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Rebirth of college rare occurrence

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 12:52 AM Saturday, July 4, 2009

Antioch College’s rebirth would be a rare event in the history of higher education.

“There have been a number of colleges that have been on the brink of closure and have come back fairly strong,” said Jeffrey Selingo, editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education. “But it’s very hard to kill a college, so there are not many examples of colleges that have come back.”

Antioch College actually has returned from the dead twice before. Founded in 1852, the liberal arts college closed in 1862 because of financial problems and reopened in 1865. The college closed again from 1881-1882 because of insufficient endowment funds.

An agreement was announced Tuesday, June 30, to create an independent Antioch College. The school closed in June 2008 because of declining enrollment and other problems. Plans call for a small first-year class in fall 2011.

“It’s very exciting to have the legacy of Antioch continue on,” said Sean Creighton, executive director of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education.

The deal reached by the boards of Antioch University and the Antioch College Continuation Corp. must be approved by state officials, including Ohio’s attorney general, and the university’s bond holders.

Other regulatory hurdles include Ohio Board of Regents authorization and Higher Learning Commission accreditation. “That process will take a couple of years,” said C. Todd Jones, president and general counsel of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio.

The deal was mediated by the Great Lakes College Association, a nonprofit governed by 13 selective liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.

Creighton said collaboration with area higher education institutions will be key to reopening. “It’s going to take that continued involvement with other entities outside of just themselves.

The college must address its enrollment issue, said Jones, who spent 4½ years as a member of the George W. Bush administration in the U.S. Department of Education.

From 2005 to 2007, enrollment dropped by 50 percent to 309 students.

“The need to create a plan and a process for recruiting students and bringing them to campus will be another important aspect of their work here a year or two down the road,” Jones said.

Antioch’s loyal alumni base and nationally known curriculum will work to its advantage, Selingo said.

“You can’t underestimate the power of this alumni base. Obviously, they have been very vocal throughout this whole process,” Selingo said. “I think that bodes well for Antioch.”

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