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FROMTHEBRAFFERTON The Public Ivy

n its December 2010 report, arts institutions, with the strength of Gov. McDonnell’s Commission on a research university and the heart of a Higher Education Reform, Innovation liberal arts college. and Investment recognized the Common- Third, the Ivies have relatively compact, wealth’s “commitment to having a distinc- often beautiful campuses, developing a tive public ivy at William & Mary.” Let me strong sense of community. William & say why I believe William & Mary is the Mary’s undergraduate student body of “public ivy” and why sustaining the 6,000 fits this model. We celebrate our College’s extraordinary place in higher human scale. The beauty of our campus education matters. and the quality of our residential Richard Moll’s 1985 book The Public Ivys: experience have few peers. A Guide to America’s Best Public Under- Fourth, the Ivies attract exceptionally graduate Colleges and Universities used the strong students. William & Mary is highly term to emphasize inexpensive quality. selective, and our undergraduates earn That’s important, but there is more to being their degrees at a rate among the best in “a public ivy” than “inexpensive quality.” the country (90%). prominence abroad. We take pride in our No doubt William & Mary stands among Fifth, the Ivies place much more national and international students who the very best public universities in the emphasis on teaching undergraduates than add great diversity and talent to our country. A cold and suspicious eye must be is customary in research universities. They student body. Our alumni giving cast on all rankings, flawed as they are, but have low student-faculty ratios that allow percentages are among the very highest regardless of the ranking and the criteria them to keep class sizes small and offer for a , though not yet at used, William & Mary does well. opportunities for truly engaged learning. private ivy levels. In addition to compelling quality, what William & Mary has the lowest student- With this constellation of characteristics, are the other dimensions of being “ivy”? faculty ratio of any public university, and William & Mary is the quintessential public And why are these dimensions so useful in almost half our classes have fewer than 20 ivy. This high station is well worth describing William & Mary? students. To a remarkable degree our preserving for the good of the Tribe, for the First, Ivies have long distinguished undergraduates pursue real research with great benefits that flow to the Common- histories, most reaching back well into their professors. wealth, and for the importance to higher the Colonial Era. Their graduates played Sixth, the ivy tradition, embodied in the education of having a school like W&M large roles in our Revolutionary and Early itself, celebrates athletics but among the publics. National Eras, in establishing our funda- not at the cost of academic excellence. Those of us at William & Mary are the mental national principles, and in building There are no easy tracks in the inheritors of a magnificent tradition, honed the architecture of our institutions. The curriculum. Athletes have to meet the to contemporary excellence over three Ivies have sustained their excellence over same academic requirements as everyone centuries. This inheritance does not come the centuries, providing a large share of else, and graduation rates for varsity free. We have to earn it every day. our national leaders including many athletes are comparable to those for the presidents. William & Mary, the alma student body as a whole. Again, William & mater of the nation, stands in the Mary fits seamlessly in this tradition. forefront of this league. Seventh, Ivies have strong national Second, the Ivies have an abiding brands and international reputations. commitment to the liberal arts. William & They inspire robust alumni support. We W. Taylor Reveley III Mary is one of the world’s great liberal have a strong national brand, and growing President, College of William & Mary TOP PHOTO: STEVEN BIVER

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