By Cynthia Tufaro
Opinion Columnist

Bates students aren’t happy right now. They aren’t happy that we still don’t have electronic access more than two years after a murder and rape on this campus. They aren’t happy that Bates’ reputation has suffered with the arrest and conviction of former Professor Linda Williams. And they really aren’t happy that tuition is so damn high.

The campus environment is tense. This is reflected on the forum of the Bates Daily Jolt, where there are frequent attacks on everything from President Hansen to the extremely liberal direction that Bates is following. Not only are students dissatisfied with Bates, alumni are growing increasingly critical. Bates, more so than any NESCAC school, is in a tough position with such an anemic endowment. No longer need-blind in admissions, the dynamic of the student body has shifted. It boils down to pure numbers. How can Bates survive in the business of liberal arts colleges?

Overwhelmingly, alumni reflect fondly on their experiences at Bates College. One alum, Douglas Dobson, a graduate of the class of 1964, active in student council, sports, and theater, said that “Bates was the most positive experience of my life.” He went on to get his Masters and Ph.D. in economics and settled in Washington, D.C., just recently becoming a partner at Bates White after working as the Former Assistant Director in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Economics. However, despite his success, which he attributes to the education and environment at Bates College, he has contributed infrequently. Ironically, it was the push for global consciousness at Bates that influenced his decision to prioritize certain charities above alumni donations.

When I told him that Bates was in a financial crisis, he was surprised. Although the shrinking endowments of liberal arts colleges is highly publicized, alumni are not informed to the various ways in which this affects the students. Bates, according to President Hansen, is falling behind in its “salaries of monetary support for faculty.” In addition, Bates will have to make huge cut-backs on its financial aid packages, which will severely limit the diversity of the College. Although of lesser consequence, Bates lacks a modern and sufficient gym, its housing is out-of-date, and we still don’t have an electronic access system, which is the norm on other college campuses.

I can’t help but be bitter that my siblings, who all went to private colleges and paid comparable tuitions, attended schools where they had more than one dining option, multiple student centers, and were given the flexibility of housing and meal plans that Bates can’t afford to give its students. While Bates prides itself on successful fundraising through parents of current students, they shouldn’t. Why should my parents, in addition to the $40,000 a year they spend on my tuition, donate money to a school not even their own? It should be the burden of the alumni, not our parents.

Maybe if the College would own up to its financial burdens, alumni would recognize the necessity of donations, small or large. By concealing the problem, Bates is creating distrust between the students and the administration. Tell us, for instance, that you are taking out our stoves and ovens because the College can’t afford to pay the liability insurance. Make us understand so that we don’t leave Bates angry, dissatisfied, and resolved not to give after we graduate. It’s going to have to be give and take from here on out. Even if we could increase alumni participation, their relatively low average income (less than half of Harvard’s) means that Bates will never be able to match the large donations that a school like Harvard receives on a frequent basis. So what is Bates going to do? Aside from skyrocketing tuition, Bates is going to have to admit fewer students requiring financial need. It’s a nasty business, but all colleges are facing the same decisions. One student on the Daily Jolt wrote what no college wants to admit, but is an unfortunate reality: The College is a business first and foremost. They’re looking for students whose parents can write the tuition check and not bat an eyelash.

No one can say for sure if this is practiced, but many upperclassmen have remarked on the changing character of incoming freshman classes, and, more flippantly, the cars seen on this campus.

Another reason some alumni refuse to give? Many believe that Bates has become far too liberal. There are many instances they can cite, including Bates’ wishy-washy position regarding Linda Williams, a professor sentenced to prison for selling cocaine or the 2002 commencement speaker who referred to those who oppose human cloning as “religious zealots.” Multiple college guides have remarked on the overwhelming politically-left faculty and departments. More recently, Bates received another blow, when an e-mail from an employee at the Bates Media Relations went into the wrong hands. He described the College Republicans as a “bunch of thugs” and implied that his own “socialist tendencies” made him reluctant to publicize the event sponsored by this conservative group. Although the “too liberal” complaint comes mostly from older alums, current students are showing consciousness of the situation, reflected in their discussions in the Daily Jolt forums. While Bates continues to strive for diversity across all boundaries, it neglects the diversity of political opinion.

And while it seems like I have discovered more problems than solutions, one thing is clear: Bates is going to have to make some compromises in order to sustain itself.

The needs of alumni, students, and Bates employees are equally important, as we all have vested interests in the future of this school. Bates continues to produce intelligent and thoughtful young men and women despite financial limitations, and as long as they continue to do this, they are providing a service to all those that benefit from the contributions of Bates alums. It’s time we stop taking advantage of this invaluable service and start showing our gratitude.





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