Page 72 - TheGoldBug1969-70

page 2 ' gold bug march 2, 1970 The future of the small private college: An interview with Dr. Shook, Dean Mowbray and Mr. Uhri! Goldbug - The cost of higher education is rtstng and this fund. You think of a school like. Harvard, Yale, some of of the members be Methodist. There was very little rise will probably continue; tbe steady increases In the women's colleges and I can't name them all, thats t opposition to it. In fact, I remember Bishop Straugn tuttton here at Western Maryland are an example. Con- Why I've got them~. it w1Ugive you" some good getting up and being very strong for this idea and I think stdertng this rise, what is the future of the small liberal backgr'ourld, But we-do have monies that are designated, this Is a logical concluslon--that U something like this arts college that hopes to remain privately endowed? that t sfbe college has some philanthropy designated to which was put Into a constitution a hundred years ago, Dr. Shook - From the standpoint of admissions, as the the endowment fund. Not to the current operating, not is going to not be relative to today, why continue it? cost of higher education goes up unless private colleges to the plant fund, but to the endowment and I think this can. find adequate supplies, sources for donations, gUts, is an Interesting aspect of it because people feel there Goldbug - Is there any limit to the number of faculty mem- things of this type, it means that in the future the per- is a permancy to this. You see the general endowment, bers that have to be Methodists? centage of the total cost which Is covered by ~u1tion the principal, can not be meddled with. And in turn, it Dean Mowbray - No, none what so ever. char~es will have to increase. Its been well known that will increase, now of course, depending upon the mar- Goldbug - Does the school have any obUgations to the students normally only pay a fraction of the cost to ket. Sometimes you can have a higher endowment prin- Methodist Church? educate them, but in the future, unless something Is done cipal and less yield than say the year before when the Uhrig - No. I don'tthlnktheyhaveany obligations because to change this present picture, it would look like the market yield was a little better. But the other endow- the Church has never asked them to do any thing. You tuiuon charges will have to cover a greater portion of ment I think, they would have to speak to endowed schol- might put it on the other side that the coUege might this total cost. Now from the standpoint of admissions, arships and things likl! that. Which I know very little feel they have an obligation because ofwhat laymen and one solution to the problem would be to try to attract about. the Church itself-the conference, has done economically students from higher Income families. I think Western Mowbray - Mr. Schaeffer knows more clearly, but Lttunk for the college. But I don't think that the Methodist Maryland coulddo ttus ; I thinkwe have attractive powers I that to mention to him that when he says 66%, cover- Church itself feels that the college has an obligation to draw students from higher Income families if this is ed by tuition this is assuming the student Is paying per se, viewed as a desirable thing. I thinkwe could still main- everything himself. Which not too many students on this Goldbug - Obligation in the legal sense. tain relatively high standards If we did this, but on the Mowbray - In the legal sense, I would agree, there Is no campus are doing, by the way. other hand, it may very much change the type of student Mowbray - Mr. Shook would know no better than 1, but obligation in the legal sense. I think that we have an that we're bringing on the campus. Right now, I think you'll find a sizable % of our students receive some obligation to anyone who is supporting the college, in- we draw a type of student that seeks an education, is sort of help, particularly in terms of either scholar- cluding the alumni and the church, to provide the best willing to hold jobs, Is willing to borrow money, willing ships, work, job or something.Very few really pay the education and I think we owe that; again, it depends on to do many things to get that education. I think If you full ride. Which would reduce the figure significantly what you mean by obligation. started drawing from strictly high Income families, you if the question was one designed "How much is the Dr. Shook - I might also comment from the standpoint of may find a very different tone on the campus. student actually givinghimseiftopayfor his education." college admissions. I believe that there are ties with the Goldbug- What percentage of our cost per student Is cover- Dr. Shook - Well, the tuition figure is listed here at 66.7%. college; you naturally try to show some favoritism If its ed by tuition now? Mr. Mowbray's just clarified that. Then from state within reason. If you have children of graduates of the Dr. Shook - If I can refer to a statement made by Mr. funds, including scholarships only, the figure is list- college and they're boder line decisions you tend to give Shaeffer .ccncerning how the school Is supported, he ed as 12.3%J think that Is a very significant figure by them the benefit of the doubt. If you had someone with has down here that tuition charges cover 66.7%. the way, it points out that we do have many many state very close ties with the college perhaps through the Mr. Uhrig - I believe that Mr. Shaeffer's figures which scholarships being used at Western Maryland, and we Methodist Church, in some way, this could conceivably Dr. Shook has just given, are accurate because it is this should not overlook the importance of state scholar- influence an admissions committee. It would be much type of Inforjnation that wa use when we go to our alumni ship programs. By far, the largest source of these come more difficult to do this year because we have a nine for annual giving. The main pitch being, the students even from the state of Maryland, but we also have state member admissions committee which is the largest the full paying tuition student, is paying about two thirds scholarships coming from the state of New Jersey and committee I have ever heard of or admissions. So when of what it actually costs the college to educate him. you get more people Involved in the decision making also Pennsylvania. Well, the next category; Federal funds, Mr. Shaeffer does not have any percentage figure process, I think It takes more to influence nine people Goldbug - Does western Maryland plan to remain a private listed here, he just clarifies that this refers to loans, But 1 would like to look upon this In this way, I would Institution? grants tor student aid, and a few small research grants. say, I think we have some obligation to the Methodist Mr. Mowbray- To the best of my knowledge it does. And then under the category of "other", the figure is Church; I think we are fulfilling this obligation without Mr. Shook - Yes, no question about that. llsted as 8.8%. being braseo in any way. Every year, without making a Mr. Uhrig - In fact, 1 think you can support this in many count In advance, without having quota systems, we end ways. Western Maryland belongs to an association of Goldbug - Will the school continue lis relationship with up with roughly thirty-five or forty per cent of our stu- independent colleges in the state. Not all the Independ-] the church? dents being methodists. And it is interesting that It ent- colleges are in this, but those who are approach Mowbray - I'd say yes, very definitely, the school will comes out at about this level without us tyring in any business and Industry for financial support on two or continue its relationship with the Church. Andof course, way to control It. So, the Methodist Church would have three sound, solid things. One of them is that It Is the question depends on the relationship. I'd say the to look upon this as a great service that we are doing much cheaper, In the long run, for the taxpayer to .gIve relationship has changed over the years. for Methodist young people. Andyetwe'redolnglt with- money to private education because private education Goldbug Well, the Chur-ch has changed too, so .• out being biased. This is the nice thing. We don't have has to build the buUdJngs, keep the racntttes up, put the Mowbray - Yes. And again, I would emphasize that the to lower standards for Methodist young people to accept faculty In the buildings, etc. The state colleges build Church and the school are related, there Is no control them. We're getting this percentage strictly by acting the building on tax money and the tax money continues by the Church on this institution. His simply a heritage on applications as they come In.Ftr-st corne ttrdt serve. to keep the faculty in it, paint it, pay for the bills and and background and a general relationship with the There are some Methodist Institutions not too many all. So this is just one of the many reasons, plus our Church and we do receive some funds, as indicated years ago that were down to about five per cent of their heritage and our alumni, why we will stay private. earlier, from the Church. Now though the percentage student population was Methodist. Nowthey had to figure is low, we'd have aheckofa time operating this college out ways to actively recruit Methodist, so that they Goldbug - How Is the college suppor-ted and tc what degree Goldbug - That's a good point. could justify their relationship. We have never had to by the following units--the Church, Alumni, Endown- Goldbug - And I think there is a point that you might make do this and Pm gl ad to say that I think we're serving the ments, Tuition, state Funds, Federal Funds, and other. here. American University, which is aChurchrelated .. Methodist Church, in a sense, without being biased In Dr. Shook- This is Mr. Schaeffer's report and he gave it Mowbray - Church owned. anyway. to me, and I assume its to be related to you. Uhrig - Not owned. Mowbray - I think we have another possible obligation Goldbug - Fine. Mowbray - They are operated by the Church, unlike us. here. This is one that is difficult for me to answer, I Dr. Shook - I can't believe he would have given me this Uhrig - Well, I think maybe this is the polnt I want to think that Dr. Ensor is the one that has to answer this not to relate to you. But you can check these figures make. Their funds come from the general conference, but, I think he would feel that we have an obligation to out. The breakdown as he has it here Is -- Church 2.4%, and the funds that come from the Methodist Church provide some spiritual center on this campus, not Alumni 3.3%, Endowments 6.5%. necessarily almed at Methodism. And I think that this from our school are from the Baltimore conference. Do any come from the Peninsular Conference? would be something this kind of college would develop Goldbug - What really Is an endowment? 1 really don't Mowbray - No, its just from Baltimore. that you might not find at a state school, although you understand that. Goldbug - OK, well we can move Into our next question do find it at most state schools now. This might be part Mr. Uhrig - What you consider our general endowment and that is how will this Church affiliation affect funds our heritage. Is made up of funds whichthecoUegehas acquired over from Federal and State educational endowment pro- Goldbug - Many perspective students find that they are the years. This Is Invested, primarily ina lump sum. grams? And we can answer the next one too. Has any unable to pay for education at private Institutions. This The endowment of the college now Is about, well with action been planned to alleviate the conditions which con- is a problem for school as well as student because It the market the way It Is, I don't know, but the last I tributed to our losing the court case? limits the field of choice for both. HowIs WMC approach- heard it was around three mlillon, something like that, Uhrig I believe tha,t there were enough people at the ing this problem? that's probably pretty close. These funds are Invested board of trustees meeting, both trustees, and alumni Mowbray - r think Dr. Shook can cover one of the major by thef1nancecommitteeoftheboardoftrustees, a most vrsttcrs to the board of trustees, who incidentally are parts, in tenus of financial aid, but let me say this. active committee, whose chan-man and assistant chair- not trustees, they are invltedby,theyareelected by the Certainly one way we have attempted to do this, and the man keep a look at the portfolio all the time. This Is alumni and they are Invited by the trustless- they have President has felt very keenly on this, is to keep the Mr. Lloyd Fisher of Baker Watts who Is the head of a voice but no vote. But therewereenought people there cost down. And in spite of the rising costs we are still Baker watts, a brokerage firm in Baltimore. And from who know that the primary ordinances were changed. significantly lower than most college that we'd be com- this a certain percentage of Income which is interest on Now remember, there are ... pared to. those bonds, COrnman stocks, there Is a oarance cr tms' Goldbug - 1 think we should explain primary ordinances. Mowbray ~ This has been a difficult problem, by keeping that Is derived. Now that Is one, that's the general en- Uhrig - The primary ordinances refers to the charter of our costs down it means we cannot do some thIngs that dowment. the college, Its the constitution, Its the primary objec- students would like us to do. And the choice has got to Mowbray - We don't spend any of that, by the way, We tives for what the college Is and why it is and who Its come. If we're going to do the things the students want spend the Interest sometimes but not the principal. run by. Following the Horace Mann decision the primary us to do, it means we are going to have to increase costs, Uhrtg - The prtnetpaj is the-gener-al endowment. The ordinances were changed. I thinkitwaswonderfuJthing. if we increase the cost we're goIng to price the very interest acrulng every year, you see, Is what is spent. Remember, there were and still are, a third of the board students who want it right out of this college. And Beyond this interest acrutng annually from the general Methodist ministers, and many Methodist laymen. Now, we're going to take a student group they, with a family endowment, and understand that there are gUts from there was discussion In the meeting when they decided income of 25 or 30 thousand dollars a year. And that alumni and rrtends orthe college, almost annually, which to amend the primary ordinances to remove this section Is really going to change the type of student on this are poured in, let's say, trickle in to the endowment which made It mandatory that one more than one third (continued on page 3)