School of Urban and Public Affairs Formation, Correspondence with Consultants, 1967-1968

This series, the largest in the collection consisting of thirteen boxes (13 cubic feet) of material, documents Schatz’s activities as Vice President of Academic Affairs. Folders are arranged alphabetically by topic, then by date.

Schatz played a key role in the university’s effort to comply with federal government-mandated affirmative action programs and compliance reviews. Much of the faculty data he gathered was used for such purpose. As a member of the university senior administration, he represented the administration on the Commission on the Status and Needs of Women at Carnegie Mellon established by President Stever in February 1971.

As chair of the Educational Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees (1971-75), Schatz helped guide decisions affecting tenure, new educational programs, teacher education, curriculum changes, new grading systems, enrollment, and efforts to recruit minority students. He often advised the Board of Trustees on academic matters, student-trustee relationships, and orientation issues. Folders in this series also contain information on student disturbances, particularly their effort to stop construction of Wean Hall by supporting members of the Black Construction Coalition.

Schatz helped to create the university’s first Computation Center and to formulate the policy to govern its use. This center would underpin the computer network proposed by President Stever in 1969. This group of records document via correspondence the relationship between Carnegie Mellon and IBM and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and the deliberations over the purchase of UNIVAC and IBM equipment.

The group of faculty records in this series is quite extensive. In order to respond to compliance reviews, Schatz gathered much of this faculty data, including salary comparisons between men and women at Carnegie Mellon and at peer institutions during the mid-1970s. Most likely this data was also used to write the report for the Middle States Association visit to campus in November 1976. Schatz helped guide the conversion of 12-month salaries to academic year salaries, and coordinated the Scaife grant for faculty upgrade and development. He also chaired the University Committees on Tenure and Non-Tenure Appointments, and the Committee on Student Input to Tenure and Promotion.

Several folders in this series represent colleges and departments on campus, namely the formation of the School of Urban and Public Affairs (SUPA), the College of History & Social Sciences, and the Department of Computer Science; the reorganization of the College of Engineering and Science; and building renovations to the College of Fine Arts and its search for a new dean. Files on Hunt Institute document the appointment of directors, the early history of Hunt Library, and the wishes of the Hunt family. Schatz served on a subcommittee to study the future of Margaret Morrison Carnegie College and the professional education of women at the university. Their recommendations led to the decision to phase-out the MMCC program and the college.

The long-range planning files include plans to build and finance a new administrative building (Warner Hall), and conducting master plan studies to evaluate the use and development of land owned by the university. In 1971, Schatz was asked by President Cyert to initiate a series of planning meetings to consider both short- and long-term plans of the university.

Documentation of the work of the MPC Corporation continues in this series, especially the meetings and minutes of the board (1963-81). Schatz served on the board in several capacities during this time: Secretary (1965), Vice-Chairman (1972-73, 1977), and Chairman (1974-77, 1979).