Astronomy and Astrophysics (hereafter A&A) as a discipline - knitting together diverse observational, experimental, and theoretical sciences, along with scientific history and philosophy - offers nearly boundless opportunities for intellectual exploration at all levels from faculty to undergraduates to the public. A&A is undergoing an unprecedented expansion internationally with huge investments in ground and space-based facilities as we close in, tantalizingly, on answers to some of the major questions about the universe. In Canada, through the approved Long Term Space Plan III the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will spend $80M over the next decade on A&A international missions, including the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). The Long Range Planning Panel (LRPP) of the National Research Council (NRC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has just completed an all-inclusive decadal review to plan, propose, and prioritize new research facilities; the detailed recommendation to invest $150M in several major ground-based observatories has been received enthusiastically by NRC Council.
The Department of Astronomy (hereafter DA) is deeply engaged in a wide range of A&A activities. Because A&A research is a truly international endeavour, DA must maintain a high international profile to play a significant role and have maximum impact. The Cluster 8 Review (hereafter C8R) has identified DA as ``the pre-eminent centre of university-based astronomy in Canada, and ``the key element defining the University of Toronto as one of the most prominent centers of astronomy in North America'' (p. 3), reinforcing the same view expressed in the recent (November 1998) five-year review of DA (see also § 7). Clearly we are well positioned going into this Plan (see also § 5). Our goal here is to build further on this excellence, by being bold, innovative, and vigilant: in this rapidly moving field one cannot afford to stand still!
In developing concrete plans, we stand to benefit immensely by harmonizing our efforts with the future national and international technological developments identified by the CSA and LRPP. Clearly, the University also contains the diverse and questioning student population that will be excited by the research work of these facilities. We are keenly aware of the importance of strategic leadership by members of our Department, so that the investments match our own goals. For example, Seaquist (outgoing Chair of DA) authored the recent national report on ``The Future of Radio Astronomy'' and served on the LRPP. DA was instrumental in establishing the immensely successful Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and bringing it to the University, and founding member Martin has been recruited back to DA to become Chair. Martin serves on the national advisory committee (JSSA) of the CSA and is its incoming chair. Critical involvement in key national projects can also be noted, e.g., Canada-France Redshift Survey (Lilly), Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (Martin), Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology (Carlberg, Yee), and the CIAR Program on Cosmology and Gravitation (Carlberg, Lilly). Rucinski proposed MOST, Canada's first space telescope, which is now under construction. Martin led the astrophysics effort in establishing PSciNet (see § 3.1).
Our focussed hiring plan for new faculty responds to the new opportunities, in order to secure DA's leadership position in Canada as the investments in observing facilities take place and to increase further DA's international research reputation in A&A. We also have a complementary initiative to gain guaranteed access to privately held telescopes (§ 2.5.5). Our experience is that excellence in research in this dynamic field fosters excellence in teaching. Although already the ``instructional indices'' for DA are favorable (Table 1), the scale of our undergraduate offerings still does not meet the high demand and our plan will allow us to enroll 37% more undergraduate FCEs. This plan includes innovative new, seminar, and research courses (see § 3 and § 2.2). High national and international pressure on our graduate student enrollment will be accommodated, with a rise by about 50% (the secured intake for 1999/2000 is already double the recent average).
To strengthen further A&A at the University, DA is engaged in concerted efforts to bring to fruition an endowed David Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (see § 2.7). DA enjoys excellent coordinated relations with CITA which seem assured to continue with Martin as Chair. Likewise, a strong Department of Physics is important to DA. In many ways we are cooperating and fostering efforts to develop aspects of astrophysics within Physics, most concretely through joint appointments in Experimental Astrophysics (§ 2.5.4).