September 25, 2007  Issue III

Welcome to the third issue of "Antioch Update," a weekly electronic newsletter that we are sending to the Antioch community to keep everyone updated on College and University news. It is being brought to you by the University’s Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and the Director of the College’s News & Information Office.

Please let us know how we can make this weekly update more effective. You may send your suggestions to Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Mary Lou LaPierre at mllapierre@antiochseattle.edu.

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In this Issue

Alumni And Administrative Working Group To Meet In Denver

On October 3rd Trustees Arthur J. Zucker, board chair; Sherwood Guernsey, Communications Committee chair; and Larry Stone, co-chair of the Board of Trustee’s Finance Committee, will meet with a working group in Denver to review the Alumni Board’s draft of its financial and academic business plan for a sustainable Antioch College. The Board and administration are pleased that the Alumni Board is working diligently to come up with a plan that is both financially and academically feasible. They look forward to the opportunity to see the proposal and to review and analyze it with the alumni, in an open and collaborative manner.

Also participating in this meeting will be Chancellor Toni Murdock; CFO Tom Faecke; Andrzej Bloch, College COO/CAO; Nancy Crow, president of the Alumni Board and trustee; Rick Daily; Alumni Board Treasurer; and alumni Kristen Pett, Ellen Borgersen, Matthew Derr and Dixie Maurer.

The trustees have requested that the Alumni Board present a final business plan to the full Board at the October 25 Board meeting in Yellow Springs.

Commonly Asked Questions to the Antioch Board

In response to the many questions we have received regarding the Board’s recent decisions and the plans for the future of Antioch College, we are including a sample of these inquiries that we hope will be beneficial in our strengthened communications effort. Find below a sample of the most commonly asked questions.

1. What information did the BOT review that led to the decision to suspend operations at the College?

The Board reviewed and analyzed a substantial amount of data: fundraising and admissions reports, focus-group and survey data, recruitment and retention data, and detailed financial information and analyses from the College and University finance offices as well as from outside consultants. The enrollment and financial forecasts presented to the Board of Trustees were based on assumptions previously agreed upon by the College and University leadership. These forecasts included modest enrollment and retention gains, increased private support, and faculty and staff personnel reductions. This analysis made it clear that the College could not continue operating at a financially sustainable level past July 2008. For a summary of financial information, more….

2. Why was the decision made to suspend College operations at the Board’s June meeting?

During the last 12 months it became apparent that there were no longer sufficient reserves or donors willing to fund the operation of the College and that the deficit was reaching unmanageable proportions.

By the June meeting it was evident that student enrollment and donor solicitation goals for the College were not going to be met, and the financial forecasts indicated an inability to pay for operations and meet the payroll beyond the next fiscal year. Although several options were considered, the Board concluded that there was no viable option to make the College financially sustainable.

The June decision was made, in part, to allow the faculty and staff a full year to find new jobs, to allow incoming fourth-year students and some third year students to graduate in April 2008, and to give other students the option to transfer to another Antioch campus or elsewhere.

For more questions with answers download this pdf document .

Glen Helen Undertakes Ambitious Capital Improvement Plan

The Glen seeks to renew Outdoor Education Center, oldest such facility in the Midwest

Thanks to funding approval from the Virginia Kettering Foundation, Phase I improvements to the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center, scheduled for October 2007, can begin. 

With its fifty-year history, the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center is the oldest such facility in the Midwest, and in need of repair. 

Each year, over 3,000 elementary and secondary school children visit the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center. Each school group spends four days in residence in the preserve, where students are immersed in hands-on outdoor education, grounded in state-prescribed academic content standards.  more…

Dance At Antioch 

By Associate Professor of Dance, Jill Becker

Antioch: It's a-Happening!! will take place on Monday, October 1st at 7:30pm in the Antioch College South Gym.

Dancers from Antioch College, under the direction of Jill Becker, will perform improvisational pieces in collaboration with New York City based composer, director, and producer Peter Zummo. Proceeds benefit the Antioch College Revival Fund.  more…

Photography At Antioch

By Professor of Photography, Dennie Eagleson

Collaborations: A Show of Photographs by Dennie Eagleson and Antioch Students 1991 - Present

The Herndon Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its first fall exhibition. The exhibition will present photographs taken by Dennie Eagleson, professor of photography at Antioch College, made in collaboration with students and Yellow Springs residents.

Ms. Eagleson will also show new photographs from a series titled “Life with Harry,” documenting life with her recently deceased father-in-law, Harry Greenberg. The exhibition will also showcase photographs created by Antioch College students from the past sixteen years. more….

McGregor Wins Diversity Recognition

On September 14, Antioch University McGregor was recognized by Minority Access, Inc. for its commitment to diversity. People of color are 30 percent of McGregor’s student population. 

Antioch McGregor and nine other higher education institutions were honored for their diversity master plans. Minority Access is a nonprofit educational organization that supports individuals, higher education and government efforts to diversify campuses and work sites.

All Things Antioch

Weekly Conversation with Chancellor Murdock

Listen to station manager Paul Maassen and Chancellor Toni Murdock as they discuss All Things at Antioch. The program airs every Sunday morning, and can be accessed on the Internet at WYSO.org in their archives.

This e-mail newsletter is brought to you by Antioch University and College News & Information. The purpose is to keep the Antioch community informed about University and College activities. Please e-mail comments or concerns to Mary Lou LaPierre, vice chancellor for university advancement, at mllapierre@antiochseattle.edu.

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