Bloomberg's Billions And Real College Access
Responding to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's $1.8 billion gift to his alma mater Johns Hopkins University, President Mariko Silver writes in her Forbes column about college access, championing access to more kinds of schools for more kinds of students.
"Our society needs this alchemy, the spinning of individual wealth into more broadly available opportunity for many. Philanthropy is one way to achieve it," writes Silver.
"But the dazzling size of these numbers can obscure a broader lesson here: that access to college for kids who would not otherwise be able to attend should mean access to all types of colleges. In the vast ecosystem of higher education, there is an essential role for large schools and small, for community colleges and Ivy League schools, for technological institutes, art schools, science laboratories, and music conservatories. All students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, deserve the same right to choose the school that best suits their skills, preferences and ambitions."
The future needs big thinkers of every stripe.
President Mariko Silver