SO WHAT’S NEXT?
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FOR ONE THING, RAISING THE PROFILE OF SCIENCE.
The physical
and life sciences have always been important at Skidmore. Our storied nursing program rep-
resents one special example of this history. And today interest in the sciences is growing fast.
Close to one third of our students now major in these areas!
Moreover, fostering scientific literacyamongallofour students isessential toourproject
of developing citizenship. You simply cannot be an informed, responsible citizen in the 21st
century without understanding science. So many of the public policy issues we face today
have crucial scientific components—from climate change and energy policy, to public health
issues from HIV/AIDS to Ebola, to K–12 curricula and head injuries in sports. Responsible
public deliberations on these issues must take account of the best scientific knowledge avail-
able. And that doesn’t always happen now.
We have recruited a cadre of incredibly talented and energetic junior and senior faculty
members who are leaning into this work. They are helping our students develop a deep com-
mand of scientific knowledge. They are challenging them to think beyond the known and
connect science to public policy. And they are emphasizing the creative side of this work.
The sciences are rightly regarded as analytical and “tough-minded,” but they are also highly
creative. Einstein’s groundbreaking contributions to physics, for example, depended signifi-
cantly on his highly imaginative thought experiments.
The one piece that’s lacking at Skidmore is a facility to support our bold initiatives.
Much as the Zankel Music Center and the Tang Museum created spaces to free the imagina-
tions of both faculty members and students in the arts, we need an equally compelling space
for the sciences. The structure we’ve designed, the Center for Integrated Sciences, will be
that and much more. There, faculty members will come together in interdisciplinary groups
that model what science must become. The CIS will help Skidmore become known as the
place to do creative science that truly matters.
Another critical need is a stronger financial base. A recent study ranked Skidmore
among the top 50 colleges and universities in our commitment to students at the lowest end
of the socioeconomic spectrum. And we are justifiably proud of our record of assisting these
students and their families. But when you consider our financial resources relative to the
other schools on that list, we are very near the bottom. Our endowment, for example, is well
belowalmostallof those schoolsor, for thatmatter, the schoolsagainstwhichwebenchmark
ourselves. We have long been known for doing a lot with a little; it’s time for our resources
to better match our ambitions!
Stronger finances would position us better to plan for the future, weather economic dis-
ruptions,providenecessary financialaid,and foster innovation—whether in individualcourses
orwholeprograms.Weoftencompete successfullywith theverybestcollegesanduniversities
for students, for professors, and for staff. But we’re doing so with an endowment that is far
less than theirs, and that’s just not a sustainable strategy for the long haul.
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WHY IT MATTERS
WHY IT MATTERS
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