Geoff Swift Shows Why Intimate, Place‑Based Education Still Matters

Geoff Swift — California‑born, New England‑made, and now the vice president for finance and administration, as well as treasurer at Bates College — reflects on a life shaped by small institutions and the enduring value of the liberal arts. He traces his path from Amherst as an econ major to economic consulting, Harvard Business School, and ultimately a two‑decade career in higher education, where he now spends every day advocating for the kind of intimate, residential learning that shaped him back in the day. He talks candidly about the business realities of higher ed, the rising anxiety around ROI considerations, and why he believes the core experience at places like Amherst and Bates, including small classes, close faculty relationships, and rigorous thinking, is more essential than ever.