Emerging Stats Department: Why Isn't It A Good Idea?

Is it just me or do Claremont McKenna people love to fight about money?

You'd think that a school which is painfully behind its peer-schools in terms of institutional street cred would welcome every new dollar that comes along with an eye to the old notion that money buys news and news buys reputation. "Civilization prospers with commerce," right? When someone offers you money, you ought to have the good grace to say thank you before you start critiquing their motives.

And so it is that I must come out in favor of the new statistics department. The Inland Daily Valley Bulletin reported on The Claremont Portside's article about the brouhaha over the new stats department. The Portside cites a letter from the Math Department saying that “The formation of such a department would be divisive, wasteful of resources, and would decrease the overall quality of the college.”

I can understand the underlying reason why the Math Department doesn't want a Statistic Department -- because they don't want to compete for donations. But civilization -- just as CMC -- prospers with commerce and so, I don't see it as a necessary evil that a Statistic Department will destroy the curriculum and the meaning of a CMC education. Math Department chair Asuman Aksoy has it exactly wrong when she said in a letter that “[t]he formation of such a department would be divisive, wasteful of resources, and would decrease the overall quality of the college.”

Might it be that the Statistic Department may even be good for the school? The Statistic Department could teem up with the Government department to analyze fascinating new trends and could supplement the number of math requirements. The Statistic Department and the Math Department could even pool resources to bring noted mathematicians to Claremont McKenna to come and speak. They could even team up to bring top-notch math faculty from other colleges. Like at all liberal arts colleges, the Departments can work together to build cross disciplinary majors and interests. Whether or not the gift will further the mission of the school remains to be seen, but please give it some time. Listen to the arguments presented before you start complaining!