Hobart and William Smith Colleges

ON SENECA

HWS Economic Impact Tops $250 Million

According to a recent analysis released by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, Hobart and William Smith Colleges' state economic impact totals more than $254 million. The economic impact numbers are determined by weighing three areas of spending: institutional impact, academic medical centers and student and visitor spending.

"Our identity as an institution is grounded in local partnerships and collaborative solutions that yield the kind of economic impact we see measured in this study," says Interim President Patrick A. McGuire L.H.D. '12. "We look forward to preserving those relationships and working with our fellow stakeholders to ensure that Geneva and the Finger Lakes region continue to grow and thrive."

Top Colleges for Grateful Grads

For the fifth year in a row, HWS landed on the "Grateful Grads Index," part of the annual "America's Top Colleges" list from Forbes magazine. Forbes bases its annual list of top return-oninvestment schools on median donations per seven-year period, as well as average alum giving participation rates. In 2018, the Colleges ranked ahead of schools such as New York University, Dickinson and Tulane.

5th Fulbright- Hays Grant Awarded

For the fifth time since 2006, the HWS Russian Area Studies program has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The $98,038 grant will fund an intensive six-week seminar during the summer of 2019, focusing on advanced Russian language and culture in the Siberian city of Barnaul, where HWS Russian Area Studies also maintains its semester student exchange. The grant will cover 99% of total program costs, including international airfare, transportation within Russia, group excursions, tuition and dormitory fees.

#2: Colleges Leap to Number Two Spot in Impact

HWS jumped 12 spots in the Princeton Review's list of schools making an impact to land in second place for 2019. The Making an Impact category is based on community service opportunities, active student governments, leading sustainability efforts and on-campus student engagement. The rankings also take into account the percentage of alums that reported having high job meaning on PayScale.com.

HWS Alum Network Among Best in Nation

The Princeton Review ranks Hobart and William Smith Colleges alumni and alumnae network 15th in the nation in the 2019 edition of the "The Best Value Colleges: 200 Schools with Exceptional ROI for your Tuition Investment." In addition to HWS alums reporting significant fulfillment and meaning in their careers, the "Best Alum Network" ranking considers the visibility of alums on the HWS campus and the strength of alums' connections to student outcomes.

Wickenden to Deliver Commencement Address

Executive Editor of The New Yorker Dorothy H. Wickenden '76, L.H.D. '14 will deliver the 2019 Commencement address. Wickenden previously worked as managing editor and executive editor of The New Republic and national affairs editor of Newsweek before assuming the role of executive editor of The New Yorker in 1996. She is the moderator of The New Yorker's weekly podcast, "The Political Scene," and the author of Nothing Daunted, a New York Times bestseller. Wickenden graduated from William Smith magna cum laude as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, earning her B.A. in English with high Honors. She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard in 1988. This year celebrates the 194th Commencement of Hobart College and the 108th Commencement of William Smith College. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the HWS website starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 19.