The annual meeting of the American Talent Initiative (ATI) will take place next week. It is a gathering of member college presidents with leaders from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, and Ithaka S+R. Their collective goal is to enroll and graduate more low- and middle-income students from the nation’s best colleges and universities.

It is one of the few initiatives whose members comprise large, small, public, and independent institutions. To qualify for membership, a school must have a graduation rate of at least 70%. Of the 355 colleges and universities who meet that threshold, about 135 are currently members. These institutions have committed to a set of enrollment and graduation goals, and they have agreed to share data with each other with the hope of improving the outcomes of all members.

A number of presidents of 55 independent liberal arts colleges in ATI, especially those without need-blind admissions, have indicated that admitting additional low-income students will require significant fundraising to offset the lost revenue associated with “displacing” students who are high-net-revenue.

Fundraising to support these talented and deserving students should be a priority for all of our institutions, but progress toward enrolling more low-income can be made more immediately at any institution that has some unfilled capacity and applicants who would be academically successful, but didn’t make the financial cut to form the budgeted class.

Once an institution has successfully built its incoming class, it could choose to supplement that group with an additional cohort of Pell-eligible students. The enrollment team would restrict those additional slots to low-income students as an add-on.

With an add-on group of 15 students, the incremental increase in the campus population will have a minimal impact on fixed costs (facilities and general operations), and the Pell funding of each year’s cohort would be approximately $110,000, which can appreciably offset some of the incremental costs associated with the increase in enrollment.

Some students could also be eligible for state-funded, need-based aid and possible external private scholarships that would further supplement increased costs. Each institution can determine if a sustainable amount of loans would be part of the calculus for their campus program.

At institutions where a portion of institutional aid is unfunded, this would be an expansion of that practice to an additional group of students. For institutions where all institutional aid has been funded in the past, this initiative would be an “above the line” program.

An institution of 2,000 students that admits an additional 15 Pell-eligible students each year, will increase the portion of its students who are low-income by 3% over four years, which would be meaningful progress while the aforementioned fundraising is underway.

Qualifying institutions who are not members of ATI should consider joining. For all high-performing institutions, adding 15 more low-income students each year is a good start toward a noble goal.

Happy 2025!

My first higher education meeting each year is a gathering of the NECU (Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities) presidents. This group is the 26 colleges and universities (25 U.S. and 1 Canadian) currently affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

There is great variety among the NECU member schools. Some are overtly Lutheran; some are just historically Lutheran; for most, the enrollment of Lutheran students is between 5% and 10%; and at least one has three times as many Jewish students as Lutheran. The smallest is just over 700 students, and the largest is just over 3,000. They are all residential liberal-arts colleges.

What we share is an ethos that stems from our respective founding. Each of our institutions has a historical commitment to access, an educational tradition tied to vocation (the calling type), and a foundational emphasis on service.

Our institutions embrace a set of forward-looking values that have grown out of historic educational and theological precepts. This seeming dichotomy is summarized in the document, Rooted and Open: The Calling of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities. It highlights our common commitments to free inquiry, service to our neighbors, and radical hospitality, “So That All May Flourish,” which is also the title of an excellent recent anthology of the “Aims of Lutheran Higher Education.”

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging efforts on our campuses are integral components of our missions and our Lutheran roots. Much of our time together later this week will be focused on articulating our shared commitment to these principles and working to clarify how they are embedded in our work to prepare the next generation of leaders, and how we strengthen these efforts to sustain the campus communities all our students deserve.

This puts us at odds with the ascendant divisive efforts to dismantle DEI programs across the nation.

In this season of resolutions, I am looking forward to being with my NECU president colleagues as we resolve to embrace our shared heritage, celebrate every student, and lead open and inclusive campuses, so “So That All May Flourish” indeed.

We are in richest seam of campus tradition: Christmas Candle Light, our Celebration of Mid-Year Graduates, and Be a Kid Again (the night before finals, hundreds of students show up in their pajamas for cocoa and cookies, and to hear a musical rendition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) all unfold during the week following the Thanksgiving break.

Our campus Thanksgiving Dinner was this past week. It is my favorite of Susquehanna’s many traditions because it shines a bright light on what a remarkable and tight-knit community this is.

This annual celebration began in 1981. There are two seatings on Thursday and single seating for seniors on Friday. Many students form tables of friend groups, majors, teams, or student organizations. The traditional meal is served family-style by faculty, staff, and family members with lots of back-of-house support from O & M Dining.

At each dinner, I encourage the students to think about what they have accomplished and to reflect on how fortunate we are to be together in this wonderful place. With the seniors, I also ask them to appreciate what they have done over the past three-and-a-half years and how they have been changed, and I challenge them to make the most of their remaining six months as SU students.

For me, the best part is seeing how truly grateful everyone is. Their authenticity is heartwarming and humbling.

In that spirit, a few days ago, the Alumni Office sent out this Thanksgiving “Fireside Chat.” I provided a “State of the University” and answered some questions from our Alumni Association President, Jamie Hindman.

As we enter a season of giving and gratitude, it gave us a chance to thank alumni and friends of the University for all they do to make our work with students possible . Not unlike our student reflections, it was truly gratifying to take stock of what we have accomplished and the exciting opportunities that lie before us.

We have so much for which we are grateful. Thank you to all of you who have played a part in supporting the University and helping us to transform students’ lives for the better every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!