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President Carol T. Christ is holding small-group
conversations with students, faculty and staff about positioning Smith most successfully
for the future. Here's a summary of one of the discussions.
President Christ began the session explaining why Smith is undertaking a strategic
plan and why it is doing so now; outlining the planning process; and describing the
questions that are foremost in her mind when considering the college’s future.
Citing the examples of the Praxis Internship Program,
the establishment of an engineering major, and the formation of Smith’s Poetry
Center, President Christ noted that the results of the last strategic planning effort
in 1997 were transformative and formed the core of the college’s capital campaign “This
is about Smith,” which
ended last December.
Looking to the future, the president reported on issues identified at a recent trustee
retreat as important ones to consider in Smith’s next planning process. They
include articulation of the college’s comparative and distinctive advantages;
strengthening the applicant pool; financial aid; the curriculum and co-curriculum;
and improving the base for philanthropic support.
Discussion opened on the value of women’s colleges. One participant said he
could see the difference a single-sex environment makes with the students he encounters
in the theatre department. He described Smith alumnae as “visionary,” stating
that after leaving Smith, many of our theatre graduates prefer to start their own
theatre endeavors rather than joining already-established theatre companies.
A suggestion was raised to consider how best to strengthen students’ computing
and information technology skills, not only for academic success but for success beyond
Smith. One staff member wondered whether moving to a single type of computer, one
supported by ITS staff, would reduce stress faced by students needing computer repairs.
Related suggestions included a non-credit program, similar to Women & Financial
Independence, with a focus in information technology competence; an Interterm course
providing information technology tips; and a student-run online computer help service.
Discussion moved to a consideration of Smith’s distinctive offerings, including
its arts resources, house system and Praxis internship program. President Christ observed
that the college’s traditions and history set it apart from other colleges and
that the importance of these can be seen in Smith alumnae. She compared the image
of Smith’s Ivy Day parade, which features women from a cross-section of generations,
to a similar event at Princeton, in which the parade participants are predominantly
men.
The president presented some demographic changes taking place in the U.S. that will
inform Smith’s planning process. These include an expected decrease in the white
population and an increase in the Latino population; a decrease in per capita income;
a shift in population from the west to the south, suggesting that the college needs
to increase its recruiting efforts in those areas; and continuation of the predominance
of women in higher education.
On the topic of diversity, President Christ noted Smith’s complex history.
Originally a school that served wealthy white women, today it is much more diverse
than many alumnae realize. The challenge, she noted, is in making the most of the
strength of our diversity.
Considering our outreach to prospective students, the president asked the group for
its thoughts on furthering the college’s “brand.” One person suggested
an idea for a brand is independence of thought, and perhaps Smith should require every
student to do an independent project of some sort.
Another suggestion was to align Smith with the lively cultural center of Northampton.
President Christ agreed and further pointed out that a unique feature of Northampton
(and the Pioneer Valley) is the abundance of nonprofit organizations, offering the
college and its students a wide variety of collaborative opportunities.
A third idea was to promote the college as a place that helps students consider issues
of work-life balance, an area that alumnae involved in the planning process have also
bee identifying as priority.
Discussion turned to the issue of student volunteerism. Contrary to what one would
expect, the number of Smith students who volunteer in the community is lower than
at peer institutions, suggesting a disconnect between students’ academic interests
in social policy and the translation of that interest into public service.
Since lack of time might be a factor in students’ low volunteerism, it may
be important to incorporate community service into the curriculum, offering credit
for the work. One participant noted that if volunteer service were more structured,
it might be more accessible to students.
Discussion concluded with a consideration of the important role that alumnae networks
often play in students’ post-Smith success and the ways in which that can be
measured and strengthened. We have many, many notable and accomplished alumnae, of
all generations, and we need to establish new models by which to engage them most
effectively with the college today.
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