One year after discovering that its long-time director was denied tenure, the Barnard-Columbia urban studies program is still grappling with the idea of change. As the program prepares to reshuffle, experienced yet outspoken voices look to the upcoming change in leadership with both skepticism and qualified hope. Having grown from small and underfunded to a world-renowned program, urban studies—which unites social scientists from Barnard and Columbia for a city-focused curriculum—demonstrates the potential of interdisciplinary endeavors when provided effective management. But its status has wavered since December 2007, when BC history professor Owen Gutfreund, who many say raised the program to its current level, was denied tenure for reasons unknown to Spectator since tenure proceedings are kept under wraps. This event triggered program-wide preparation for a gradual but important turnover to begin this fall amid a climate of uncertainty that may or may not be warranted. Barnard economics professor David Weiman and previous Barnard associate provost Flora Davidson will serve as the new co-directors. The two hope to pursue an array of curricular initiatives and are actively recruiting to fill empty posts, specifically an urban sociologist. They want to expand course offerings, planning classes in criminal justice and sociology. But even though their colleagues are confident in their management abilities, the program faces the challenges that come with being a non-departmental entity. "Owen was my choice to run the program," said Ester Fuchs, a professor at the School of International and Public Affairs and Gutfreund's predecessor. "The building [of the program] had started, but he took it to a new level. That requires strong leadership ... and a passion for undergraduate teaching." While Fuchs does not doubt the competence of the incoming directors, she, like others, worries that the shifting faculty composition, which is based on a web of personal relationships across departments, may slow down the momentum built in recent years. Available to students at Barnard and Columbia, the major has nearly doubled over the past decade. Columbia College Dean of Academic Affairs Kathryn Yatrakis was previously assistant director of the program and now advises Columbia urban studies students. She attributed urban studies' growth to the subject's prevalence, which is also indicated by the increased number of humanities and social science courses compatible with the major. A glance at the current offerings underscores a tendency to view problems from various angles, and to attract professors who can teach in that style. Options include the "Culture of Public Art and Display in New York" in anthropology, "Lagos: the City" in history, and "Suburbs: Race, Class, Conflict" in sociology. The current anxiety thus may stem from concerns about programming rather than leadership. "It's a very strong faculty in general—very capable and very intelligent individuals," said major Seth Samuels, GS and JTS '10. "At least these people will be able to compensate." "I've known Davidson for a long time. She had a significant stint in the administration and I have every reason to think that those connections will be maintained and possibly even enhanced," Yatrakis said. Weiman asked Davidson last fall to share responsibilities. "Two senior people are taking over," Davidson said, explaining that she became well acquainted with Barnard faculty in her role as associate provost and likening herself to a "bridge between urban studies and political science." Davidson also stressed her experience in the political science department, which has housed several significant contributors to urban studies over the years, and ensured that other departments, such as economics, will stay connected through Weiman. With regard to the economic crisis, which has decreased Columbia's endowment, Weiman said that curricular integrity will remain a priority. "We're not decreasing anything," he said. For his first year, he and Davidson "have submitted our budget, and in tough fiscal times we're fortunate to continue." More likely, the program could hit rough spots in navigating the relatively uncharted terrain known as "interdisciplinarity." "We're not trained as urbanists," Yatrakis said, highlighting the problem of comparing unique programs like urban studies to ones outside the Columbia community. Despite the rise of such initiatives, there may be academic backlash to boxing professors into particular disciplines. Weiman gave himself as an example. "I want to develop a criminology class that uses ethnographic research. This wouldn't fit into the economic program. But as an economist one would be hard-pressed to find a department that considers that bona fide research." While the program integrates faculty from Barnard and Columbia, Yatrakis said that its expansion will mostly occur on one side of Broadway. "Our students are well-served," she said. "There's no reason to shift authority." scott.levi@columbiaspectator.com