Antioch College in Yellow Springs to Suspend
Operations in 2008

Dear Antioch University Seattle Community,

By now you may have heard the news that by resolution of the Board of Trustees, Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, will suspend its operations on July 1, 2008. Like many small, undergraduate institutions, the College has had financial challenges due to extremely low enrollments over many years.  

This is difficult news, and I also want to assure you that the University overall — including the Seattle campus — is on sound financial footing. Our operations continue as before, and we will continue to offer a cutting-edge education to our students. Further, our accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools* is unaffected by the temporary closure of Antioch College. The resolution of the Board of Trustees is accompanied by a declaration of their intention to reopen a new and revitalized campus by July 2012.  

I will provide you with updates as information becomes available. The text of the news release is included below.  

Sincerely,

Mark Hower
Interim President
Antioch University Seattle

June 12, 2007

Antioch College Suspends Operations to Design 21st Century Campus: State-of-the-Art Campus Projected to Open in 2012

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH – On June 9, 2007, Antioch University's Board of Trustees voted to suspend operations on July 1, 2008 of Antioch College, the University's undergraduate residential program in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with the intention of reopening a state-of-the-art campus. The College suspension of operations does not affect the accreditation or operations of the five nonresidential university campuses located in Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Keene and McGregor in Yellow Springs*.

The Chancellor will establish a Design and Development Commission to determine the long-term future of the College with the intention of opening a re-developed undergraduate campus. An Academic Design Team will be appointed to design a new undergraduate curriculum reflecting the College's strong traditions and values while meeting the needs of today's students.

The College will continue to serve its current and newly accepted students with a strong academic program for the 2007-08 academic year.

For the 2008-09 academic year, all students will be offered degree completion opportunities at Antioch University McGregor which is moving to a new facility in Yellow Springs in September 2007. In addition to the McGregor opportunity, students who have successfully completed the first two years of their bachelor's degree will be offered reasonable opportunities to complete their degree at Antioch University's other degree completion programs in Seattle, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Students wishing to transfer to other colleges and universities based on the requirements of the other institutions will be assisted in doing so.

Over the past several years, Antioch College has experienced a continuing decline in its student enrollment. Given its small endowment and heavy dependence on tuition revenue, this low enrollment has threatened the College's survival. Efforts to balance the College's budget over the years through faculty and staff reductions, programmatic changes and deferred maintenance of the physical plant have eroded the confidence students and parents have in the College's academic program. After careful analysis the Board determined that the College's resources are inadequate to continue providing a quality education for its students beyond July 1, 2008.

The College's low enrollment and lack of adequate funding led to the decision to suspend operations and declare financial exigency as required by the faculty personnel policy.

Antioch Chancellor Toni Murdock Responds
to Media Coverage on the Closing of the College

*In 2010, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools changed its name to the "Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools" and Antioch University McGregor to "Antioch University Midwest."