Lincoln’s Legacy Land-grant colleges and universities The How and Why of Engaging Russia Following the Leaders How Higher Education Visionaries Are Pointing Students Toward the Future Designing a School Where All Students Will be Successful Winter 2012 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 7/no. 1 Investing in Education Is Key to America’s Future Success by V artan GreG orian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York As the just-concluded Republicans and Democrats is wider than gender, age, race election season has or class divides. Indeed, a recent national poll sponsored by shown, Americans seem Carnegie Corporation of New York points out that more than to be painfully divided half of all Americans (53%) believe that substantive biparti- on many critical issues. san legislation cannot be passed in Washington today. Given Nevertheless, we all claim these facts, one must admit that any significant national to be resolutely united investment faces a hard road. in our commitment to Still, the problems we have, particularly in regard to the success of our nation higher education, are not going to go away. Access to col- and to its future. In that lege, the cost of higher education, the relevance of curricula connection, it is helpful both to real-world markets and to human aspirations are to remind ourselves that among the questions that are desperately in need of discus- our country is certainly sion but also, of answers that will actually have a positive no more divided than impact on people’s lives. Towards that end, let me suggest it was during the Civil that now that the presidential election has been decided War, and yet, it was in and President Obama and Congress go about refocusing on the midst of that great reviving our economy, putting people to work and ensuring PHOTO BY MICHAEL FALCO conflict that President our global competitiveness, a critical element of this eco- Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act of 1862, nomic agenda should focus on addressing the challenges fac- which established the land-grant colleges that now form the ing our colleges and universities, as well as the more than 21 backbone of our public university system.* Hence, the time million students who depend on these institutions to prepare has certainly come to ask ourselves if we, as a nation, can do them not only for an economically viable future but also to what did Lincoln did: see past our differences to invest in our be lifelong learners who can use their ability to seek out new future. Can we still endorse the ideal that Lincoln pointed to knowledge and employ the skills acquired from an excellent as a foundation of American democracy when he proclaimed education to adjust and readjust to changing times. in 1832—fully three decades before he signed the Morrill American history has proven that personal and public Land-Grant College Act—that, “Upon the subject of educa- investment in college and knowledge yields huge dividends. tion…I can only say that I view it as the most important sub- Following the legislation that created land-grant colleges, ject which we, as a people, can be engaged in.” And further, Vermont’s Senator Morrill, along with his colleague from perhaps it is time that we ask ourselves if we, as a society, Indiana, Senator Daniel W. Voorhees, successfully steered can still muster Lincoln’s faith, foresight and the fiscal for- the legislation through Congress that provided the Library of titude essential to educating the citizens and leaders we will Congress with a permanent home, thus giving it a major role need to keep our nation competitive in the globalized and in the life of our nation. Further, in 1863, President Lincoln knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. In this regard, signed into being the National Academy of Sciences, to we have come to a crossroads and must decide which way “investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any we want to go. Whatever direction we take, like it or not, we subject of science or art” whenever called upon to do so by are going to be making the journey together. any department of the government. And a private citizen, I know that’s a difficult message to try to get across in the Andrew Carnegie joined with cities and towns to establish current national climate. After all, the partisan political gap over 1,600 free local libraries across the United States. (He has nearly doubled in the past 25 years. The Pew Research also created over 900 libraries in other countries.) Center recently reported that the “values gap” between (Continued on page 45) * See “Lincoln’s Legacy” in this issue of the Carnegie Reporter A version of this essay originally appeared in U.S. News and World Report, July 2, 2102. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/07/02/investing-in-ed Winter 2012 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 7/no. 1 2 2 Lincoln’s Legacy: Land-Grant Colleges and Universities 12 The How and Why of Engaging Russia 20 Following the Leaders: How Higher Education Visionaries Are Pointing Students Toward the Future 20 32 Designing a School Where All Students Will Be Successful 42 Recent Events 46 Foundation Roundup 48 What Is Conservative About Comprehensive Immigration Reform? A Special Note: Normally, this would be the Fall edition of the Carnegie Reporter but because production was 32 delayed by Hurricane Sandy, this will be the Winter 2012 issue. About This Issue As Vartan Gregorian institutions can help to enrich our national tled “Designing a School Where All Students notes in his letter, which life while also helping students to fulfill Will Be Successful.” Lincoln’s Legacy Land-grant colleges and universities The How and Why of Engaging Russia opens this issue of the their aspirations and succeed in a compet- In the international arena, some have Following the Leaders How Higher Education Visionaries Are Pointing Students Toward the Future Designing a School Where All Students Will be Successful magazine, it’s been itive global economy, great steps can be speculated that the U.S.-Russia relationship Winter 2012 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 7/no. 1 a divisive time in the taken to connect education to excellence and should no longer be considered a matter of United States, with the wide gap in many red- achievement. Carnegie Corporation created top-level concern to Americans. In “The How state/blue-state opinions on a variety of criti- the Academic Leadership Awards to invest and Why of Engaging with Russia,” Thomas cal issues not even close to being closed—or in the educational initiatives of the men and Graham, whose areas of interest include seemingly, even up for negotiation. Still, as women at the helm of America’s colleges Russian domestic politics and U.S.-Russian Gregorian suggests, there is one subject that and universities who have set their sights on relations, and who has built up a great body most everyone does agree on: education is, invigorating liberal arts education, revitaliz- of knowledge about these subjects through his was, and for the foreseeable future will be, ing curricula, and reaching for other vital edu- work both in government and at the Carnegie the engine of American progress and as such, cational goals. The outstanding work being Endowment for International Peace, has a lot it needs the attention and support of all of us. done by the twelve recipients of these awards to say about why Russia still matters. What that means in practical terms is a ques- is the subject of our story on “Following the Finally, we are pleased to publish an essay tion that’s explored in our story on “Lincoln’s Leaders: How higher education visionaries by Paul T. Mero, president of Sutherland Legacy,” which traces the development and are pointing students toward the future.” Institute, a conservative public policy think impact of land-grant colleges and universi- In the grades leading up to college, pre- tank in Utah, which asks—and answers— ties; without the bipartisan support that gave paring all students for postsecondary educa- the question, “What is Conservative About birth to and sustains these institutions, many tion and equipping them with career-ready Comprehensive Immigration Reform?” aspects of life in these United States, from the skills is at the heart of new designs for We invite you to enjoy these articles along development of agriculture to scientific break- schools that are trying to teach students to with the other features in this issue of the throughs to advances in medicine as well as both know more and do more. Rural North Carnegie Reporter. many other areas, would likely be diminished. Carolina’s Northeast Regional School of When the leaders of higher education insti- Biotechnology and Agriscience is geared up e leanor l erman, Director, Public tutions have a real vision about how their to do just that, as is detailed in the article enti- Affairs and Publications Cover photo © Corbis. In 1832—fully three decades before he signed the Morrill Land-Grant College Act—Abraham Lincoln declared, “Upon the subject of education…I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we, as a people, can be engaged in.” © FRANCIS G. MAYER/CORBIS LINCOLN’S LEGACY Land-Grant Colleges and Universities !" 150 YEARS OF INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION by abiGail Deutsch One winter day in 1914, joy over- Riverside’s unique blend of civic such schools, writes historian Allan took the town of Riverside, California. and citrus pride sprouts from an 1862 Nevins, believed that “no restrictions of “Holiday shoppers danced,” writes piece of legislation called the Morrill class, or fortune, or sex, or geographi- Kathy Barton, a present-day staff mem- Act, which created the American sys- cal position—no restrictions what- ber at the University of California, tem of land-grant colleges.