light to this issue.”

Last week marked the first campaign for “F*ck the Stairs” at the College, but the movement is part of a nationwide effort that started in 2018 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Butler University in Indianapolis also has its own reiteration of the event.

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“We could think about making it a longer thing next year, but as for now, it’s just me, those two days, and after this, we’re probably going to do more advocacy campaigns as well,” Bunting said.

According to Stovall, the lack of functioning elevators and ramps with steep inclines around the College’s campus poses challenges to many students. Currently, buildings such as the Sir Christopher Wren Building are not wheelchair accessible. Because of this, Stovall said she is unable to participate in the tradition of taking a class in the Wren building.

“Basically anything in the Wren, I can’t take, because even the ramp is too steep, and then you go in there and there’s no elevator, so unless you’re on the first floor of the Wren, you’re still stuck,” Stovall said.

Recent campus construction creates additional obstacles for individuals traveling around campus. Navigating to Boswell Hall, for example, requires climbing a steep hill, going up steps and traveling on gravel that forces mobility impaired students to carve out more time for their commute to class.

The inconvenience of having to allot extra time in the day to get around these areas is one of the biggest takeaways SADA wants students to learn from the two-day challenge.

“Our main goal was to just kind of get people to realize what it’s like to navigate campus when you’re physically disabled,” Stovall said. “Obviously being disabled is not entirely about the physical side of things and about navigating campus, but it is a huge part for a lot of us.”

To show its support, the College’s administration distributed a facultywide message regarding potential tardiness due to the campaign. By having able-bodied individuals experience a small glimpse of what it means to be physically disabled, Stovall hopes it begins to raise awareness on campus.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion rewards Inclusive Excellence

Thursday, April 27, the College of William and Maryʼs Office of Diversity and Inclusion held an awards reception for Inclusive Excellence award recipients.College President Katherine Rowe and Provost Peggy Agouris attended the reception at the Sir Christopher Wren building.

“In April, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion pauses to recognize and celebrate W&M community members who have been nominated to receive the Inclusive Excellence Champions Award for their leadership and innovation towards D&I initiatives,” the Office of Diversity and Inclusion said in a written statement.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion recognizes multiple dimensions of Inclusive Excellence, including Recruitment and Retention, Campus Climate, Education and Scholarship, Infrastructure and Accountability and Community and Partnership. A total of 80 Inclusive Excellence Champions were awarded for one of the five dimensions.

“We appreciate your participation in a diversityrelated program or project that furthers our commitment to inclusive excellence,” the Office of Diversity and Inclusion said. “These efforts and actions will make William and Mary a stronger institution.”

Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Suzanne Raitt reflects on experiences, priorities at the College

MOLLY PARKS // FLAT HAT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nestled in the front of Ewell Hall is a room lined with built-in bookshelves, a welcoming conference table, a warm replace and Virginia Woolf artwork. is is the o ce of the College of William and Mary dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. On April 19, Provost Peggy Agouris announced in an email that Suzanne Raitt was to ll the role of the permanent dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, e ective April 25. is was a natural transition for Raitt, who has been in tune with the pulse of the faculty and students of the College while working as the acting dean in the Ewell o ce overlooking the heart of old campus since January.

Raitt started at the College in 2000, taking on many different leadership roles including vice dean for Arts, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies, chair of the English department, president of Faculty Assembly and faculty representative on the Board of Visitors. Raitt has been an advocate for the need of faculty members across her almost two and a half decades in the City of Williamsburg.

“I think we need to always be thinking about how to deliver the education that students want and deserve in the best possible way,” Raitt said. “One of the reasons I really love working at William and Mary is that our culture is a culture that takes teaching extremely seriously and puts it at the top of the list in terms of our priorities when we hire people, perhaps equal with research, but it’s a big priority. We look for people who have real skill, not just in the classroom, but in mentoring.”

Growing up in Oxford, England as the eldest daughter of four educators, Raitt had wanted to go into higher education from a young age.

“ ere was barely a person in my immediate family who was not an educator. I had four parents because I had two step-parents, and they were all academics of one kind or another at Oxford University,” Raitt said.

She noted that literary studies came naturally to her, helping narrow her educational path to focus on English. Raitt graduated from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She then moved to the United States for the rst time to receive her master’s degree in English from Yale University in 1985 before returning to Jesus College for her Ph.D. in English, awarded in May 1989.