The prestigious Swarthmore College is planning to begin
work constructing the largest building on its campus this summer, a project
that continues the institution's drive to connect disciplines and coincides
with a $450 million capital campaign.
The future home of the biology, engineering and
psychology departments, the building will be at least 158,000 square feet,
according to the college.
"For the future of so many science disciplines, it
involves interdisciplinary learning and research," Swarthmore College
President Valerie Smith told the Philadelphia Business Journal in an exclusive
interview. "It will foster more collaborative research opportunities for
faculty, and for faculty and students."
The largest building on campus right now is Parrish Hall,
which is 127,000 square feet.
Demoliton of Papazian Hall, set to occur in June, will be
the first step in constructing the new "BEP" building, which is
expected to be completed in three years.
An interdisciplinary degree is not available, although
Smith said, "We're not ruling anything out." Swarthmore has
previously touted the diverse education its engineering students receive
through the school's liberal arts courses.
A second major construction project, the renovation of
Sproul Observatory, will also get underway this summer.
The overhaul will transform the Observatory into James
Hormel and Michael Nguyen Intercultural Center at Sproul Hall, which will bring
the Intercultural Center; Interfaith Center, Religious and Spiritual Life
Office; and the Office of International Student Services under one roof.
About $150 million of the $450 million capital campaign
is earmarked for the "re-imagining" of the suburban college's campus
– one of four focuses of the campaign. The remainder of the funds, which the
school hopes to generate between now and June 30, 2020 when the campaign
closes, will be split among three other aims:
·
$100 million towards connecting various
disciplines
·
$130 million towards building of an inclusive
community.
·
$100 million will be dedicated to financial aid.
·
$70 million towards enhancing the school's
social impact.
"All four of these categories really support the
core mission of the College," Smith said.
By raising funds for its financial aid program,
Swarthmore is demonstrating its commitment to its "loan-free" policy.
About 10 years ago, Swarthmore went
"loan-free," which means loans were no longer a part of need-based
awards, explained Jim Bock, the vice president and dean of admissions at
Swarthmore.
"When we moved to loan-free, we replaced that
expectation with more grant aid," he said. Some enrolled students may
still take out loans to cover the cost of their education, but any
"need" determined by the financial aid department will not have loans
as a component.
An upswing in applications at Swarthmore followed the
establishment of its "loan-free" policy. In 2007, the school received
5,240 applicants, while the most recent admissions cycle drew 9,380 applicants,
he said, and with need blind admissions, the college has seen an increase in
the number of students with need-based aid.
Smith said providing the scholarship is not always enough
for financially strapped students. "There are hidden costs of higher
education," she said, ticking off several examples like an unexpected
medical emergency, or more commonly, a desire to take an unpaid internship but
unable to come up with the dollars needed for living expenses.
"When you are need blind, how do you predict
that?," asked Bock, who said he believes many alumni who benefited from
Swarthmore's financial aid, like himself, will be inspired to donate to the
campaign.
"It was actually less expensive for me to come to
Swarthmore than a college in Texas because of the need based program,"
said Bock, a native of the Lone Star state. "It was less expensive for me
to travel 1,600 miles for a college education, so I am forever grateful."
Both Bock and Smith assured that Swarthmore is in great
shape to handle the financial needs of its current and incoming students but
said this will safeguard the school's loan-free policy for years to come.
"Precisely because of the success of our outreach
and the generosity of our program we need to raise more money to support this
commitment," Smith said.
The inclusivity Swarthmore hopes to maintain and improve
within its student body, is also part of its mission in integrating
disciplines.
"We hope to be able to raise funds in that category
to support new faculty lines, especially in some areas of interdisciplinary
study," Smith said. "We can expand the reach of traditional
disciplines and also connect the teacher and scholarship that goes on on-campus
to the world beyond."
The capital campaign, known as "Changing Lives, Changing
the World," will obviously bring changes to Swarthmore's campus, but Smith
says the school's strengths as a liberal arts institution will remain
steadfast.
"A liberal arts degree doesn’t prepare an individual
for a sole career, but virtually any of the challenges for many careers."
Source: Philadelphia
Business Journal
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