His top priority is "to enhance the scholarlyreputation of the Kennedy School of Government."Part of that task involves renewing the faculty,with a view toward replacing the school's originalprofessors as they retire.
Carnesale also hopes to use the Kennedy Schoolas a "hub" for the rest of the University, and totake advantage of the "opportunity to bring tobear the resources of Harvard University on publicpolicy problems."
The third part of the Kennedy School's academicplan involves strengthening areas that areimportant in the public policy arena but that arenot traditional strengths of the schools.Carnesale mentions health policy and educationpolicy as examples.
One week from today, Harvard's president,deans, vice presidents and a few otheradministrators will hole up at the Academy of Artsand Sciences. Two two-day retreat, where all theplans will be presented, could be a showcase ofteam unity.
The idea, Rudenstine says, is to get an"overarching view of the emerging total plan."
Some themes in that total plan have alreadyemerged. They will become important opportunitiesfor inter-faculty collaboration as well as forbuilding the case for the upcoming fund drive.
Some such themes are academic, like theenvironment and education policy. Other are morestudent-oriented: Financial aid is a growing needin almost every school.
The intensive planning will continue for aboutanother six months. Rudenstine's leadership teamwill assemble again for retreats in September andDecember to fine tune the plans and tie themtogether. And slowly, the academic plans will, inKnowles' words, "transmute" into a campaign plan.
There is already motion on the fundraisingfront. Glimp has received "a few" multi-milliondollar pledges, and Rudenstine has been travellingthe country building goodwill with alumni. Nextyear, Harvard's crack fundraisers will be workingto line up commitments for a campaign that mostexpect will be the largest ever in the history ofhigher education.
When Rudenstine calls a press conference toannounce the campaign sometime in the next twoyears, at least one thing is certain. He willrefer frequently to the planning process, and tothe careful thought that went into determiningHarvard's priorities and needs for the future.
If Rudenstine's plan for planning succeeds, thebenefits will be greater than the two or threebillion dollars spent on shiny labs or tucked intothe tucked into the endowment. His new plan couldbring the University's parts closer together and,in so doing, redefine both the institution and itsmission.
Gady A. Epstein, Joe Mathews, Wendy A. Gribband Ivan Oransky contributed to the reporting ofthis story.