Clarification regarding the move of the political science department

I read the op-ed, “Winds of change” by Antonio Segalini, in The Chronicle Nov. 9 with interest. I appreciate his concern for the political science department, the implications of its proposed move to Gross Chem and the process that has gone into determining whether and how that move will occur. Any move of a department, which necessarily involves some disruption for faculty, students and staff, deserves careful thought, no matter how necessary or inevitable. I would suggest, however, that the writer would have been well advised to contact Dr. Trask or myself to find out what we actually intend, rather than rely on secondhand information or his own speculation. Here are the facts: It is a firm commitment, communicated clearly to the faculty of political science, that Gross Chem will be a transitional site for a period of two years or less, after which political science will have a fully integrated, unified and renovated permanent home in Old Chem. The space there into which the department is moving is currently occupied by the earth and ocean sciences department of the Nicholas School, which will be moving to the new wing of the LSRC designed for the school, when that is completed. That move will, for the first time, allow the Nicholas School to house all its Durham-campus faculty under one roof.

As this sequence suggests, the process of moving any department is a complex one, necessarily involving multiple steps, especially when no new space is being built. There has been a great deal of planning around these moves, the final stage of which was set off by David Rubenstein’s generous gift to complete the renovation of Perkins Library, but much of which had gone on earlier. Dr. Trask or I would have been happy to discuss all of this with Mr. Segalini had he inquired, and the result would have been a far better informed article that would have described an important change that will, after some unavoidable disruption, ultimately benefit faculty and students alike.

Peter Lange
Provost and Thomas F. Langford University Professor of Political Science