Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
My Ricochet time is limited this week as I attend to my Trustee duties on behalf of Michigan’s Hillsdale College. I’m proud to be the Vice-Chairman of the Board, and we’re celebrating the opening of the Kirby Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington this week. If you think most colleges and universities offer courses on the Constitution, think again. Even a long-time shop teacher can use the fingers on one hand to count those that do.
There’s a delicious irony to this college’s presence in the Capital, because Hillsdale is nearly unique in its refusal to accept any financial aid from State or Federal governments. With no money there are no strings, leaving Hillsdale freer to do things like teach future leaders about the Constitution. You might think governments would welcome having one less institution to subsidize, but, in fact, many in the educational establishment look upon us with distrust. After all, who are we to think we’re more qualified to run a college than the wise folks in D.C.? Heck, what if the idea spread? What would they do with all their compliance forms? What if they had to move into the—gulp!—private sector?
Anyway, I encourage you to take a look at what Hillsdale’s up to. I’m proud to be a tiny part of what this amazing institution is accomplishing and the way in which it’s going about it. It may be a small Liberal Arts school in a small town in Michigan, but its influence can be felt nationwide. Hillsdale is one of the few things that can make me neglect my friends at Ricochet for a week.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
Pat -- My firm hosts an annual education investor conference in November in Baltimore focused on for-profit education companies, the majority of which are tax-paying colleges and universities. I realize Hillsdale does not fall into that category, but do you think an administrator might come and address the audience of investors and school operators on how exactly you can run a successful college absent any Title IV dollars?
The government is engaged in a massive re-writing of the rules for for-profit schools, effectively instituting price controls and Tom Harkin and Dick Durbin are on the warparth proposing things like restricting the amount of money for-profit schools can spend on marketing. There would be terrific interest in a speaker that could effectively articulate a third way.
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
Trace: Let me look into it and contact you off-site.
May '10
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
Thx Pat: turdan@signalhill.com
Jul '10
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
Pat, I just want to tell you 'thank-you' as a Trustee of Hillsdale because I receive their newsletter 'Imprimis' every month and I truly look forward to it. Excellent writers and subjects are covered with more thought and depth than can be acquired in most newspapers and magazines in the market. To anyone interested a copy of 'Imprimis' can be sent to you free from Hillsdale, or you can go on-line and read the latest issue featuring Stephen Hayes. Pat, keep up the good work, it really isn't overlooked.
May '10
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
Pat, re: Robb's kudos. I second that. Imprimis subscriber for, I think, over 20 years. I attended another institution that, at the time, took almost nothing in federal funds (Wheaton, IL) and there is no doubt in my mind that the freedom from intrusion is worth the extra fund raising efforts it entails. Kudos to you also for your service to the institution.
Jul '10
Re: Hillsdale College Goes to Washington
I just love Imprimis. Always excited when I see it in the mail.