<p>At the Smith Women's Global Leadership Conference this weekend, President Carol Christ announced a $450 million campaign called "Women for the World: the Campaign for Smith." Check out this very exciting development.</p>
<p>Smith</a> College: Women's Global Leadership Celebration</p>
<p>I agree there’s a need for more women leaders “who want to make the world better.” However, some may find it perplexing that Smith’s fundraising letter insinuates that it’s necessary to raise close to a half-billion dollars to recruit and financially assist women from abroad to help “fill that need.” Apparently there’s a dearth of American women who are capable of achieving Smith’s mission. ;)</p>
<p>I agree the wording is a bit confusing, but it seems that Smith clarified over the weekend that the campaign is not just for non-American women, but ALL women.</p>
<p>Carolyn,</p>
<p>Some time ago, I posted that Smith was very quietly raising funds dedicated to international recruitment. From the conception, the primary reason for the Women for the World initiative was to increase international financial aid and enrollment. It still is.</p>
<p>Please don’t shoot the messenger. :)</p>
<p>What is wrong with Smith ensuring that they have the funds to accept the women they want to accept from anywhere in the world? That is valuing all women and empowering Smith to accept anyone they believe can contribute to the Smith community (and benefit from a Smith education). Smith is committed to a diverse student body because of the value of being educated within a diverse student community. I only see this as good. All top institutions strive for this diversity.</p>
<p>Smith financially assists American women year after year. I love that they have the endowment to be able to do this and the campaign will only increase Smith’s ability to educate worthy women, no matter the passport. Smith changes lives.</p>
<p>Most “capital campaigns” begin with a huge percentage of the goal banked. I wonder what percentage this happens to be out of the $450 million? Further, I would be curious to know what percentage has been raised so far from foreign resources. (?). </p>
<p>I am in total synergy with the above goal ^^^^ " funds to accept women … from anywhere in the world… to attend Smith College. This is great!</p>
<p>Again, the issue in this thread seems to be just where is the money coming from. (?) This is a fair question in my opinion. Thoughts ?</p>
<p>.02</p>
<p>David</p>
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<p>Nothing. Smith is a private institution and as such is free to raise capital for any purpose they deem appropriate and that will help advance the mission of the college. The administration is also free to allocate financial aid to whomever they choose.</p>
<p>Financial contributors can also allocate their donation in a manner that they believe will best serve the Smith community. Donors have the option of designating their financial gift(s) as restricted or unrestricted.</p>
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<p>Indeed, and striving for diversity is admirable. Smith currently has a greater percentage of international students than Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Tufts, UChicago, Duke, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby, Hamilton, Colgate, Pomona, Vassar, Barnard, Wellesley…</p>
<p>Smith’s challenge is to establish the optimal percentage of international enrollment that will enhance a Smith education without having a deleterious effect on the substantial and rapidly increasing financial aid needs of US women and families. International versus domestic financial aid is a zero-sum game.</p>