Category: Voice Articles

Carleton has long worked to attract international students, while simultaneously and systematically increasing its commitment to providing all students access to deep, meaningful learning experiences abroad. This year, our Off-Campus Studies program is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Carleton’s 2012 strategic plan calls for the college to “embrace collaborative opportunities with other institutions to enhance our academic program and save costs.” We have done this, and for good reason.

In the midst of a national conversation on college admissions scandals, we’ve all been reminded how important it is for highly competitive colleges to have a system of admissions that truly reflects our highest values and our commitment to top-quality and accessible higher education.

Because Carleton is a residential community, our students experience a large portion of their growth and development outside the classroom. And that experience is dramatically enhanced when we include in our community students from the broadest conceivable range of backgrounds.

Our students are extraordinary, and they inspire us to be optimistic about the future.

Cocurricular activities are an important component of a liberal arts education. They teach students lessons about themselves and their relationships with others that can’t be learned from textbooks or lectures. Carleton’s thriving athletics program is an excellent example of this.

At Opening Convocation this year, I spoke about what I regard as one of the most pressing challenges facing American higher education: the diminishment of thoughtful, respectful, honest, and productive discourse about divisive political, economic, and social issues both in broader society and in academic communities.

You’re likely to find backhoes and construction workers on the Carleton campus every summer. But this year we’re particularly busy as we begin to implement the first phase of the Utilities Master Plan, approved by the trustees this past fall.

“Carleton employees recognize that, no matter what we do, our responsibilities boil down to supporting these wonderful young people.”