Saller to Bring New Direction as Dean
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The self-described “heart and soul” of Stanford is about to get a new leader, and possibly a new direction. On April 1, Stanford will welcome former-University of Chicago Provost and Historian Richard Saller as the new dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S). As dean, Saller will oversee 80% of undergraduate students, 40% of graduate students, a $330 million budget, over 500 faculty members, and 47 majors or programs ranging from Drama to Astrophysics.
Saller will come to Stanford after 22 years of service at the University of Chicago. At Chicago he specialized in Roman social and economic history in the History and Classics Departments, served as the Dean of Social Sciences Division, and, until January 1, 2007, held the post of Provost. At Stanford he will not only serve as the Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, but will also continue his involvement with ancient history, working with what he describes as “the best group of ancient historians in America, or possibly the world.” While he was first convinced by Provost John W. Etchemendy that a move to the Farm would be “more enjoyable than harrowing,” Saller was ultimately drawn by “the change of pace,” and his conclusion that “arguably, Stanford is THE great success story among private universities in the second half of twentieth century.”
Despite his general approval of Stanford’s past choices, Saller’s appointment likely represents a new direction for the School of Humanities and Sciences. Not since the 1950’s has the H&S been led by a humanist. In the decades since then, Stanford’s academic culture has grown to emphasize the hard sciences, technology, and pre-professionalism, often at the expense of the liberal arts. But the Stanford administration’s hiring of Saller – an experienced advocate for the humanities – demonstrates a desire to break from this development by strengthening the position of humanities on campus. For his part, Saller appears aware of the challenges that Stanford presents, particularly in terms of the “techie” and “fuzzy” divide.
During a phone interview with The Stanford Review from his Chicago office, Saller discussed the issues that he will face as the H&S dean, and his vision for addressing these issues.
“Humanities ought to play a bigger role on campus . . . And I hope to be a leader in research that cuts across academic boundaries . . . I do believe that add credibility as a humanist.”
Saller affirmed a plan to raise the profile of humanities through multi-disciplinary outreach and general campus awareness. Noting, for instance, “the irony” that Stanford’s humanities departments are some of the most highly ranked in the country, yet tend not to be given much attention. Everything from Stanford’s American History program to the pre-1845 English literature program is ranked in the top 10 of their respective fields by US News and World Report. Yet many or most Stanford students remain unaware of the breadth and quality of such humanities departments.
Saller was quick to point out that this dynamic is not unique to Stanford:
“Humanities don’t have big, expensive labs like the sciences, this is true. But they do have big, expensive libraries. And this debate is a national phenomenon; humanists at the University of Chicago have the same problem.”
Even more than the standard fuzzy/techie divide, Saller acknowledged the sometimes negative impact of pre-professionalism on the spirit of a liberal education, nothing that “the faculty has certainly seen this pre-professional attitude.”
Going on to cite a recent report, he pointed out that the percentage of undergraduates entering PhD programs from Stanford is negligible to nonexistent when compared to the percentage coming out of liberal arts schools: “Reed, Pomona, Amherst and similar schools produce the most . . . University of Chicago was in the top fifteen, while Harvard was sixteenth, and Stanford did not even make the list.”
But Saller was clear to note that there is nothing wrong with taking a professional route in life, as long as universities are also fulfilling their duty in the liberal arts as well.
“I have absolutely no problem with investment bankers,” he notes, “but Stanford should be interested in a two-pronged goal. First, it should want to attract students with a great breadth of interests. Second, to have investment bankers also go away with intellectual interests . . . And also trying to avoid this: students who regard humanities as just a nuisance to get through.”
Saller also briefly touched upon political biases in the classroom. He stressed that he does not favor restricting professors’ abilities to speak freely in the classroom. He did, however, point out that all points of view should be at least heard, “regardless of how unpopular” they may be. Personally, he enjoys leaving his politics out of his lectures: “My students don’t know my politics, and that’s just as well. I don’t want to make it seem as though my expertise in the classroom extends to modern politics as well.”
So Stanford should be excited for the arrival of Saller come April 1. While appreciating the successes of Stanford, he also recognizes a need for some progress, including a new place for humanities.
“Students need to not just learn analytical skills, but also the richness of human life. Humanities do that uniquely. Without this, life is not worth living.”
