Mantella publishes op-eds about governance, increasing college access

June 16, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 18)

Copy URL

Bob Thompson stands next to President Philomena V. Mantella during the 2024 dedication of the Bob and Ellen Thompson Student Success Center.

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

President Philomena V. Mantella wrote two recent opinion articles centered on critical higher education issues: university governance boards and college access for students from middle-income families.

In a Detroit News article, Mantella said the leadership transition at Michigan State University is a familiar struggle between presidents and governing boards that are focused on immediate crises, such as enrollment and financial pressures, and not the long-term health of the institution.

Mantella wrote: "Universities are not quarterly enterprises. They are long-horizon public trusts. Their purpose is not simply to survive the next news cycle or financial challenge, but to expand opportunity, create knowledge, strengthen communities and contribute to civic and economic vitality over decades."

She concluded that universities will thrive with leadership and governing boards that center on stewardship, trust and mission. Read the Detroit News article.

In late May, Mantella wrote an article for Brookings, a public policy institute, addressing the innovative philanthropic work of Bob and Ellen Thompson as a model solution for increasing access to higher education for students from middle-income families.

In the article, Mantella cited the shared-investment approach taken by the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program as a path toward providing students from middle-income families the financial and social supports they need to succeed in college. 

Established with support and design input from the Thompsons, the program is a multi-institution philanthropic initiative designed to address gaps in financial aid for middle-income students. 

Mantella concluded: "This problem will not be solved only by adding more dollars alone. It will be solved by examining incentives, stabilizing aid design, sharing responsibility across sectors, and aligning financial architecture with completion. Thoughtful design is what spaces the rungs properly — and design, unlike demographics or politics, remains within our control."

Read the Brookings article. 

Categories

Across Campus