<p>Pres Salovey just sent a mssg to the Yale community about an amazing $250M gift from Charles B. Johnson ’54 —the largest gift in Yale’s history—to support the expansion of Yale College through the construction of two new residential colleges (eventually expanding the undergraduate numbers by about +15%). Plans for these were put on hold after the economic downturn. This jump starts it in a huge way. Completion is still years distant but at least the plans are no longer on the shelf. Yale is truly fortunate to have a benefactor like Mr. Johnson.</p>
<p>This may solve the problem of what to name one of the colleges.</p>
<p>Ooooo… that could be ugly on the intramural fields or the cross-college chanting at football games! Can you imagine? LOL</p>
<p>Perhaps they’d revel in it, sort of like “JE Sux.”</p>
<ol>
<li><p>That would be pretty sensitive. So far, none of the colleges has been named for a donor (at least not a donor during the century of the college’s construction). When Morse and Stiles were built, they obviously faced that question, and chose deliberately not to do it. Obviously Harvard made a different choice when it renamed the Radcliffe houses.</p></li>
<li><p>However, they certainly know whom to ask for IDEAS on what to name the colleges . . . .</p></li>
<li><p>Thinking about it a little more, there are some real possibilities here. An obvious college name sitting out there would be Bush College – it’s hard to beat two Presidents, and it would show a little ecumenical spirit. Could we wind up with a Bush College and a Johnson College? Sounds like a recipe for fun!</p></li>
<li><p>But chances are there will be name(s) of at least one woman and at least one non-white involved.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>JHS, you are naughty.</p>
<p>I think the expansion is a huge mistake.</p>
<p>I think Yale does a better job than Harvard does in terms of undergrad education. I think that is in part because there are fewer undergrads. Increasing the class by 15% will change that, IMO. The additional students will not be equally distributed across all majors. Instead they will cluster in the most popular majors. Poli sci and econ, for example, already have too many large classes. Those classes will probably increase in size by more than 15%. </p>
<p>In terms of dorms, too many students are “annexed” during their 4 years. Additionally, TD and Silliman students lose out on the experience of living on Old Campus. I assume that the new colleges will be 4 year housing like TD and Silliman, so that the community building of the Old Campus first year will be further weakened.</p>
<p>I know many disagree, but I think that Yale goes through with this, it will lose even more cross-admits to Harvard because H wins for prestige and Yale won for a smaller undergrad student body with a greater sense of community. Increase the class size to the same size as Harvard’s and Yale’s advantages disappear.</p>
<p>If it goes ahead, I hope they’ll use the opportunity to get rid of annexing.</p>
<p>I agree. However, if my math is right. increasing the number of colleges from 14 to 12, assuming the colleges are of average size, will increase housing by 16.X percent. So increasing the class by 15%, as a practical matter, will mean annexing will still exist.</p>
<p>If I ruled Yale…which obviously I don’t…it would build one additional residential college WITHOUT increasing class size. That WOULD end annexing.</p>
<p>I agree, jonri. Apparently, getting rid of annexing is not at all part of the expansion plan. And, I am all for expanding access considering the current status of endowment and resources, but I think you are right in that in the short run at least, it’s not necessarily a wise move for the institution. Yale college may lose its perceived advantage and it may need to further lower its admission standards for STEM candidates, a trend that will be hard to reverse (once a school is considered “second tier”, it will be very difficult to turn it around). In the long run though, having a bigger alumni body may be a good thing for many reasons.</p>
<p>Update:</p>
<p>[Colleges</a> to open in 2017 | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/10/08/colleges-to-open-in-2017/]Colleges”>Colleges to open in 2017 - Yale Daily News)</p>
<p>This means a few more spaces for those applying to Fall of 2017, I believe.</p>
<p>300 more admits, to be specific, if they as planned will increase enrollment by 15% and assuming the yield stays the same.</p>