TWICV News and Commentary for August 18 2024

I had a higher ed friend send me a story on Sunday about an Iowa private college. The spin was silly and obvious. A look at their financials suggests this college is a likely closure candidate when the Higher Education tipping point hits. I could have pulled a half-dozen of these type of stories in just the past week.

This is an industry living on spin. They couch their press releases in carefully worded avoidance of hardly any details. Graduation rates are hidden. Reinforcing my view that too many colleges are all about enrollment and not outcomes.

This will not end well for individual colleges, this nation, or hundreds of thousands of students that have been or will be negatively impacted by the abysmal financial health of hundreds of public and private colleges.

Top news and commentary this week:

+ Lots of closures and cutbacks

+ It is spin season as colleges take data for a fictional ride from reality

+ A college hid a June layoff announcement

+ St. Augustine won an temporary injunction against its accreditor.

+ Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle.

Show notes:

UConn closes 7 academic programs after low-enrollment review

University of Utah details course cuts

Monmouth College phasing out ten majors, enhancing other programs following academic prioritization process

Avila University Announces Leadership Transition

Local colleges navigate uncertain times with international students

Aquinas College is growing, but still provides the ‘sanctuary’ of a smaller school

Suffolk University laid off 35 people earlier this summer

Saint Augustine's University announces Sept. 2 start for fall semester, new board chair appointed

New Illinois law set to shake college admissions

A Better Model for College Accreditation

Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle.