Watson Report

The Watson report, officially the “Report of the Committee on Plans and Resources,” was the result of a self-study requested by President Hornig in October 1971. The report was accepted by the Corporation in February 1974. A committee of the Corporation, headed by Thomas J. Watson, Jr., was instructed “to develop plans for the future course of the University (other than those relating to construction and real estate), to relate such plans to present and prospective resources of the University, and to consider ways and means of developing new resources.” Observing Brown’s great progress since the self-study, “The Policy in Force” in 1929, the committee recommended for the future:

That Brown concentrate on being a small university with a commitment to scholarship and instruction, with the size of the College limited for the time being to 5,150 full-time students or the equivalent thereof;
That Brown’s commitment to undergraduate education be strengthened by seeking resources to implement the New Curriculum, impressing the faculty with the importance of undergraduate teaching, and establishing separate budgets for undergraduate instruction, graduate instruction, and research;
That, in an effort to be adequate in every department and outstanding in a significant number of departments, Brown should maintain towers of excellence representative of the humanities, creative and performing arts, social sciences, and sciences, expanding departments which show increasing student interest and scaling down those which are underutilized and overstaffed;
That the University study the problem of the large proportion of tenured faculty members, pay more attention to maintenance of the physical plant, and consider changing the academic calendar;
That tuition charges more nearly approximate the cost of education, with full payment required of those with the means to pay, and that financial aid be increased primarily through loans and work opportunities;
That Brown strive for a major increase in endowment, refrain from undertaking new projects until financial means are assured, and, in planning new buildings, seek endowment for their maintenance and operation; and
That planning Brown’s development become an ongoing operation with periodic reconsideration of guidelines.