OPENING DOORS, CHANGING LIVES |
| The individuals profiled in this collection span a broad range of ages, backgrounds and accomplishments; but they have three things in common. They attended some of the nation's oldest, most prominent and best endowed colleges and universities. They came from lower- and middle-income families and paid for college through a combination of work and financial aid, most of which came from the institution they attended. And in their lives and careers, they have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the service of others. Through their stories we hope to encourage a closer look at some of the ways in which these institutions of higher education--and many others like them--serve the public through the opportunities they provide and the values they instill. The colleges and universities represented in this collection use their endowments and other funds to strengthen their programs of teaching and research, create residential experiences that encourage personal growth and support financial aid programs that make it possible for students from all backgrounds not just to attend...but to flourish. Students on these campuses come to appreciate that much has been given to them, and that from those to whom much is given, much is expected. This obligation to give back, and to be of service to others, can take many forms. It is reflected in the careers that graduates of these institutions select and in the contributions they make to their communities and society at large through volunteer activities, innovative programs and leadership positions that add to our collective well-being. It is also reflected in the many ways in which they work to ensure that future generations of students will have the same kinds of opportunities that have been made available to them. It may surprise some readers to know how much these colleges and universities have changed over their long histories and how much they continue to change, along with the rest of society; to know, for example, that almost 30 percent of the students who attend these institutions are people of color...that 47 percent receive financial aid...and that the average award for those on financial aid is more than $20,000 a year. It may surprise them to know that 42 percent of the students at these institutions are involved in community service, and that literally thousands of graduates of these institutions make the same kinds of contributions to society as the illustrative group of men and women profiled in this book. The 31 colleges and universities represented in this collection belong to COFHE, the Consortium on Financing Higher Education. As an organization, COFHE seeks ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of these institutions and to reinforce their efforts to remain affordable and accessible for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. As individual institutions, these colleges and universities share a dedication to educational excellence, a commitment to opportunity that is not constrained by economic circumstance and a devotion to public service. While these are "private" institutions, they nonetheless are institutions that serve a public trust. They fulfill that trust, in part, by the research they support and the teaching they provide. They fulfill it through the discovery, transmission and preservation of knowledge, understanding and cultural expression. They also fulfill it by opening wide the doors of opportunity and by sending forth graduates--like the ones profiled in this book--whose college experiences inspired them to help make the world a better place for all of us. |