<p>HudsonV, that is interesting. On the day that we went, and perhaps it was not typical sample, but the number of private school sudents to public school students were about the exact reverse (approx. 2 public school kids for every 6-8 private school kids). I did not tabulate exact numbers, but I was listening carefully.</p>
<p>HudsonValley, perhaps the current year is an abberation. The other accounts in this thread appear to be referencing recent experiences and the strategic plan is from just a few years ago - - hardly the stone age.</p>
<p>As for the 80% finaid figure, the question is how much money is award and how much is grant money (as opposed to loand and work-study). Some schools award a quite a few small awards, in some cases offering $1000 to every family that files a FAFSA (almost regardless of actual need).</p>
<p>Maybe there are a majority of private school applicants but a majority of public school enrollees?</p>
<p>2005 reference to the strategic plan</p>
<p>As I stood on the Quad watching the Reunion Weekend fireworks, I thought about the past academic year— its achievements, its fresh new beginnings and its poignant farewells. Some of the moments and faces that came to mind included the opening of the Finger Lakes Institute, HWS being selected as one of 81 “Colleges with a Conscience” by Princeton Review, graduating the first class of the Master’s of Arts in Teaching, and saying goodbye to retiring faculty members Bill Atwell, John Burns, Mary Gerhart and Dan McGowan. I am grateful for the active involvement of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and alumnae in working to implement key strategic goals and I look forward to the year ahead.</p>
<p>As you may recall, five years ago, we looked at ourselves with a critical eye and with input from many members of the HWS family, devised a strategic plan to enhance what was already a strong liberal arts institution. Through the planning process we found affirmations of areas of strength and invigorating challenges to be met.</p>
<p>The resulting strategic plan, HWS 2005, was the compass by which we directed our efforts—focusing on three categories: student engagement, academic engagement and fiscal viability.</p>
<p>I am proud to report that we have reached and exceeded most of the goals we set for ourselves (many of these successes have been reported in the pages of the Pulteney St. Survey). We have come much closer to fulfilling our mission of creating an even stronger student-centered learning environment that is committed to excellence, globally focused and grounded in values of service and equity.</p>
<p>So it is now time to chart the course for the next five years, HWS 2010. It will be an exciting five years that will encompass the William Smith Centennial, a major capital campaign and significant enhancements to our vibrant campus community. I look forward to this effort and the opportunity to join with alumni, alumnae, Trustees, faculty, staff and students to plan for our future.</p>
<p>The good news is that we are already off to a great start, with the plans in place for a new studio arts building which will be named for Katherine Elliott ’66 (see page two) the renovation of our admissions office, implementation of wireless technologies and other technology upgrades across the campus and the renovation of Comstock and Jackson, Potter and Reese residence halls, are among the projects underway.</p>
<p>I am confident that the members of the Classes of 2005 who graduated in May with their undergraduate degrees and the first class of Hobart and William Smith Master’s of Arts in Teaching graduates are well-prepared for the world ahead of them. Thanks to a committed faculty, they have a broad liberal arts background to navigate this century of change. Thanks to our dedicated staff, they have lived in a community that prizes service, citizenship and teamwork. And thanks to our alumni and alumnae base of support, they were sustained in their efforts in the classroom and outside the classroom.</p>
<p>With every best wish, I am,</p>
<p>Mark D. Gearan
President</p>
<p>2010 strategic plan</p>
<p>The goals of the strategic plan HWS2010 can be categorized under four headings. Each of the aspirations detailed on the campaign web site pages relate to one or more of these strategic goals:</p>
<p>Quality
We will be known for the quality of our students, faculty, staff, and graduates. We will be recognized for the quality of our curriculum—its relevance in preparing citizens for the modern world. And we will be known for our place—a beautiful campus at the side of a lake, with modern facilities to support a residential liberal arts education.</p>
<p>Access
We will seek to offer our distinctive education to young men and women from any background based on their promise to achieve rather than their ability to pay.</p>
<p>Community
In our dealings with one another on campus and in our relationship to the world beyond, we will model involved, compassionate, and effective citizenship.</p>
<p>Tools for the 21st Century
By providing our students with the tools that will enable them to develop their intellect and grow as creative, critical thinkers, we will equip them to lead examined, productive lives, whatever course they choose.</p>
<p>On September 21, 2006, Hobart and William Smith launched the public phase of the most ambitious fundraising effort in our history—Campaign for the Colleges. This $160 million capital campaign will build upon the extraordinary accomplishments we have made over the past five years, many of which responded to needs and opportunities identified in our strategic plan HWS2005, to secure the Colleges’ gains and ensure Hobart and William Smith a place among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions.</p>
<p>Our objectives for this campaign, which you will find outlined in the pages of this campaign web site, will enable us to achieve the ambitious goals shaped by our new strategic plan, HWS2010. At its core, this plan underwrites the quality of the academic experience by providing students and faculty with programs and facilities on a par with the best to be found anywhere.</p>
<p>"When I checked the HWS strateginc plan, one of the goals for the upcoming year was to shake off its image as a safe-haven for the bottom 1/3 of every prep school class."</p>
<p>Another urban legend...no college would have this in a strategic plan.</p>
<p>In September 2006, Hobart and William Smith Colleges embarked on the most ambitious capital campaign of our history. At the national kick-off party for Campaign for the Colleges at Lincoln Center, President Mark Gearan announced, “With both gratitude and inspiration from the past, we have set an ambitious agenda for the future.” He stated the Campaign charge: “To move these Colleges so that future generations will have the benefit of a world class education; this is our moment.”</p>
<p>Campaign for the Colleges supports the Colleges’ strategic plan HWS 2010. The Campaign seeks to raise a total of $160 million; $65 million is for on-campus improvements including a Performing Arts Center, the renovation of the Scandling Center and athletics facilities, preserving the legacy of the campus, and providing cutting-edge Information Technology services. Another $65 million is dedicated to the Colleges’ endowment funds to ensure scholarships and internships for students and endowed professorships for faculty members, and to secure the future of programs like global education. The Campaign also recognizes the first 100 years of William Smith College, 1908-2008, with a Centennial celebration November 7-9, 2008.</p>
<p>Last report is that they have raised $146 million of the $160 million goal.</p>
<p>September, 2006</p>
<p>At many colleges, students merely attend class, complete their assignments, receive a grade, and graduate without ever stepping foot into the community. But at liberal arts institutions like Geneva, NY-based Hobart and William Smith Colleges, founded in 1822 and 1908 respectively, students have to do more-they need to get involved in the community, whether locally or halfway across the world, to experience and gain appreciation for diversity.</p>
<p>This concept fueled the development of HWS2005, a strategic plan put into action in 2000 when Mark Gearan became president of the two interconnected colleges. The plan was developed by the board of trustees, faculty, staff, and students to achieve one main objective: engage students in and out of the classroom and enhance their educational experience to fit 21st century demands.</p>
<p>Several recommendations were made based on this goal, including constructing a new academic building with 10 classrooms and 40 faculty offices, lowering the student/faculty ratio from 13:1 to 11:1, and developing the Finger Lakes Institute, a research effort dedicated to environmental issues surrounding the Finger Lakes region.</p>
<p>HWS2005 also included heavy investments in career services to provide students with more opportunities to study and do internships abroad. HWS expanded the physical space for the center, hired a new director, and increased its alumni outreach efforts. "We have asked our alumni to network with us and provide internships and funding for endowments, and one of them has established three internships for students to spend a summer anywhere in the world," said Gearan.</p>
<p>Tools for the 21st century
With most-if not all-of HWS2005's objectives completed, the colleges have created a new strategic plan, HWS2010, which focuses on four main objectives. First, HWS is aiming to improve the quality of students, staff, and faculty. To address the quality of students, the colleges tweaked admission standards, making SAT scores optional for the first time and taking a closer look at each student's past curriculum and extracurricular activities. HWS, Gearan said, is small enough that the admissions department is able to carefully review the 3,500 applications that come in each year.</p>
<p>So far, this strategy has worked. This year, HWS received applications from 48 states and received more early decision applications this year than it has seen in its more than 180-year history. Gearan added that 41% of the incoming class graduated in the top 10% of their high school class. "Seven years ago, it was 20%," he said.</p>
<p>When recruiting faculty members, HWS looks for a variety of characteristics, the three most important being educational engagement with students, involvement with the community, and their scholarship. But the colleges had gotten slightly behind in competitive salaries, so they revised their compensation packages to stay ahead of the game. "We know we are not losing out on quality faculty and staff based on compensation," said Gearan.</p>
<p>The second objective of HWS2010 is to create greater access to a quality education based on students' skills and talents rather than their ability to pay. For HWS, that means building an endowment to provide students with scholarship assistance that they can easily take advantage of. As of May 2006, 72.6% of students received some kind of financial assistance. The average grant offered was around $20,629 (the average institutional grant was slightly less at around $18,388). Today the endowment stands at $156 million. This fall, the colleges will increase the endowment by launching a $160 million capital campaign, of which it has already raised about $90 million.</p>
<p>Community is HWS2010's third objective. "Basically, we asked ourselves, 'How do we build a sense of community on campus, in Geneva, and the world beyond?'" Gearan said. The second day on campus, the entire freshman class participates in a day of service to learn the importance of community involvement. They go out into the community in teams to paint a park, clean up a cemetery, or any number of other community service-oriented activities. "It's a great way to introduce them to the community and say, 'You are a citizen of Geneva now. Part of the notion of 21st century citizenship is giving back, and we are all in this together.' This is the message they get from the very beginning."</p>
<p>In terms of the worldwide community, HWS has about 40 off-campus programs in countries such as Ecuador, Vietnam, South Africa, and Australia, allowing the majority of students to study abroad for at least one semester. The college's study abroad programs tie closely into the HWS2010's fourth objective, which is tools for the 21st century.</p>
<p>"An understanding of the global economy and other cultures is a powerful tool for students to possess going into the 21st century. As a teaching institution, we place a priority on global education so our students learn the importance of diversity. It is threaded through the curriculum in terms of communication skills, appreciation for the arts, and a broad liberal arts education," said the president.</p>
<p>Technology, of course, is another powerful tool students cannot be without this day and age, which is why HWS has invested several million dollars into making the campus wireless and secure, increasing network bandwidth, and providing training for faculty and staff on computer uses. Students have access to about 100 Windows-based PCs, 21 iMacs, and 26 technology-rich classrooms, but there is more to come. Technology is the single fastest growing item on the college's budget, said Gearan.</p>
<p>Students aren't the only ones benefiting from a technology upgrade, however. The college has made the commitment to install an enterprise network system to tie together previously-siloed departmental networks. Now, faculty and staff will be able to access a continuum of information, from admissions to alumni records.</p>
<p>"Clearly no tool is more important to students today than modern computers and high-speed Internet access. Information gathering and processing has been transformed. Literacy in this age means knowing technology and being able to adapt to constant change. To be truly prepared, we have to keep pace with all these rapid advances," Gearan concluded.</p>
<p>Foolishpleasure, finally getting back to answer your question. Please keep in mind two caveats: 1) our perceptions are based on two local meetings with the adrep, and two day visits plus one overnight, hardly vast experience; and 2) as midwesterners, the whole notion of "preppiness" is fairly foreign. Even after being on CC since 2004, I'm still not sure what it really means! I'll just share my daughter's experience/viewpoint (and mine), and let you take it from there.</p>
<p>My daughter first met the adrep at one of those "here I am, sitting in a hotel lobby, come meet me" type of visits. They had a great visit, and he was so intrigued by her description of her high school (a public, charter performing arts school) that he made the effort to rearrange his schedule and arrange a visit to her school. While there, he met with all of the seniors as a group (her graduating class was only 50 students) and talked generally about college admissions, as well as about HWS specifically. Yes, he was a self-described "jock" at a HS with no sports (the dancers were the athletes), but he had no trouble addressing a group of very out-there artists, singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. And yes, he was in MI specifically to visit Ann Arbor high schools known to be lacrosse powerhouses, and some private schools in that area. But he did take the time to visit a small charter school that was very diverse and the epitome of "quirkiness."</p>
<p>When my daughter visited HWS, she always found the students to be quite friendly and outgoing, and she never felt self-conscious about our distinctly middle-class background. Her overnight was with a black, lesbian student from NYC, which may have contributed to her level of comfort there, since many of her HS friends were black (or lesbians) from Detroit! She was a little concerned when part of the evening was spent watching some TV show which she'd never watched because it was so awful; she was delighted to discover that the students watched just so they could keep up a running commentary about its awfulness.</p>
<p>She did ask everyone she ran into about the preppy thing and was generally assured that, yes, there were students who were either very rich or had attended private schools, but not one student that my daughter spoke with felt it was an issue. She generally felt embraced and encouraged by the students and staff, and while my daughter always looked like "the girl next door" (e.g. no piercings or goth apparel), she was quite open about her progressive, somewhat counter-culture, opinions. In addition, she felt quite comfortable with the other prospective students; contrast that with a visit to Lake Forest College, where she felt like the poor cousin who had no sense of fashion. She felt very uncomfortable with the other prospies at Lake Forest and couldn't get out of there fast enough.</p>
<p>I will always feel like HWS was the one that "got away"; if I had felt more confident about our income or HWS' willingness/ability to meet our need from year to year, I have no doubt it would have been where my daughter matriculated. But that high sticker price, along with the probable debt burden my daughter would have shouldered, made it too uncertain and untenable. That said, when my daughter mailed her "no" response, there were a few tears shed by both of us.</p>
<p>mezzomom, that must have been a hard choice to make. This is one of the fears that I have...essentially an admit/deny. I guess one really does not know what the package will be from any school, unless one is a national merit scholar, or a top student, or the merit aid is listed in black and white (ie: xyz gpa + abc SAT=y dollars). Even if that were the case at some of the high priced schools, the middle class and lower income student requires more than the 10-18k discounting programs that many private schools have in place.</p>
<p>Mezzomom, that you so much for such a detailed post. If D ultimately visits HWS, I hope she has the same hosts (hostesses) as your D -- though as you and NEmom have noted, no matter how great a school, HWS may end up being too rich for my family's blood.</p>
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HWS may end up being too rich for my family's blood.
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<p>I am feeling the same way, but my son will probably apply and then we will wait for the package. He knows that money is a big part of his decision making process.</p>
<p>Not sure if this is relavant to the conversation, but a student recently died there...autopsy results were never released, but apparently the house he was found in had had a big party the night before.</p>
<p>catalina, thanks. I was aware of that very sad situation. Does anyone know how big Greek life is at HWS?
Investigators</a> probe death of 20-year-old Hobart student | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle</p>
<p>NEMom and Foolishpleasure, I do hope your kids explore HWS a bit more. I will say that their FA package was more than fair; as I recall, $14K in scholarships, $8K in grants, subsidized Stafford and a Perkins, leaving us precisely at out EFC. Our situation though was very uncertain. My husband had/has been un- or under-employed for 6 of the past 10 years, which left us looking for more certainty than HWS could provide. We didn't know what would happen if our EFC decreased; would HWS increase the grant? Or would we be left looking at a gap in future years? We probably could have pursued these questions further with their FA office, but in the meantime, my daughter received an exceptionally generous package from her safety school which became too good to refuse. My daughter has never looked back...I'm the only one with some lingering regrets!</p>
<p>Re: partying and alcohol at HWS. I have no first or second-hand knowledge, but I do know they're considered a leader in the "social norms" approach to alcohol education. Mini, who posts here a lot about alcohol issues, has acknowledged their success with this approach, even though I don't think he necessarily agrees with it as an overall panacea for all colleges. Anyway, here's the link to the HWS student life section re: alcohol: HWS:</a> Alcohol and Other Drugs If you scroll down to the link for the Alcohol Education Project, you'll find more detail about the social norms approach.</p>
<p>mezzomom, thanks. I suspect that your D would have gotten one of their better packages because, but not limited to: geographic diversity, and your D's talent. Thank you for all of the insight.</p>
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Wonder how the winters are, lol!
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<p>Long, cold, and snowy. :) One thing that prospective applicants and their families should take into consideration is its relatively isolated location, as beautiful as it is, and how this will affect transportation issues to and from home. We know two HWS grads and that was one thing that the families complained about every winter.</p>
<p>Alwaysmom, that was always one concern I had. Because of our particular location in MI, we always drove to HWS through Canada. The drive across Canada was pretty straightforward, but I do remember one hairy winter drive in a white-out. And then crossing the bridges into the US and NY involved alert driving and a great deal of prayer; I dreaded the prospect of making those crossings in the dead of winter.</p>
<p>Geneva, I guess like any city, has some violent crime. This was in the paper today:</p>
<p>From this article:
"A Geneva man was convicted today of stabbing two high school students and was immediately sentenced to 20 years in prison."</p>