As an educator for more than 35 years, I have always had a passion for teaching and learning. I never questioned my path of attending Fordham University after graduating high school and continuing to pursue advanced degrees until I earned my Ph.D. in political science in 1985. I also never doubted my decision to become a professor and later a university president. For me, higher education was always the right fit.
However, my path was not the norm. According to American Public Media, in 1970 only 26 percent of middle-class workers had any education beyond high school. My parents wanted me to have more opportunities than they had and they viewed college as the stepping stone to that better life. They instilled in me the importance of education, especially higher education. I was fortunate to be able to follow that path and ultimately live out their ideal of the “American Dream.”
Unfortunately, today, the media regularly reports on the news that the American Dream is dead or dying on the vine. According to a study recently conducted by The Equality of Opportunity Project, “The Fading American Dream: Trends in Absolute Income Mobility Since 1940,” only 50 percent of people born in the 1980s earn more than their parents, which is a stark contrast compared to the 90 percent of children born in the 1940s. The Equality of Opportunity Project took their research a step further to determine how the American Dream can be revived for future generations and one major component in the equation is exactly what a university president already knows- college.
These findings were highlighted in the group’s most recent study, “Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility.” The study was designed to determine the mobility rates of colleges and universities across the country by analyzing data on the share of enrolled students from lower-income families and the share of students who move up in income quintiles post-graduation. The research looked at two aspects of the college timeline: access and outcomes.
While I am proud to say that in the study Saint Peter’s University stood out as a leader – ranked eighth in the nation for the highest mobility rate among 578 selective private colleges, 54th in the nation out of all 2,137 institutions, first among Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schools and second in the state of New Jersey – there is no question that enrolling large numbers of low and middle class students comes with its challenges.
According to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics' Beginning Postsecondary Study, 43 percent of low-income, first-generation students leave college without earning a degree. A number of factors contribute to this discouraging statistic. Many of these students are less likely to receive financial support from their families; they lack academic preparation for college and often have obligations beyond their education such as jobs or caring for family members. As a result of these challenges, institutions like Saint Peter's that serve high proportions of these students can often struggle with retention and graduation rates, providing adequate financial aid and heightened demands for academic support and advisement.
The American Dream is a hallmark of what our country stands for, and it is what inspired my father, grandparents and countless others to immigrate and pursue a life here. I take pride in the fact that Saint Peter's is playing a leading role in upholding it. Not only are we located in one of the most culturally and economically diverse areas in the country, but as a Jesuit institution, fostering the upward mobility of the underrepresented speaks directly to our mission. If the American Dream is to be achievable for current and future generations of vulnerable and at-risk college students, it is going to take a moral commitment and an investment from each of the other 2,137 institutions that were a part of The Economic Opportunity Project study to make a real impact.
Furthermore, this goal of preserving the American Dream for this population does not just involve the higher education system in our country; it will take a combined effort of the K-12 education system as well as the support of the local, state and federal government to prepare and assist our youth on the path to obtaining a degree. For example, high school students need greater access to college preparatory classes and their parents need education on the financial aid process. In the state of New Jersey it is critical that we continue to fund the Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program for all of our institutions so our students can select an institution that best suits their needs. On the federal level there needs to be continued support for Pell Grants, Federal Work Study, and SEOG. Higher education institutions across the country also need to have the resources in place to strengthen retention among this vulnerable population of students.
There are a number of complex factors at play when it comes to keeping the American Dream alive. The pursuit of this Dream, however imperfectly realized it may be at times, has nonetheless been the engine of wealth generation, innovation, and upward mobility. But a college education has important non-economic benefits as well: an engaged citizenry, healthier lives, and commitment to volunteerism, to name just a few. Given its centrality to our self-conception as a nation over our history and the success stories we all have witnessed, I firmly believe it is a dream worth chasing.