Small College Saturday!

Last year around this time while driving to work I heard a great interview with MSNBC’s JJ Ramberg about Small Business Saturday. You can see it here.

Record high spending on Small Business Saturday

She made several points that resonated with me that apply to higher education:

• If you do not go to small businesses, they will disappear. We’re seeing lots of small schools close, especially in the Northeast.
• You can get something special at small retailers that you can’t get at big box stores. This is where we talk about the personal nature of the experience, where you’re not just a number but we actually know you.
• It's experiences. It has to be more than a retailer. You have to have some connection. Again, this is what makes small colleges special. It’s how as a president I can host students for Thanksgiving dinner and you have a student say she’s been with us all four years for Thanksgiving.

So when you support a school like Dillard, you are supporting all of the activities and events we provide that you can’t get online, things like:

• Hosting fraternity and sorority graduate meetings and events
• Space for community forums
• Free concerts and lectures

Issa Rae at Dillard

• Space for weddings and funerals
• Summer camps

• Afterschool and summer enrichment programs
• Housing fairs

• K-12 school registration
• College financial aid workshops

I could go on and on. The point is small colleges play a critical role in communities. So before this Small Business Saturday ends, schedule your Giving Tuesday gift to Dillard University. Your gift not only supports the students, but the broader community.

#HBCUSMATTERS: DILLARD UNIVERSITY SETS ITS 2019 #GIVINGTUESDAY GOAL TO $500,000

The Prez