ALLOPATRIC SPECIATION
Some professors fear, however, that a geographical separation between SEAS in Allston and the rest of the FAS in Cambridge could hinder important elements of SEAS’ mission—widening the scope of engineering to non-concentrators and producing engineers who understand the humanistic context of their work.
The distance could, some professors argue, sever student interaction and strain professors with joint appointments, who would have to meet teaching and research obligations in both locations.
SEAS professors and classes are currently housed across eight buildings, all located on the north end of the Cambridge campus. Current physical separations do not obstruct collaboration, Habbal said, adding that he is confident that the move to Allston will allow for the creation of common spaces that encourage faculty bonds and “provide a green field for new ideas.”
“We are not living under one roof but we found a way to create a connection,” Habbal said.
Proponents of the move highlight not only SEAS’ desperate need for more space but also the proximity of the Harvard Innovation Lab and the Business School in Allston as assets that will foster an entrepreneurial culture and new spaces for creative programming.
Still, whether the advantages outweigh the physical effects of distance is a “non-stop topic of conversation” for SEAS faculty, according to Cox.
“I know the Business School is excited about having SEAS next door because of the obvious entrepreneurial connections,” he said. “I’m not sure that the SEAS faculty is outrageously excited about that necessarily when balanced with all the collaborations that will be harder to have on the main campus.”
Students, too, have expressed reservations about the effects of the impending move on their academic experience.
“The biggest question will not be how easy it is for students to move back and forth to Allston, but how easy it is for ideas to move from SEAS to the main campus,” said Neel S. Patel ’16, a prospective engineering concentrator.
On its online fact page, SEAS specifically highlights its proximity to five FAS departments. For a school that prides itself on its connections with neighboring disciplines, the loss of those neighbors could have long-term implications for its interdisciplinary focus.
—Staff writer Jessica A. Barzilay can be reached at jessicabarzilay@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @jessicabarzilay.
—Staff writer Sabrina A. Mohamed can be reached at smohamed@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @sab_mohamed.