President Bacow expressed his desire for the $1.2 billion Capital Campaign. titled "Beyond Boundaries" to allow Tufts to "more profoundly influence the world." When paired with the great strides the university has made in centering Tufts' focus on creating new leaders for an international world, we couldn't be more pleased with the plans for the money. We're excited about the ambition of the plan and the priorities for the money, and we hope that concerns about left-out needs will be addressed.
Reading through the goals for the campaign, priorities for advancing the university are in the right place. Building for the future, ensuring top-notch faculty and solidifying a need-blind undergraduate admission policy are the three most important needs for Tufts' future. Addressing them head-on is the right thing to do.
Also, the ambition of the campaign shows the robust fundraising potential of the Tufts community. President Bacow and his fundraising efforts deserve much credit for making $1.2 billion a realistic goal for the campaign. By relying on large donors, small donors, alumni and parents for contributions, the campaign has the added benefit of creating a generational investment in the university that creates a greater sense of Tufts community for future donors.
We're especially happy to note the successful completion of this fundraising goal will put Tufts on an equal playing field with all the schools some Tufts students not-so-quietly envy. As every student knows, money talks in academia. With the resources to compete for top students and top faculty, we hope that all the talk and cynical envy of other institutions will come to an end, and the entire Tufts community can be proud of the opportunities this institution provides.
But with all the talk about the future, we're most excited about the nuts-and-bolts issues the Capital Campaign will finally address. Most importantly, the move to need-blind admissions will have the extremely needed affect of bringing more income diversity to the Hill. For all its "viewbook diversity," Tufts lacks in genuine economic diversity. By addressing this glaring need, Tufts can expand its search for students to areas that look less like Westchester County and add some genuine economic and consequently social diversity to the campus.
Outside of Bendeston Hall, cooperation amongst the different colleges and the rise in the number of endowed professorships will be positive elements of the university's future. By addressing these priorities from the top, the administration avoids the piecemeal and ad-hoc needs that do not build towards the greater vision of the university.
With all the good these big and small checks will bring to each Tufts campus, we hope that the administration will continue to listen to student concerns about how to differentiate Tufts from other universities and create a unique college experience for current and future Jumbos. Now that we (almost) have the money, let's make sure every dime is spent correctly.
For a campaign that aims "beyond boundaries," we're pleased to know that the sky is the limit for fundraising and for the future. In a world swirling with fear, it's a pleasant departure to have the ability to dream about a bright future for Tufts and beyond.