It’s certainly
been a year of mixed news for small, private colleges.
In October, the
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) reported
that private, non-profit colleges and universities like Bethany saw an overall enrollment
increase of 1.9 percent in 2011. Enrollment at public institutions, according
to U.S. Department of Education statistics, dropped 0.3 percent; at for-profit
schools, 2.9 percent.
Said NAICU
President David Warren, “The data speak volumes about the resiliency of private
colleges, and their deep commitment to providing access and affordability.” He cited “efforts by independent institutions
to slow tuition increases, boost student aid, and lower students’ actual
out-of-pocket costs” as key factors in the rate of enrollment growth at private
colleges and universities.
Similar welcome
news, we hope, awaits us again this coming autumn about private-institution
enrollment trends for 2012. But as the poet Robert Frost might have said, we
enrollment-driven colleges have miles to go before we can rest.
Unfortunately,
for small, private institutions, resting is a luxury we can ill afford any time.
The pressure is on to increase funds for merit scholarships, to package
available financial aid attractively and innovatively, and to keep up to date
with the quality-of-life campus extras that students and their families expect
when choosing a college these days.
Thanks to
reaching $45 million and counting in our “Transformation Now” capital campaign,
Bethany College has secured funds for new and existing scholarships, academic
programs and faculty development, and facility improvements. These dollars are
critical to funding our campus master plan, which calls for long-range enhancements
to the teaching, learning, and living environment at Bethany.
But as Senior
Vice President Sven de Jong and I learned in recent briefings during NAICU’s
annual meetings on Capitol Hill, we are simultaneously well advised to keep a wary
eye on Washington lawmakers’ deliberations as they confront “fiscal-cliff”
budget sequestration.
These automatic federal
spending cuts, scheduled to go into effect March 1, would critically reduce
Federal Work Study and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. Pell
Grants, though spared this year, would remain at risk. We have expressed
concern for months to legislative representatives in Washington about the
potential, harmful impact of reduced Pell Grants and federal budget cuts for
higher education, in general. Although we private-college leaders recognize our
responsibility to raise the bulk of funds ourselves for enhancing the
attractiveness of our institutions to prospective students, Washington still
sets much of the tone for consumer confidence, affordability of higher
education, and projections of economic stability.
These are
critical factors for students and their families as they shop around for the
best financial-aid deals at desirable colleges. Although Bethany awards aid
packages to the majority of applicants each year, so do most of our peer
competitors. Our goal is to leverage financial aid as part of our marketing
appeal, signaling that Bethany College is an affordable and worthy investment,
and the top choice for some of America’s best and brightest.
There is much
else to do to enhance our appeal. We’re looking at additional graduate programs
in selected fields, along with the kinds of collaborative and convenient
degree-completion options we currently have with Carnegie Mellon, Case Western
Reserve, Duquesne, and Columbia universities. As always, we reach out to our
alumni and friends for their assistance in recommending Bethany to family
members, neighbors, and colleagues who have traditional college-aged sons and
daughters. Private colleges also need to pay special attention to
non-traditional students—returning veterans, work-experienced learners
retraining for the career marketplace, and other special groups who will
discover the unique appeal and lasting influence of a quality education at an
independent institution.
The annual
meeting of another group with which Bethany is closely affiliated, the West
Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities, WVICU, showcases top
scholarship students who benefit from the funds raised on behalf of West
Virginia’s private institutions. At this year’s meeting at Davis & Elkins
College, I proudly listened to the presentation of Bethany’s Khristian Smith, a
sophomore English major from Marlinton, West Virginia. He is the recipient of a
generous scholarship funded by the Schenk Charitable Trust in Wheeling.
As Khristian
spoke of his admirable academic interests, student activities, and career plans
(he would like to be a college professor and/or an author), I was reminded of
why we work so hard to make private higher education available to our students.
They are the reason we strive in the halls of Congress and in the homes and
businesses of our alumni and friends to tell the compelling story of
independent higher education, with all of the freedom such an experience
affords for students like Khristian Smith.
They are also
the reason that despite the sometimes gloomy outlook for traditional colleges,
I remain optimistic for the future of Bethany College—celebrating its 173rd
year on Founders Day, March 7, and preparing in just a few months hence to
welcome a new generation of Bethanians to our mountain-top campus.
As always, I invite
you to join me in celebrating the good work that we do, year after year, and to
find a meaningful way to support our mission going forward as A Small College of National Distinction.
