To the Williams community,
On Saturday, the New York Times editorial board published a powerful defense of American higher education, entitled, Colleges Are Under Attack. They Can Fight Back. Such a defense is urgently needed given recent governmental intervention.
The Times board focused their piece on large universities. But liberal arts colleges occupy a unique place in the educational landscape, so I want to take this moment to speak up for our schools and the people who study and work at them.
All cultures engage in teaching, learning and the transmission of knowledge. Within the diverse landscape of American higher education, liberal arts schools like Williams have developed a distinct approach that introduces students to the stunning variety and depth of human knowledge and gives them experience in extending that knowledge, while living together in a small learning community. Along the way we help them refine life and career skills like the capacity for research, data analysis, problem-solving and communication. In recent decades we have also lowered the barrier of cost and cultivated broadly diverse campuses where students can learn how to build and sustain community. The result is a comprehensive education that extends students’ intellectual, personal and career development while contributing to economic mobility and strengthening our social fabric.
Our colleges are just one type within a diverse ecosystem of educational institutions. That ecosystem depends for its vitality on a three-way partnership among schools, government and the general public. Even at Williams, where we benefit from strong alumni philanthropy and careful endowment management, we still depend on federal agencies for various forms of funding, data and regulatory guidance. Likewise, we depend on the public for their goodwill, political support and of course the tremendous vote of confidence implicit in the process of applying to and paying for college.
Right now, the partnership is frayed. Critics have alleged that higher education has failed to translate our work for broad audiences; been intolerant of uncensored debate and broad inclusion; and outpriced most families. The federal government, for its part, has taken a punitive approach to some of these concerns.
As a liberal arts college president and professor, my first inclination in the face of most challenges at Williams is to bring together people of diverse perspectives and try to solve the issues collaboratively. As we often remind our students, progress requires first getting everyone around the table. In ideal circumstances, educators and government officials would work together to strengthen our institutions of learning. We are far from that ideal.
Here, then, is a summary of what we in the college leadership are doing to support Williams, higher education and our people, and how you can help.
In terms of college actions, I have convened working groups to track federal actions in the areas of civil rights, immigration and finance (including proposals that seek to increase the tax on endowments), and to propose mitigation and protective strategies that Williams could employ if needed. Members of these groups are also working to provide information to community members about the law and available resources.
Beyond campus, meanwhile, Williams is involved in higher education advocacy efforts through consortia including the American Council on Education (ACE), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM). As I mentioned in my start of semester message, I recently joined a delegation of higher ed presidents on a NAICU-sponsored trip to Washington, where my colleagues and I met with legislators and their staff to explain the importance of a diverse, robust and intellectually independent American higher education system. I plan to attend several more such convenings later this semester. Williams has also joined a group of liberal arts schools partnering to educate political leaders about the value of our educational model.
We will continue expanding these efforts in order to meet emerging needs and challenges. But college and university leaders are unlikely to have an immediate impact on federal policies by ourselves. We need the support of our wider communities, since we are stronger together.
There are two important ways in which you can help. First, join campus efforts, when you hear about them, to support people affected by government actions. The desire to care for each other is one of the great strengths of our community. My thanks go out to all of you who are supporting one another in challenging times.
Second, please help us build appreciation for higher education. Talk to everyone you know about the benefits of studying here. Student, faculty and staff views are all important. I often say we have a multivocal community, and people’s perspectives will vary: all I ask is that you decide what you think matters about Williams and places like it, and then share those views widely. Some of you may also want to write op-eds, join coalitions or contact your legislators (we have heard that calling is considerably more effective than email). There are many ways to add your voice: what is most important is that each of us speak up for the value of education and research and why these practices matter.
Education is the promise of our future. It is the way we cultivate our humanity and try to solve society’s problems. It is also the heart of what unites us at Williams. Let us work together to protect it.
Maud