Students usually spend summer vacation toiling for
tuition dollars and having fun, but returning to the nest after a year of
independence at Colby can be difficult. The student, delivered at Colby's
doorstep a scant nine months earlier, may come home with different values, a
changed appearance, new ambitions and, most certainly, a decreased dependence
on his or her parents. Mark Serdjenian '73, associate dean of students, says that despite attempts to
counsel their children from home through phone calls and e-mail messages,
parents may have less influence than ever before.
Parents' Advocate
Scott and Jean Peterson, parents of Hilary '97, of Middlebury, Conn.,
will serve as chairs of the Executive Committee of the Parents Association for
1996-97.
A Great Begining
The Class of 1996's commencement ceremony on May 26 marked the 175th
time that Colby has granted bachelor's degrees to a graduating class. On this
anniversary year it seems appropriate to remember the College's original
commencement, held in August 1822, when Colby was known as Waterville
College.
Returning Colby students will pay 4.7 percent more to attend next year, the smallest tuition increase in 21 years. President Bill Cotter explained the increase in a letter to students and parents, noting that although the full cost of attending Colby will go up, the comprehensive fee of $27,900 still does not cover the expense of educating a student.
Although Colby's tuition increase is 2 percent higher than the national rate
of inflation, Cotter points out that most costs associated with higher
education rise faster than the general inflation rate. For example, he said,
faculty compensation--about 45 percent of the College's total budget--generally
rises 2 to 3 percent above inflation each year. These increases are necessary
to maintain Colby's position as a leading competitor for the nation's best
teaching talent, Cotter said. Costs for computer equipment, library
acquisitions and, most notably, financial aid all increased at rates well above
inflation, Cotter said. Colby has reduced its expenses in some areas by increasing efficiency and
restraining staff growth. The size of both the faculty and administration are
frozen and all future growth will be through substitution. The College has
worked hard to keep costs down "while still providing (and expanding) the kinds
of facilities, programs and quality of instruction that caused you to choose
Colby in the first place," Cotter said in his letter.
Contents | Letter to Editor | Mule Train | Search