Core Cashes In

One of the annoying truisms about big ideas is they usually demand big money. The Core Curriculum, the general education program which the Faculty will begin to phase in next year, is no exception. So it was with an equally big sign of relief that the Faculty this week accepted the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's $1.25 million grant for the Core, the first grant exclusively designated to aid the Core's development.

The bulk of the funds still go toward enlarging the junior faculty, primarily in the humanities, who will help senior faculty to teach the Core courses. The Mellon Foundation traditionally supports instruction and research in the humanities fields.

A smaller part of the funds is earmarked for the Core's other big expense: course development.

But this grant only signals the start of the Faculty's plate-passing. Meanwhile the Faculty is putting out feelers to other nationwide foundations.

If all else fails, the Faculty can still expect close to $24 million from the University's capital fund drive.