In his tenth year as President of the University of Puget Sound, Ronald Thomas assumes new responsibilities as a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Thomas was elected by his peers and formally appointed on Wednesday, Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. President Thomas’ term will last three years.
The NAICU represents private, non-profit educational institutions nationally and consists of a 44-member board of directors, of which President Thomas is now one. This board directs the association’s action in issues of federal higher education policy and financial administration of the NAICU.
Established in 1976, the NAICU is headed by President David L. Warren. Nine out of ten enrolling students attend one of the NAICU’s 1,000 member institutions. The NAICU plays an important role on the national educational stage. Its main goals include assisting Americans with financial access to colleges, socially sensitive and appropriate regulation of its member institutions, and promoting tax policies, which further its other goals.
The NAICU employs several national special initiatives to better independent institutions. One such initiative is the University and College Accountability Network, or U-CAN. This program, according to the association, “is designed to give prospective students and their families concise, Web-based consumer-friendly information on individual private college.” The program, like many others, provides access for families to information for help with funding and choosing an institution. The NAICU also currently has initiatives supporting ecological living on campuses around the country, as well as lowering a student’s out-of-pocket cost.
“President Thomas was selected by his peers because of his expertise in the field, proven leadership, and commitment to America’s college students,” President Warren said of President Thomas’ recent election. “He assumes his responsibilities at a time of great challenge and transformation for American higher education.”
Indeed, President Thomas has shown great dedication to the University of Puget Sound and its campus. President Thomas is spearheading the 20-year master plan to expand campus, as inspired by its history, and which is currently being realized in the construction of a new residence hall on the south side of campus. With President Thomas at the helm, the University has been named a national leader in producing Peace Corps volunteers and Fulbright Scholars.
President Thomas is “honored—and excited—to represent a great college like ours, one in which I believe so deeply, both to this national organization and, more importantly, to our political leaders. I believe so strongly in the power of higher education to transform lives, make them better, and make our nation a more humane and economically viable place.”
President Thomas joins the ranks of a very diverse group of college administrators from around the country, representing schools such as Westmont, Wake Forest, Kalamazoo College, Oberlin, DePaul, Pepperdine and Baylor University.
“Being on the board gives us the ability to influence Congress on national policy toward higher education, helping legislators to understand how vital college education is to the future of our nation and especially to show the value and return on investment of federal financial aid,” Thomas said.
President Thomas holds that federal financial aid will have the greatest impact upon students.
“The fact is more than one in four of our students receive Pell Grants from the federal government; nearly 1,000 receive Supplementary Economic Opportunity Grants, and over 300 benefit from federal work-study grants. Nearly 1,500 take advantage of federal loans to finance their education. All this together adds up to a lot of financial aid every year for Puget Sound students—more than $3 million in federal grants and nearly $20 million in loans,” Thomas said.
These funds are the driving force behind many students being able to attend college at all. President Thomas hopes to protect students’ access to federal aid through involvement with the NAICU.
Beyond lobbying for Puget Sound students, President Thomas hopes to learn from his fellow NAICU directors “ways to best integrate technology into our pedagogy, successful strategies for diversity, enhancing our delivery of financial aid” and more.
While President Thomas’ election to the NAICU is sure to bring great things in the future for the University, he was also excited to see many Logger alumni in his first meetings in Washington, D.C. just last week. These include former ASUPS President Hart Edmonson ’08, who now works as Chief of Staff for Congressman Danny Heck, and Rebecca Nathanson ’12, the current scheduler for Congressman Adam Smith.
“This only scratches the surface of the many Loggers who are in D.C. (and throughout the world) helping to shape the future. It’s inspiring for a college president to see our alumni doing such great things,” Thomas said. “At a critical time like the one we live in, there is nothing more important that I can do but to join in the effort to … be sure Puget Sound has voice in the future of our country.”