A look at St. Cloud State’s plan to cut 46 degreesi-dotters and t-crossersHigh Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s whySpin. Spin. Spin. At Illinois TechSTL PD and college closures in its regionCleveland .com:  Editor: Buffoonery, incompetence and lies     “Our job, though, is to call them out. So, we do.”Show note links:‘A matter of right-sizing’: A look at St. Cloud State’s plan to cut 46 degreesAccreditor: Keystone College in ‘Danger of Imminent Closure’(High) Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s why.Illinois Tech Sees Unprecedented Growth as Undergraduate Applications and Admissions Surge 35% Year-Over-Year  Fontbonne University is closing. Which other colleges are at risk of shutting down?   (Behind a pay wall.)Buffoonery, incompetence and liesCollege Viability series of Apps2024 Private College Viability app for Executive Analysis 2024 Private College Viability app for Faculty & Staff 2024 Private College Viability app for Students & FamiliesPUBLIC COLLEGE APPSExecutive Analysis versionFaculty & Staff versionStudents & Family version

On a busy closing and cutback week, my news and commentary this week includes:Keystone College (PA) in troubleAlverno College (WI) cutsbackWells closes.  Sends students to a college that is all financially weak.Northland College continues to string along its faculty, staff, students, and communityTalk of a catastrophic Fall continues200 NCAA DIII teams no longer existDrake U Board cuts the leadership legs off of its president.Show note links:Keystone College (PA) pursuing rescue plan to prevent closureKeystone College in ‘danger of imminent closure,’ accreditor saysFacing $9 million deficit, Alverno plans to cut jobs, academic programs ( https://finance.yahoo.com/news/facing-9-million-deficit-alverno-211111534.html ) Wells College’s closing comes after more than a decade of money struggleNorthland Will Stay Open Thanks to ‘Transformational Gifts’Experts fear ‘catastrophic’ college declines thanks to botched FAFSA rolloutIn A Rising Tide Of College Closures, Impact On Division III Athletics Becomes Clear Drake University cuts three academic programs to close a budget shortfallCollege Viability series of Apps2024 Private College Viability app for Executive Analysis 2024 Private College Viability app for Faculty & Staff 2024 Private College Viability app for Students & FamiliesPUBLIC COLLEGE APPSExecutive Analysis versionFaculty & Staff versionStudents & Family version

These are the news and commentary headlines for April 29, 2024·         Northland College (WI) just can’t find anyone to turn of the light switch.·         A really good student-written article about Drake U’s financial challenges·         Dubuque named and Spalding searching for new presidents.  We will go to the data for both.·         Jon Marcus at Hechinger had one of his stories picked up by the WAPO. ·         Colleges are now closing at a pace of one a week. What happens to the students?  Most never finish their degrees, and alumni wonder about the value of degrees they’ve earned·         Amy Morona at Signal Cleveland continues to rise up my list of good HE reporters.  This week we will talk about her story on Cleveland State.·         Dan Bauman from the Chronicle writes about colleges digging into their endowment more than ever.  I am going to focus on WEU and something Dan writes about called going concern.·         Private regional colleges will face stiff competition from public institutions, Moody’s predictsShow note links:Northland officials sound a hopeful note after ‘transformative’ donationsProtests over budget cuts continue at Board of Trustees meetingDrake’s budget: How did we get here?This Under-the-Radar Pay Model Puts a Dollar Amount on Class SizeColleges are now closing at a pace of one a week. What happens to the students?‘We are at a point of reckoning’: Inside Cleveland State’s latest meeting about its financial futureAmid Financial Headwinds, Some Colleges are Digging Deeper Into Their Endowments.  Will more follow?Private regional colleges will face stiff competition from public institutions, Moody’s predictsWill the FAFSA fiasco force current college students to drop out?More Gen Zers could ditch college this fall — and some schools are worried they might never fully recoverCollege Viability series of Apps2024 Private College Viability app for Executive Analysis 2024 Private College Viability app for Faculty & Staff 2024 Private College Viability app for Students & FamiliesPUBLIC COLLEGE APPSExecutive Analysis versionFaculty & Staff versionStudents & Family version

In this special edition of 'This Week in College Viability' we hear from an alum of a college that is clearly in significant financial trouble.Jeremy Lakosh is a 2005 graduate of Eureka College (IL).  He is the CEO of a retirement community in Eureka and has spent 6-years on the Eureka Alumni Board - and led the group for 2 years.Mr. Lakosh's story is one of both conviction and supporting data that his college is quite likely on the way to ruin - and possible closure.  It is also one that I frequently read about and hear about from others.   For example, he cites a recent financial statement going from a positive cash flow of $500K to a negative cash flow of $1.75 million dollars.  Mr. LaKosh also shares how a Facebook group (Eureka College Alumni Update) started in December 2023 has already grown to about 1,500 members as proof that there is widespread alumni concern about the direction and potential closure of the college.Efforts by the alumni group to communicate with both the college leadership and board have been met with silence.Listen to the specific story about Eureka College, but know that it is a story all to common in smaller private colleges throught the U.S.

The April 22nd episode includes these news stories and commentaryHLC says: ‘We are not hospice’What happens to faculty, staff, students and the community when a college closesThe Boston Globe must be reading and listening to my content.  They talk about the right way to close a college.Webster University auditors have concerns about the university’s ability to continue as a going concern.Adding college football is not the enrollment boosting panacea that many college presidents have hoped for.Wrap:  Using AI to anticipate FAFSA mess impact.And more....................................Show note links:University of St. Thomas (MN) to cut 26 staff positions, leave 30 open positions unfilledFinancial consultant report tells UWGB leaders to ‘act with urgency.’ Here’s whyHLC:  ‘We are not hospice’: The race to get faster in predicting college shutdownsWith the college-age population shrinking, some schools won’t survive. There’s a right way for them to close.Webster University's deficit ballooned in fiscal 2023, latest tax filing shows (Behind a pay wall.)Waiting too long can doom a college merger, experts sayThe Incredible Shrinking CSU: Unraveling the Impact of Declining University Enrollment at SFSUCOLLEGE FOOTBALL UNLIKELY TO BOOST CAMPUS ENROLLMENT, PER STUDYCollege Viability series of Apps2024 Private College Viability app for Executive Analysis  2024 Private College Viability app for Faculty & Staff 2024 Private College Viability app for Students & FamiliesPUBLIC COLLEGE APPS Executive Analysis versionFaculty & Staff versionStudents & Family version

This week top stories include:·         Why are financial statement auditors not giving us a heads-up on trouble colleges?  I will share the results of my research on recently closed colleges and what is NOT in their audited financial statements·         Is it a college or is it a tuition collection agency.  Keystone College is our case study.·         Delusion from NDC supporters·         Northland College and bad educational leadership·         Reporters still don’t get the financials of colleges they cover.·         The college closing crises finally makes it to CNNShow Notes / Links:Goddard College closing its doors due to financial struggles & declining enrollmentCleveland State’s board signs off on next steps for faculty, staff buyout offersEastern Gateway to Begin Dissolution in JuneUNC Asheville makes staff cuts as $6 million deficit is expected to grow to $8 millionKeystone submits required closure plan as a precautionNotre Dame College release states there is “no pathway” to keep school open, but supporters still believe there may beWisconsin College Teeters on the Brink, in Public  Northland WIFinancially-distressed NJCU needs a partner. But which university can afford to take on the school?St. Norbert College explains new program offerings amid enrollment decline, budget deficitSmall private colleges are struggling to keep their doors open as declining enrollment leads to financial instability (CNN)Wheeling University president suspended with payBirmingham-Southern to lay off 213 employees without severance pay: ‘No funds are available’Links to the College Viability Apps.

Nobody can articulate the trials and tribulations of a closing college better than Jonathon Nichols.  His 2022 book, 'Requiem for a College' details both the emotional trauma he and his St. Joseph College (IN) faced as the college moved from fear of closing -- to actual closure a few months later.  His book also describes the research Jon did on the actions and inactions of the leadership of that college.In this special edition of 'This Week in College Viability', Jon draws analogies with the Fontbonne closure announcement and offers guidance for faculty and staff who may fear their college is next.

In this week's episode, here are some of the news and commentaries.Northland College is going to hold more bake sales (Sarcasm alert)Mike Rowe ( of Dirty Jobs) has a spot on todays podcast.USDA loans are not all they are cracked up to be.The College Counterpoint podcastThe president of a closing college talks about closures – en masse.Purchase one of the 2024 College Viability series of AppsShow notes:Northland College closure status still up in the air after April 4th meetingMike Rowe explains how we’re ‘entering a whole new time’ of smart money as path to prosperity ‘shifts’President: Manhattan College is not closingThe $2.2 Billion Bet.  A Federal Loan Program Meant to Help Rural Colleges May be Hurting them.Universities of Wisconsin overhauls website as it tries to reverse declining enrollment   (Behind a paywall.)College Counterpoints web siteYes, Colleges do close

There is nothing like the voice of experience.  Jon Nichols experienced a private college closure in 2017 at St. Joseph's (IN).Mr. Nichols shares similarities and differences from the private college clousure he experience with what he knows about the recent closure of Fontbonne University in St. LouisHis book, 'Requiem for a College' describes the emotional events leading up to the closure along with the day that announcement was made.  In addition, Jon researched the work the college leadership did and did NOT do during that tumultuous time.If your college is experiencing a serious financial challenge, 'Requiem for a College' may help you prepare for and navigate what is ahead.You can get a copy of Jonathon's book 'Requiem for a College' HERE

This Week in College Viability for April 1, 20241.      Layoffs Cutbacks and Closures2.      Faculty power under pressure in KY3.      St. Martin’s WA on the watch4.      Bluffton / U Findlay merger:  not enough5.      West Conn. U:  Pom Poms from the president6.      Lesley U faculty is really good at no-confidence votes – Now if they could only graduate more than 50% of their students7.      Financial statements:  Are they hiding information from us. And more ............Show Note Links:Oak Point University announces imminent closure of Oak Brook, Chicago campusesNorthland employees and alumni seek more time to raise funds as college faces closureUniversity of Kentucky President Proposes to Strip Faculty Body’s Power‘It just breaks my heart’: Parent of Birmingham-Southern student-athlete reacts to school closing‘Dire’ financial issues behind potential cuts, says St. Martin's University (WA) presidentWestConn president vows to grow university, not just survive budget deficitA Third Vote of No Confidence at Lesley University     Making College Mergers Easier in New YorkSt. Norbert College students stage walkout, protesting recent cutsPurchase one of the 2024 College Viability series of Apps

Debbie Kepple-Mamros is my guest for this special episode of This Week in College Viability.  Debbie leads the institutional research function for the Des Moines (IA) Area Community College system.She provides guidance on the IR function, adult markets, 'data days' staff training, the nuances about counting students, and much more.

Dr. Paula Langteau was president at Presentation College.  She developed critical processes for assessing an institution's financial viability and implementing key protocols to close an institution with dignity and compassion. The Higher Learning Commission heralded that work as the most comprehensive in assisting in the transition of students, faculty, and staff. Developing 36 Teach-Out agreements (the largest number in HLC experience), she successfully transitioned 88% of students, compared to a 47% national average. I have heard no one else share such meaningful perspective and guidance

Here are the headline stories for the March 25, 2024 episode of 'This Week in College Viability'.MU Is our cutback college this week – but in a different business sense.Is Hampshire College really on its way back?Columbia College in Chicago is searching for couch money to surviveBluffton U and U of Findlay merger:  Is two enough?BSC is back in the AL legislature.  I bet there are many more stories like this next year.IA wants a heads-up if a college is closing.Concordia AA and collateral.What is a 'going concern'?Show note links:Marquette University plans to cut $31 million by 2031Back from the brink, Hampshire College is nearing financial viability.(Columbia) College could downscale future commencement, Manifest celebrations to help save costsCollege postpones tenure-track appointment decisions, ‘shocking’ faculty who were up for promotionBluffton and University of Findlay announce mergerBirmingham Southern loan viability remains in question after public hearingYear after Iowa Wesleyan shuttered, lawmakers proposed private-campus closure mandatesFor This Small College, a Merger Was a Lifeline. Now It’s the Focus of Suspicion.Gary commentary:  Going Concern – Audited financial statements – auditors have a responsibility to share their concerns if an organization may not be able to continue as a viable business.  The term used is ‘going concern’.  A going concern is a business that will continue.  Issues with a college being able to continue as a going concern is a big deal.  I have only seen it referenced 2x in the past 4 years.  In my experience, it has not been referenced in the financial statements of colleges that have closed.  As I get time, I am going to research a set of closed colleges to see if their auditors referenced a ‘going concern’.  I did check NDC (OH).  No special reference was made by the auditors that NDC might not be able to survive as a going concern.SOPM.  Go to Federal Audit Clearinghouse. (I have a YouTube video) and search for a college.  Do a Ctrl-find for going concern.  You will normally see two basic references.  Those are not a big deal, standard stuff.  If you see more, make sure to read them.

Here are some of the news and commentary for March 18, 2024Carbon Monoxide detectors turned off at Evergreen State CollegeNDC student impact story.Public college consolidation continues to jump into HE news cycles.Dept of Ed wants pathetic minimum graduation thresholdsFAFSA fiasco updateEY Parthenon dances around the details on high risk collegesWrap with a review of Scott Carlson’s article on gauging a college’s financial healthPurchase the College Viability apps at:2024 Private College Viability app for Executive Analysis  2024 Private College Viability app for Faculty & Staff 2024 Private College Viability app for Students & FamiliesNOTE:  The 2024 PUBLIC College Viability apps will be out the week of March 18th.Show Notes: (Some of these may be behind pay walls.)‘I don’t have control at all of my future right now’: Notre Dame College students try to figure out what comes next as college closes Fontbonne closure brings tears, and questions about the future of higher educationAs states eye college consolidation, leaders should draw from previous lessons learnedBiden Administration Wants Accreditors to Set Benchmarks For Student OutcomesCOLUMN: The FAFSA fiasco could roll back years of progress. It must be fixed immediatelyIVM finds heightened risk in higher education as stimulus funds expire (EY Parthenon story)Why It Can Be So Difficult to Gauge a College’s Financial Health

Here are some of the stories for the March 11th 'This Week in College Viability podcast.Student impact story on NDC closureStories from Fitch & Bloomberg on HEMississippi joins the merger/consolidation movementU Virginia: 1000 undergrads to pay the base salaries of DEI staff?Basketball team without a college Show notes and links:St. Norbert College announces further layoffs amid ongoing budget issuesTallmadge teen devastated after college announces closure days after his football commitmentNotre Dame College students mull next steps after news of closureVulnerable US Private Colleges at Risk from New Federal, State ActionsMississippi universities "efficiency" would be studied under Senate bill1000 undergrads to pay the base salaries of DEI staffMassachusetts ramps up financial oversight for 2 faith-based colleges

Where are we headed this week? Well, we'll start off with another unsurprising college closure announcement this past week. Get ready for some surprising ones in the next two months as the college year winds down. There was an interesting presidential departure from a struggling Illinois public college.'Delusional' is this week's theme for both faculty and college leadersIt's time to purchase your 2024 Private College Viability App.  Click here to see your options.If you want to join one of my weekly College Viability App webinars, click here.Here are the show note links.The big cutback was NDC in Ohio.President of Western Illinois University is leaving the position at the end of March. (Note:  This college needs revolving doors to the president's office.)Concordia University announces cut to staff, faculty at both campusesWebster University can tap restricted donor money, judge rulesManhattan College Betrays FacultyThese Tenured Professors Thought They Were Safe From Manhattan College’s Latest Layoffs. They Were Wrong.The IHE College President’s SurveyHow can governors oversee successful higher education mergers?College closings and mergers by state  HED

Links to this week's stories.Cutbacks & Layoffs at Wright State and U ToledoIHE must be following me.  Their story last week about recent cutbacks and layoffs mimics the stories I have shared here over the past month or so.Chicken and College:  Interesting partnership A double dip enrollment recession? (Newsletter, no URL)Why Is the College-Completion Rate Stagnating?   Concordia leaders open dialogue with students, employees through town hall meetingsRating Agencies on the Outlook for Higher Education Promotional pricing for the 2024 series of College Viability Apps continues through the end of March.Private College Viability App for Executive AnalysisPrivate College Viability App for Faculty & StaffPrivate College Viability App for Students & Families

Here are the stories and commentary in the February 19 TWICV Get your 2024 Private College Viability App here.   Select from a version for executives, one for faculty & staff, and one for students and families.  Special promotions are now available for each.Do you want to sit in on one of my free webinars on how to use the College Viability Apps?  Click here to reserve a spot.FAFSA delay responses:  Good one at SLU.  Mundane responses elsewhereWebster U wants to re-direct restricted donations to unrestricted.  Not going over well.UNC Greensboro Faculty Oppose Academic Cuts – Faculty protests are about as new as snow is white.  Grass is green and the sun is hot.Multiple lawsuits filed against Saint Augustine's University for not paying bills on time – We have seen that before.  Let’s call it a likely indicator of imminent closure.Columbia College (Chicago)  President is there one day and gone the next.$1.00 enrollment deposits at Upper Iowa U.  You would be better off spending $29 to buy the 2024 PCVA and learn it might not be a good $1.00 investment.Show Note Links:Marietta College to cut 3 dozen administrators and facultyConcordia University Wisconsin will cut staff, 'reimagine' its Ann Arbor campusCUNY's Queens College Faces Backlash Over Faculty LayoffsUniversity of Arkansas Fort Smith considering the removal of five degree programsGov. Kevin Stitt (OK) wants higher education consolidation. What would that look like?‘Time for Plan B’: The FAFSA Waiting Game Is Forcing Colleges to Adjust on the FlyDonors sue to stop Webster University from using scholarship cashOf Course UNC Greensboro Faculty Oppose Academic Cuts  Multiple lawsuits filed against Saint Augustine's University for not paying bills on timeChair of the Board of Trustees, Stephen Squeri, Responds to MC CFA’s Vote of No ConfidenceOn TUESDAY:  Kim pledges to meet more regularly with students as financial crisis deepens

Raven Eye Consulting helps Higher Education clients accelerate their path to enrollment and retention results.  They work with Colleges and Universities to improve enrollment and retention functional processes, utilize data for continuous improvement, deploy technology to achieve scale, and develop a responsive and effective enrollment and retention staff redesign student experience.We talked with founder Alby Salsa the impact of FAFSA delays, graduation rates, and student retention.

This Week in College Viability for February 12, 2024Valentine’s day is this week.  Throw a little love to Cabrini college and NOT-so-much to BSC and colleges who believe a snippet of data is a good thing.Here are some of the news stories and commentaries that follow.Colleges turn to older students to stem enrollment crisisBirmingham-Southern could get second chance at state bailoutScott Carlson  Chronicle - What’s Really Behind the View That Higher Ed Isn’t Worth It?WIU spring enrollment down 500 students, international numbers still highAthletics in the Small-College MarketplaceCabrini University does the closure process well.