The heart of an institution of higher education is the academic program. Nothing is more important in higher education than what is taught, how well teaching is done, and how effectively learning takes place whether in the classroom or through active engagement in research. The College of William and Mary has created a community of learners consisting of superior students and faculty. In a highly competitive environment, it must provide the resources to support the continuing development of its faculty as creative scholars and demanding, innovative teachers. Such support, in turn, will enrich the learning experience of the students. In terms of the programs of instruction offered at the College, the Committee has sought rigorously to apply its planning principles with the goal of focusing effort and resources more sharply upon (i) the undergraduate program, and (ii) selected graduate and professional programs that, in its judgment, have the potential for national or international stature.

In this report the Committee introduces the term "academic cluster," by which it means not a degree-granting program but rather a new working relationship established by a group of programs, departments, and schools with mutual and reinforcing interests in related areas of inquiry. In concept and purpose, these clusters are comparable to the consortia that many institutions of higher education have formed, on the assumption that a cooperative use of resources (whether of faculty, facilities, equipment, or library holdings), will create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. These clusters will serve as foci for graduate program development at the college in the immediate future; they will also enrich the undergraduate program.