Antioch College alumni and supporters will attempt to resurrect the liberal arts college amid one of the worst economies ever for higher education, according to academic officials and observers.
“One of the challenges for Antioch or any college starting from scratch right now is that you already have many established players who are struggling,” said Jeffrey Selingo, editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Public and private institutions, large and small, are faced with shrinking endowments and reductions in federal and state support.
“Obviously, these economic times make it challenging for raising money,” said Sean Creighton, executive director of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education.
Schools in the mid-Atlantic, northeast and rust belt regions are struggling to get students, Selingo said.
The boards of Antioch University and the Antioch College Continuation Corp. announced Tuesday, June 30, an agreement for the creation of a new, independent Antioch College. Plans call for a small, first-year class in fall 2011.
The college faces other challenges to return after its closing in June 2008.
“The facilities have to be brought back to suitable condition after they’ve been mothballed for a while,” said C. Todd Jones, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio.
“Operationally, the institution is going to need leadership and it’s going to need someone to help build a sound curricula,” he said.
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