"... This [is] a moment when we can transform our own best hopes into reality ... this is not a time for timidity. It is not a time for us to be hesitant. It is instead a time for us to try to move toward our best hopes."
-- College President James Wright, March 9, 2001
The College is at a critical juncture as we work to redefine its social, academic and cultural mission -- now is certainly not the time to be hesitant. Yet so often we find ourselves playing "catch up" with the accomplishments of our peer institutions.
The recent financial aid changes at Dartmouth, a reaction to Princeton's elimination of student loans, simply pale in comparison.
Last year's 46 percent increase in the endowment, coupled with extremely high levels of alumni giving, only makes these changes a vast disappointment as we see how little Dartmouth modified its financial aid policies.
Furthermore, despite the relatively low cost of expanding the program to include classes currently enrolled at Dartmouth -- as the last aid increase did -- the changes will not apply to students already at the College.
If Dartmouth has a strong commitment to moving toward our "best hopes," we must be proactive. Responding timidly to Princeton's financial aid changes is not enough; we must set the trends, not follow them.
The students who protested outside Parkhurst were rallying in support of many programs that already exist at several of our peer institutions. Not only should Dartmouth consider some of these claims, we should also seek out new programs that can set the example.
While we do not support all the demands made by the protesters on Friday, the fact that Dartmouth is the only Ivy League school not to offer a Korean Language Program and, more importantly, that the College is continually struggling with minority recruitment must be addressed now -- not 10 years from now.
The College must strive to excel at expanding social, academic and cultural resources in ways that do not simply mirror what has already taken place elsewhere.
By continuously looking past current students and worrying about how to attract later classes, Dartmouth becomes narrow-minded, missing the boat year after year. Now is the time that the Trustees and the administration must work jointly with current students to implement change that is designed to better the experience of both current students and classes to come.
