Seminars move to Arboretum

The Radcliffe Seminars’ Landscape Design and Landscape Design History Programs will move to what administrators hope will be a more natural home at the Arnold Arboretum beginning July 1. Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Executive Dean Louise Richardson and Arboretum Director Robert Cook made the joint announcement Wednesday (Dec. 12).

“The Landscape Design Program has been an enormously successful and cherished part of Radcliffe for many years. However, its purposes are not clearly related to those of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study,” Richardson said. “While exploring the possibility of moving the program to a new setting, we became convinced that the intellectual and historical links between this program and the Arboretum, along with Robert Cook’s enthusiasm and commitment, will ensure its continued success under the direction of the Arboretum.”

Classroom experience unchanged

Though the 35-year-old programs’ administrative and financial operations will move to the Arboretum July 1, the classroom portion will remain unchanged, at least in the near future. Under the agreement between Radcliffe and the Arboretum, program content and offerings will be unchanged and classes will continue to be held at Radcliffe’s Cronkhite Graduate Center through July 1, 2003.

The current chair of the two programs will continue to head them as an employee of the Arboretum, and current faculty will have the opportunity to teach their courses on similar terms as at the Radcliffe Seminars.

“The Arnold Arboretum is immensely pleased and honored to be able to take over the administration of the Radcliffe Seminars Landscape Design Program,” Cook said. “This is a great opportunity to enhance the educational mission of the Arboretum, which has always maintained a close relationship to the landscape design field. Our Institute for Cultural Landscape Studies, which was established several years ago, will be a good resource for these students.”

Cook said he hopes to endow the position of chair of the Landscape Design Program.

The Landscape Design Program was created in 1966 and offers a graduate certificate for those who complete it. In 1993, the Radcliffe Seminars became the first program in the country to offer a certificate in landscape design history.