Model 2: Concentration of CS&E FTEs in a Small Number of Existing Departments

In addition to creating a CS&E Graduate Group, this model would distribute CS&E FTEs in a few departments. To establish critical mass and coherency and to attract faculty, students, and funding, the CS&E Initiative could place a significant number of CS&E FTEs into a small number of existing administrative units. The one commonality that ties together people in CS&E is their commitment to develop, study, and use computational methods for one or multiple application domains. The unit on campus that has as its primary commitment the development and study of computational tools is Computer Science. Other units, for example Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, have a strong commitment to the development and application of computational tools as well, but are not primarily driven by computation. To foster the desired coherent educational and research thrust for CS&E a significant number of FTEs could be designated for a few units, e.g., Computer Science and Mathematics. New faculty should have their focus clearly on computation, should be expected to contribute to and feel comfortable with core fields in their respective home departments, Computer Science, for example, and have strong links to the disciplines driving their computational interest. Joint appointments for CS&E faculty would seem attractive and desirable under this model.