Davidsonian: Trusting in honor; honoring The Trust

A few of my colleagues have noted that their Davidsonian articles have remained on the Davidsonian site since their first year. That's not the case for mine, which seem to have a site-life of a year or so. I'm putting the text of an article I wrote in this past week's edition below.

Here is a quick Perspectives piece published in the Davidsonian on Wednesday, January 22nd. 


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This past week, Dr. Quillen joined Obama, the Secretary of Education and many other education leaders at a summit which marked the launch of an initiative by the U.S. President to make affordability of higher education a national priority. (This is why there is a photo on her Twitter page of her with Air Force One.) 

As many Davidsonian readers may already know, our president, Carol Quillen, just posted her fifth entry on the Huffington Post since this past June. The post, entitled “Trust’s Legacy: Davidson’s Honor Code,” discussed the value of the Honor Code at Davidson and what it inspires in Davidson’s graduates. Quillen, who has been a major proponent in supporting The Davidson Trust both on campus and in the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, explains the value of a school that trusts its students. 

I want to talk about a different kind of Trust, though – The Davidson Trust. 

I believe that The Trust is something unique to Davidson, and ensures we have a campus culture that is supportive and diverse. By removing some barriers to access to Davidson, The Trust allows our college to admit a student based upon her merit instead of how much cash her parents will be able to contribute towards her education. It is true that some Davidson students decide to take out loans to cover many costs associated with Davidson, but The Trust has made sure that these loans aren’t crippling like those which many students at similar institutions face at their graduations.

The Davidson Trust and the Honor Code go hand-in-hand. When I applied to Davidson, my “Why Davidson?” essay mentioned Davidson’s commitment to access and an environment conducive to learning, both of which are possible because of The Trust and Honor Code. While my view of Davidson College has changed drastically while I have been a student here, I still believe that The Trust and Honor Code are the foundations for what it means to be a member of the Davidson student body. We are all incredibly lucky to be in an environment where an honor code means more freedom rather than more institutional scrutiny. We are so fortunate to study in a school where admissions are based more on merit than many other similar colleges. With the combination of these two, Davidson has acquired a campus environment which truly encourages learning while placing value on diverse socioeconomic, ethnic and religious backgrounds like few others. 

Here’s where you and I come in. The Honor Code is upheld by students. Our adherence to our promise not to cheat or plagiarize is what keeps the Honor Code alive. I don’t want to name any names, but some honor codes at competing schools are only de jure honor codes – everyone signs, but doesn’t put a whole lot of stock in adhering to it. Our commitment to the Honor Code is what makes it so valuable. 

The Davidson Trust is another story. Some may think that The Trust comes down to money and donations, and, in a sense, it does. Davidson does in fact require a pretty substantial amount of money from donors to keep financially healthy. Maybe when you or I graduate, we can promise to donate to Davidson to give back for what it has given us, but that’s after we graduate. What we do now is just as important as what we do when we leave. If we honor The Trust, if we can find a way to reassure donors that their dollars are making a huge impact in our educations, we can ensure that Davidson is able to continue providing the financial aid packages it currently does. 

In my work with Dinner at Davidson and The Davidson Trust, there have been many ups and downs. There have been moments where I have been extremely excited because I felt like my work has been meaningful, but there have been moments where everything felt futile, too. About a year ago, a colleague expressed her worry about this to an adult friend. She was worried that all of the work we put in didn’t mean that much, especially when big donors can crush the amount of money we raised with little more than the blink of an eye. His response has stuck with me, as he turned and said, “Well, your commitment to The Trust shows big donors that the students really DO care about The Trust, and reassures them that their donations are appreciated.” 

Here at Davidson we’ve been given the gift to affect so much within our school and our own lives. From research grants to meetings with Dean Shandley, our access to the school is massive; however, our ability to give back and to ensure others get what we’ve gotten is just as important a mission.