July 25, 2005
Like a good neighbor...
My undergrad alma mater, Lesley College, is in the news for a very rare thing in the world of higher ed: Being a "good neighbor" to its surrounding community (Chronicle story, subscription required):
In an era when many institutions, including some in and around Boston, have had to engage in public-relations campaigns and often costly litigation to expand their campuses, Lesley appears to have hit upon a simple but effective strategy for avoiding all of that: cultivating a reputation for being fair and open with the surrounding community.
This is truly an accomplishment in the greater Boston/Cambridge area--I know you've heard of "town-gown" relationships, but in this area--with so many colleges and universities ("over 100" according to Wikipedia)--the "gowns" practically overrun the town.
But it appears that Lesley's experience proves that neighborliness is possible, even desireable--even in such a college-dense community. Obviously it takes effort. More than that, though, it requires a certain frame of mind and heart--something many in higher ed apparently are not used to taking on. In my time at Lesley I never felt the kind of elitism present in some institutions, even if it is true that the public perception has been that it was someplace "people sent their daughters to ensure that they married a Harvard law student."
I recognize, however, that money (or lack of) will be a challenge for Lesley in its plans to expand. Lesley's president seems to take this fact in with the good humor I recall her as always demonstrating:
Ms. McKenna says her expansion plans would be less daunting if Lesley had some of Harvard's $22-billion endowment. "I'm not greedy," she says with a laugh. "I'd just like the interest for a day."
Lesley's small endowment is not surprising. It is a small institution to begin with, preparing female undergrads (though men will be admitted to the undergraduate unit next year) for generally lower-paying education and human service careers. These alumni generally do not make tons of money. Still I feel a little guilty about the endowment thing. My contribution would in no way come close to being Harvard's one-day interest--not even their one-minute interest! Nevertheless, next time I get one of those envelopes, I'm going to send some money. In fact, why wait until then, Yvette?
"We have major things going on," says Ms. McKenna. "I don't want to be a secret. I want everybody to know who we are."
I do too.
Posted by perry032 at July 25, 2005 02:02 PM | TrackBack| Printer-friendly version