Our second area of focus is the fine and performing arts. The University lacks a comprehensive plan for the arts. The facilities are uneven and, in some cases, severely inadequate. The dean and department chairs in arts and sciences have begun work to identify strengths and weaknesses in these disciplines. Examples of excellence include the Bayly Art Museum's collection of Old Master prints, the Heritage Repertory Theatre's summer productions, the music department's computer composition laboratory, archaeological investigations of an ancient city in Sicily, and an interdisciplinary study of ancient Pompeii using computer models.
Departments lack sufficient scholarships and fellowships to compete for the most talented students.
Although more than four hundred endowed professorships have been established at the University, only two faculty members hold endowed chairs in all the arts programs. Yet few areas touch more students, including non-majors. Each semester, the courses in music, art, and drama attract more than 4,600 enrollees. As a first step toward correcting these deficiencies, a team of architects and faculty members are drawing a conceptual physical plan for an Arts Precinct that incorporates the programmatic as well as physical needs for the arts. The project focuses on the art department, the Bayly Museum, the drama department, the architecture school, and the fine arts library.