College can be a very stratifying place -- it’s usually where students are sorted into categories like “elite” versus “slackers.” This sorting process gets played out among colleges and universities as well, with affluent students almost always going to the elite schools while poor and working class students struggle to pay expenses at public state colleges and junior colleges.

But there are college administrators out there who are actually doing something about this social class disparity. Specifically, Tony Marx, President of Amherst College, perhaps one of the most elite liberal arts schools in the country, is on a mission to reduce this inequality:

Elite U.S. colleges such as Amherst, he said, are perpetuating deep inequalities in American society. They equate success with serving the privileged elite and have largely abandoned talented youth from poor families, he charged. This deepens the country’s growing class divisions and exacerbates the long-term decline in economic and social mobility. . . .

“I’m not interested in being a custodian over a privileged place” he remembers telling the gathering of wealthy alums and academic stars that day. As it turned out, Marx’s radical message was just what Amherst trustees wanted to hear. Over the past two decades the college had committed to increasing minorities to a third of the 1,650-student campus, up from 13% in 1985. . . .

Marx has waged a ceaseless crusade to make the college a leader in welcoming more lower-income students. Now, Marx is challenging everything from an admissions process tilted toward affluent students to social customs that divide rich and poor students on campus. Essentially, he has set in motion a new affirmative action initiative, this time based on class rather than race.

The article goes on to describe many of the challenges associated with President Marx’s efforts, including putting more demands on faculty who will have to teach more less-qualified students, alienating alumni and affluent families who might see less-qualified students “taking” slots from their kids, and driving down Amherst’s national rankings and prestige by admitting less-qualified students.

Nonetheless, President Marx is right -- this growing social class disparity must be addressed somehow. American society is undoubtedly being divided between the haves and the have-nots and the consequences of this growing divide will be monumental.

Kudos to President Marx for his efforts to counteract the increasing social class polarization of American society. It’s refreshing to see that someone in his position is actually putting into action his social philosophy and commitment to equality, rather than just studying it or lecturing about it. Let’s hope that Amherst’s efforts serve as a model for others to follow.