| |
While Smith enrolls a talented group of entering students each year, we have become
increasingly aware of how thin the margin is within our applicant pool, with the
result that the college has little flexibility to respond to even moderate
changes in application flow or the financial aid profile of the pool. Strategic
investments in recent years have not led to significant increases in applications
from highly qualified students, or notably higher yield rates among our existing
base of admitted students.
While we always want to be sure that every aspect of our admissions operation is
as effective as possible, we also need to ask larger structural questions. While
I don’t believe that we should refuse to consider any issue, I have decided
that we should not take up co-education during this planning cycle. We see
too much in the landscape of higher education and society that argues for the important
continuing role of women’s colleges, particularly in areas such as the sciences
where women are still significantly under-represented. However, I do think
we should consider both the issue of merit aid and the question of whether we should
reduce the size of the entering class slightly to gain more flexibility and selectivity
within our existing or slightly expanded applicant pool.
|
|
Setting
the Context
Important Issues
Facing Smith
Enhancing
admissions competitiveness
Balancing
economic access with competing institutional priorities
Exploring the shape of the curriculum and intellectual
capacities
Investing in faculty development
Leveraging role as residential academic community
Examining
opportunities for
special academic programs
Articulating
Smith’s
distinctive position and advantage
Enhancing philanthropic support
Improving the climate for diversity
Aligning facilities planning with strategic priorities
Next Steps in the
Planning Process
|
