Letters & Op-Eds

Harold O. Levy,  executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, writes: “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal,” the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, better known as the Kerner Commission, said in a report that made headlines in 1968. A report today could say we are moving toward two unequal societies based on family income — one college-educated, one not.

Harold O. Levy, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, writes: At a time when many colleges are competing to attract students by opening upscale dormitories that offer luxury amenities like climbing walls and fine cuisine in their dining halls, thousands of other college students across the country are homeless — often “couch surfing” with friends, sleeping in cars or living in homeless shelters.  Many of these students don’t consider themselves homeless because they aren’t sleeping on sidewalks or park benches. Many don’t want to say they’re homeless out of embarrassment. The problem of college student homelessness has solutions.

To the Editor:  Re “Small Colleges Are Pressured Over Finances” (front page, April 30):

The resiliency of America’s small private colleges is frequently misunderstood. Many persevere year after year, meeting the higher education needs of the country and their region, while operating on the slimmest of financial margins.\

For more than a century, experts have been writing off the future of these colleges because of changes in demographics, advances in technology and a dearth of financial resources. Yet many manage to persevere through innovation, perspiration and dedication.In fact, of the 1,640 private, nonprofit institutions in the United States, only 33 have closed over the last 20 years.

At the same time, the private college sector is the only higher education sector to grow in each of the last 10 years.Smart administrators and faculty have remade colleges to better serve the educational needs of a changing market; have worked together to recruit students, contain costs and generate revenue; and have secured necessary financial support from alumni and philanthropists supportive of their mission and legacy.

A mastery of legacy, loyalty, mission and market is often the most powerful force in determining the future of a small private college. While these are challenging times for all of higher education, I caution against prematurely writing off any of these institutions.

DAVID L. WARREN
President
National Associationof Independent Colleges & UniversitiesWashington

Reader Kevin Griffith of Columbus, OH, writes: Ohio does have a real problem with the affordability of its state-funded schools. The real scandal here is that a student who attends a state university in Ohio will incur about as much debt as one who attends a private liberal-arts college, all the while taking courses that can vary wildly in quality and rigor.  Value for the dollar should certainly be considered when making the choice of a college. Given the attacks on state higher education from budget-slashing legislatures combined with the systemic failures of university administrators to control costs and prioritize quality instruction, the value of a degree from a state university in Ohio will likely continue to erode.

SMU student Preston Hutcherson writes:  As a student at a private university I had a sneaking suspicion that the magic between the pages of our great books had nothing to do with the cost of tuition, but had much to do with the generous heart of the instructor -- no matter the setting. I think I was right.