Presidential Opinion

Princeton University (NJ) President Christopher L. Eisgruber writes:  When he retires next year after running the Princeton University endowment for nearly 30 years, Andrew Golden will be acknowledged as one of the most successful university investment managers of all time. Andy’s key statistic is 12.6 percent. That’s the annualized return earned by Princeton’s endowment during his tenure, well above the 8.5 percent industry benchmark. The Golden touch has dramatically boosted Princeton’s ability to invest in financial aid, scientific research, and sustainability programs for the benefit of the country and humanity.

Tom Foley, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (PA), writes:  Almost 50 years ago, I first set foot in Belfast, Northern Ireland, filled with the confidence of the young athlete fresh from a Dublin rugby field. When I arrived at the train station, the heavy hand of a British soldier landed on my shoulder, and he demanded to know my business. His other hand rested on the trigger guard of an automatic carbine. Getting frisked was par for the course then. I landed on that island in the midst of the last and bloodiest cycle of its “Troubles,” a cycle of sectarian violence that lasted from the 1970s almost to the eve of the 20th century.

Marisa J. Kelly, president of Suffolk University (MA) and board chair of the Association of Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, and Rob McCarron, president and CEO of AICUM, write:  More than almost any other state in the country, our economy, quality of life, and international reputation are inextricably connected to our colleges and universities. Now, an exhaustive independent study of the economic impact of the 59 private colleges and universities that comprise the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts has quantified just how much these non-profit institutions contribute to our state as a whole, and in the regions surrounding Boston, Worcester, and Springfield.
 

Pomona College (CA) President G. Gabrielle Starr writes:  We knew recovering from the learning loss of the pandemic would be hard. The reality is it might require us to rethink education altogether. We might all be better off for it. To help our students move forward, America’s schools and colleges need to turn away from constant drilling for tests and a fixation on “coverage,” the notion that skimming across vast swaths of curriculum somehow makes for a good education.

Virginia Wesleyan University President Scott D. Miller, Ph.D., writes: I am hopeful that our lawmakers and educational leaders will continue working together to find new ways to make a world-class education more accessible and affordable for all students. But I also believe that optimizing existing programs like the Pell Grant will provide immediate relief and life-changing opportunities to those who are most in need of our help.