"Dilemma"
Short-term versus Long-term Dilemma Story
Original Story by: (annonymous)
Summarized & Analyzed by: Akhrin Sachdev [15/12/2002]
These dilemmas can be some of the most familiar of all, Kidder says. �They come upon us every day in dozens of ways.�
The vice president of alumni relations in the article at right, who held the controversial student research story, weighed short-term vs. long-term before he decided to postpone recognition of stellar student work in hope of receiving a better reception later.
Mount Holyoke College recently weighed an important short-term vs. long-term decision�greater financial aid for students who need it right now vs. a reduction in the college�s financial aid budget in order to protect the institution�s long-term fiscal health.
In this instance, Alumnae Association Executive Director Sally Lemur didn�t have to make the decision, but she has been on the front line explaining it to her alumnae. �We chose to move from a need-blind admissions policy to a need-sensitive one, so there is tremendous sensitivity on the part of alumnae that some students who might have been admitted last year were not admitted this year. But we also know that the college can�t go into debt. The institution has to be fiscally sound or we won�t have an institution.�