After acknowledging university officials and his family, UConn President Michael Hogan opened his April 13 inaugural address with a call for unity in the university, to mirror a seasonal coming-together in nature.
"At a time when resources are scarce, it does mean we will need to make strategic choices about which disciplines and research clusters offer the best prospects of success," Hogan said. "It means rethinking the way we manage our budgeting. It means reallocating more revenues to high-priority areas."
The president said he has listened to faculty, and realizes that they may have concerns about the plans.
"Changes such as the ones we are initiating are not successful if they come crashing down from the top," Hogan said. The president said professors should expect to see more joint appointments of staff working in multiple disciplines, and more rewards for researchers who work across more than one academic area.
A draft of the academic plan lists three broad "areas of excellence" for interdisciplinary work: the environment, health and human behavior, and arts, culture, and society from a local to a global perspective. It also describes the specialties of each of the branch campuses. The academic plan is available here.