This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

For the July 28th This Week in College Viability podcast, I have: 

+ A college president who must be dizzy with the spin she is trying to impart on a very difficult financial situation.

+ Technical and trade schools are not sitting waiting for students.  They are marketing to them aggressively.  I have a story and a point to make on that.

+ College business officers are still a generally delusional group.  This is my observation from an IHD story on its annual survey,

+ And I have another college ambulance chaser story from Michigan

Story links:
Accreditation Agency Flags Wheeling University For Financial Concerns

With UNO enrollment in decline, officials plan to cut courses and adjunct professors

Duke Announces Layoffs Amid Federal Funding Uncertainty

Spring Hill College president discusses school's future, debunks rumors

Growing enrollment at trade schools in Minnesota

Risk and Resilience (from college chief business officers)

These Michigan colleges are lining up to take students after university closure

Here are the headlines from today's podcast

+ Vague layoffs and a merger

+ Maine university system approves accelerated degree programs to address workforce gaps

+ Are  there really positive perceptions developing around higher education.

This is the podcast that talks about the financial health and viability of public and private colleges with data, details and perspectives offered nowhere else.

+ More layoffs and cutbacks.

+ Look at 2 colleges with accreditation updates.

+ Pennsylvania’s 14-campus higher education system is piloting plans to allow students to access courses beyond their home institution

+ TUITION DISCOUNT RATE hits another high.

+ Ryan Craig at Achieve Partners talks about the bad day that graduate programs had earlier this month.

Make sure to share the podcast link with others.  No sense in keeping this news and perspective commentary all to yourself.

Show notes / links

St. John’s College reduces staffing by 5% amid enrollment decline ( behind paywall)

Utica University Will Cut $5 Million From Annual Faculty Budget

Defiance College says Higher Learning Commission has placed it on Standard Pathway in accreditation cycle

Houghton University’s accreditation reaffirmed by Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Gonzaga U makes adjustments in light of unusually small freshman class

Pacific in strong financial shape

To Avoid Program Closures, PASSHE Explores Course Sharing

Stop Confusing a Zip Code with a Quality Education

Tuition Discounting Hits Another High

Dr. Paula Langteau experienced a college closure first hand as President of Presentation College.  Her efforts provide a positive example on how to provide guidance and support to students and their familes at the time of closure. 

She joins me on this special podcast episode of 'This Week' to share guidance for college leaders, students, their families and others.

If you are unfamiliar with the phrase 'college teach-outs', here are some basic points.

Ensuring Student Completion: A teach-out is a structured plan implemented when a college is closing, designed to allow current students to complete their programs of study or transfer their credits to another institution.

Accreditation Oversight: These plans are typically required and overseen by the institution's accrediting agency, ensuring that student interests are protected and educational quality is maintained during the closure process.

Formal Agreements: Teach-outs often involve formal agreements with other accredited colleges or universities to accept the closing institution's students and their credits, sometimes at a comparable tuition rate.

Continuation of Services: During a teach-out, the closing institution is generally expected to continue providing necessary academic and support services for students until they have completed their studies or successfully transferred.

For those looking for data on the financial health and viability of private colleges, get a free report on a college of your choice at MyCollegeViability.com

Here are some of the news and commentary stories for July 7, 2025

+ Siena Heights University announces closure

+ Indiana colleges cut hundreds of low-enrollment degree programs ahead of state mandate

+ Southwestern Seminary placed on 12-month probation, keeps accreditation

+ La Salle University warned accreditation could be in jeopardy

+ A set of public universities in IL focus on enrollment and not graduation.  My words, not theirs.

Show notes and links:

Siena Heights University announces closure

Students, families weigh options as news of Michigan university closing ‘came out of nowhere’

Indiana colleges cut hundreds of low-enrollment degree programs ahead of state mandate

Southwestern Seminary placed on 12-month probation, keeps accreditation

La Salle warned accreditation could be in jeopardy

Guilford College raises $5M to meet accreditation demand

Students in Illinois will be automatically admitted to colleges under a new law. Eastern Illinois University is already trying the strategy out

TWICV News and Commentary for June 30, 2025

+ Many layoff and cutback announcements last week.  

+ Cornell College (IA) steers away from financial health toward marketing hail mary.

+ My alma mater: typical of the plight of public And private colleges.

+ Tuition discount rate continues to move upward.  Good for the students.  Not so much for the colleges.

+ Seth O’dell:  it’s the trends that matter.  Enrollment is still down from pre-pandemic.

+ A newsletter story from Anand Sanwal that suggests colleges get some skin in the game – just like every other industry has had to do over time.

Show Note Story Links:

San Francisco State to cut 3 athletic programs

Stanford University To Lay Off Staff, Cut $140 Million From Its Budget

Sonoma State slashed programs, athletics. Now, it's getting $45M from state budget

USC plans to order significant budget cuts

Birmingham-Southern College remains closed as neighbors hope for new life on campus

Cornell College’s Early Financial Aid Promise Could Be A Trend-Setter

Eastern’s (IL) 20-year enrollment decrease is part of statewide trend

Tuition Discounting Hits Another High

Persistence and retention rates hit some of their highest levels in nearly a decade

Skin in the game: Fixing higher education’s student debt problem from Nov 16, 2024 newsletter

Much thanks to the many, many listeners to the podcast.  This past week we hit 10,000 downloads.  

If you would, make sure to share the podcast link with your colleagues.  We don’t want them to miss out on the perspectives we offer here at College Viability.

This week we have layoffs, cutbacks, and lots of tuition increases.  

It is also silly season for college enrollment announcements, and I have one of those.  

More indicators that the public colleges are ahead of privates in recognizing the need for mergers.

And more evidence that colleges focus more on enrollment than graduation rates.

This and much more on the June 23rd 2025 TWICV podcast.

Show notes:

Columbia College lays off 20 faculty members amid budget cuts

Vanderbilt U. Medical Center Planning to Lay Off Hundreds Before End of Fiscal Year

Minnesota State’s tuition increase will be the most in nearly two decades

KY Colleges and Universities increase enrollment and graduation rates

Michigan State University hikes tuition 4.5% as part of $3.69B budget with cuts

Westminster earns full 10-year reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Washington & Jefferson College seeing large spike in enrollment

Lawmakers want bigger say in NJ college mergers

The Great Reset: Why Your College or University's Survival Depends on Planning for Complete Reinvention by 2030

WSU Tri-Cities bucks national trend with strong enrollment growth despite college struggles

Jeff Selingo newsletter on big beautiful bill.

Elliot Felix joins me to talk about his new book:

The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success

An encouraging, evidenced-based playbook for busting silos so that students succeed.

He discusses:

• busting silos
• sharing resources like space and technology
• co-locating and consolidating support services and departments
• academic program reviews
• and more