May 4, 2012
Macalester College Endorses Higher Education as a Pathway to Naturalization for Alien Minors (Recommendation by the Social Responsibility Committee on May 4, 2012. Recommendation adopted by President Brian C. Rosenberg.)
Macalester College’s statement of purpose and belief affirms our commitment to enabling talented and aspiring students to realize their full potential as individuals as well as to make positive contributions to their communities and to humanity the world over. We also believe that fostering dialogue among students of diverse national, social, and cultural origins is a cornerstone of a liberal education.
In accordance with these values and beliefs, Macalester College endorses in principle legislative proposals for creating a pathway to naturalization for the children of undocumented aliens through the successful completion of college and university degree programs. To put this opportunity within effective reach of many, it is imperative to preserve these students’ eligibility for government programs that provide financial assistance to offset the rising costs of a college education. These provisions have been articulated in the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or, DREAM Act, specifically Senate Bill 952 introduced in 2011.
This version of the DREAM ACT upholds the principle of equitable, nondiscriminatory treatment of minors entering adulthood who have to come to reside in the United States not of their own choice. It affirms equality of opportunity for these individuals to develop their talents to their fullest. It holds out the promise of broadening the ranks of college graduates who are poised to contribute to the civic life, economic prosperity, and social welfare of our country. It upholds colleges and universities in their efforts to sustain diverse student bodies that advance the purposes of liberal learning as well as promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding so essential to national and global citizenship.
Macalester College welcomes and favors legislative initiatives that uphold the underlying principles of Senate Bill 952, the DREAM ACT, and which embody our institutional values and beliefs.
-Adopted May 8, 2012