My college has decided not to expand the size of its student body, bucking a current trend and turning away from creeping universityitis.

The place has changed almost beyond recognition to an ancient grad like me. (Which, generally speaking is a good and appropriate thing.) But I’m pleased that the powers that be voted to retain what even more than a half-century ago was largely my reason for going there, though I never would have thought of phrasing it like this, noting Dartmouth’s

distinctive model of close student-faculty engagement in an intimate, collaborative community that honors our profound sense of place.

To me it was just a really good college that was famously outdoorsy and mixed what to me was the frightening intellectual with the reassuring physical.