The Real Story Behind College Closures - Requiem for a College - 2nd edition (April 2025)

Welcome back to what I'm going to call is a very special episode of This Week in College Viability. I've done a lot of media recently, and when reporters ask me when the college closure period started, I have used the 2017 closure of St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana as my response. It's not perfectly accurate, but it's important because of my podcast guest today. And since 2017, many private and some public colleges have closed. And my two special guests are here to update us on the second edition of a fabulous book called Requiem for College, due out later this year. John Nichols, you lived it, you wrote it, you published it, and now you're updating it. And Kate Colbert, you are publishing the second edition, you wrote the foreword, and driving John to the finish line. John Nichols, welcome.

Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

And Kent Colbert, always a pleasure to have you on the podcast. We could do this every day. You and I could talk higher education anytime we wanted to. So John, The Requiem for a College, just a fascinating book. You know, I've talked about it many times, both recorded and elsewise. And it was really, it addressed the personal impact and the business decisions of St. Joseph College in Rensselaer, Indiana John, how is the second edition similar and how is it different to the first edition?

This one has the benefit of more research. Is this better?

Yeah, it is.

It's better? Okay.

Yeah.

This edition has the benefit of more research since about 7 or 8 years have elapsed and we can look at other institutions that have gone through this sad fate and draw more commonalities. In the book, I look at institutions like Iowa Wesleyan, Cardinal Stritch, St. Gregory's in Oklahoma, just a variety of them. And we start to see, while every closure is different, we do see points of commonality. So I'm able to draw upon that as well as other studies that have been done since then, and also talk to more experts, Dr. Paula Langtoe. Dr. Malik Khouri, and of course Kate, and several other people who have been leaders in trying to draw attention to this, this sad trend. And when you said earlier in other discussions that you marked 2017, the closure of St. Joseph's College, as the beginning of the trend, I would say it certainly is when the accelerator got hit. And a lot of the trend is not going anywhere really, but hoping to bring a little more focus to it and hopefully help others.

And John, one of the things that almost touched me about the first edition of Requiem for a College was the two parts. And the first part was really you detailing the the human component from yourself, your colleagues, the students, the community, and even some degree, the leaders. And the second part where you just painstakingly outlined the less than good decisions and the non-decisions that the college leaders made there. From writing the book, the first edition, and from your experience as college faculty and as an author, what are some of the warning signs you would encourage faculty to monitor at their college in 2022, in 2025 and beyond?

Well, I think a couple signs are usually self-evident, and that would be, first of all, enrollment. If you start seeing smaller classes and you start seeing just fewer students in the hallway, then that's a sure sign. Uh, that, like I said, that's evident. Uh, deferred maintenance. If things are not getting replaced, not getting repaired, and administration is saying, well, we're going to look at that maybe next fiscal year, let's say. Again, that becomes sort of self-evident. What might not be evident, and this is something faculty should be asking about, are the tuition discount rates. I always keep coming back to those. If you're a private college and you're trying to stay competitive, often those tend to be very high. And we've talked many times, Gary, about how the— sometimes there'll be universities that begin to brag, even humbly, that they have a large number of enrollment for a new academic year. And we will talk to ourselves, say, well, what was your discount rate? Are you giving away the store? And is it just something that's not sustainable? While yes, you do have more students in seats, at what cost and how many there are on not just discounting the tuition for scholarships or something like that, but athletics, club and activities. At St. Joseph's College, we had all manner of types of discounts. So I would be asking those questions if I were a faculty member. And another thing is that if you start to hear people say, what I see are common phrases. I not only studied college closures, but disasters. I got into a kick there for a while. I was looking at sort of human-influenced disasters, the Johnstown Flood, the Challenger, Chernobyl, things that you wouldn't think have anything to do with it, but it does have to do with human psychology and how people act in times of crisis and or impending situations of stress and strain. And there tends to be a refrain of, oh, well, we've been here before and we can handle that. Well, we— I heard that at St. Joe's, certainly at the institution, had been several times. But 2025 is a different year. Everything is different. And I don't know how many people who are saying that phrase realize it, or it's not going to happen. Now we're going to be all right. Positive thinking is great, but it— I think that there's just a human urge to go to denial many times because thinking the unthinkable is not fun. And I know I was in a bit of denial with this situation despite all of the warning signs I said should be there. Another one might be a steady stream of, "We're going to be all right," from administration. And because even if uncomfortable facts are brought to their attention, whether it's in a campus meeting or via faculty senate or what have you, if you're you're getting back, oh no, we got it under control. That is another sign. That is something that a lot of administrations, not higher ed, but just governing bodies never wanna look out of control. So if you're getting that repeatedly, I would start to at least ask more pointed questions.

Yeah, I mean, that's actually something, Gary, I've heard you say before, is that this sort of brushing it aside, we see this a lot in higher education. When a school is really struggling, we hear, leadership say, we're fine, we're fine, we're fine, we're fine, we're closing. And there's just really sort of nothing sort of in between that. And so, you know, interestingly, early in my higher education career, I'm a marketer by trade and a writer by trade. I went and got my MBA because I noticed really early on that when you work at a medical school, there's a lot of really great doctors in biomedical sciences. And when you work at a liberal arts school, you've got people who know a lot about, you know, math and English and whatnot. But in terms of people really understanding how it all works and how to keep an institution running and understanding the finances, not everybody in higher education knows how to do that. And so, you know, in addition to all the things that John just mentioned, I think that faculty and staff at institutions of higher education should be looking at their endowment size. Is it getting smaller? Is it small to begin with? You know, I know, Gary, you talk about, you know, if it's less than $50 million, boy, that's not a whole lot of money to dip into in an emergency. Are they sort of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul? So, you know, are— is your institution taking a lot of money out of its endowment? And you can— those numbers are available. I would say be looking at net income losses. You know, did your institution actually lose money this— I think a lot of people who work in higher education will say, but we're not supposed to be profitable if they're a nonprofit. They say we're nonprofit, not understanding what that means, but you need to have a balance sheet that works. And then I think one of the big issues that we're going to see more and more of now that we're seeing a lot of changes coming out of Washington and state governments as well are appropriation losses. So a lot of colleges and universities have been able to balance their budget based on appropriations, money coming in from government sources. And if those things are drying up, sort of now what? And I think that if we're going to work in higher education, we need to understand how to look at these numbers.

So Jonathan, I want to, or John, excuse me, I want to ask you a question about since the first edition of Requiem for a College came out, and it's reasonable to conclude from that first edition of the book that the leadership at St. Joseph's in Rensselaer, Indiana was less than forthcoming. Do you, and the research you've done, and maybe Kate, if you've got some on this as well, do you see more of that as you were preparing this second edition of Requiem?

I see more of it from other administrations.

Right.

It really— I'll get back to St. Joseph's in just a little bit, but I want to use a concrete example of administrative lines that are questionable. I have been talking with someone who is connected with a small private college, and they've been in dire straits for a long time. And he privately told me that the institution's bank has said, we will no longer extend your line of credit. This is just recently. So the school made an announcement to the public. We are between banks right now. Oh, guys, I just couldn't believe it. I mean, that's, that is truly putting lipstick on a pig. Um, so I see this. Kind of replicating what happened at St. Joe's. St. Joseph's, it was just an effort to not look like you aren't in control, while behind the scenes, there's a great deal of panic, just genuinely not knowing what to do. And I think that's where the lack of forthcoming information, the lack of how things closed down. I had one board member say I was not impressed by how we closed things. And this is one who had voted for the closure. And that was a problem. And in a sort of information ecosystem where there is a lack of information, well, rumor and conspiracy grows in the dark. So yeah, I, I look back on that and I see how a lot of things could be avoided. And I think this goes to a point we'll probably get into. Later on in our discussion of what Kate and I have come to call ethical shutdown. Yeah, if it has to happen, how you're going to handle it and what needs to be done in a way that treats the employees and the students fairly.

And Kate, the next question is for you. And Kate Colbert, you certainly earned the right with all the work you've done throughout higher education to answer this question. I'm going to ask you one question. And for a couple of different audiences. And I know you've got a story about how the three of us started working together, but how important is this second edition of Requiem for a College for college leaders, for faculty and staff, for students, communities? Take that, Aria, take that if you will, please.

Yeah. So, I mean, let me first start by saying that this book is a really marvelous read. John is an English professor and he's a brilliant writer. And so, you know, there are a lot of books about higher education right now, and not all of them are all that interesting. To read, this is a really interesting read. It is riveting. You know, in Requiem for a College, Jon's talents as a writer really show. I think this is, it's a memoir, but it's an industry critique. And I also think it's sort of literary gold. It's suspenseful, it's emotional, it's humorous. You know, you're going to laugh and you're going to cry, even though that sounds really cliché, and it's true. And if you care at all about higher education, you're also going to read this book and come away frustrated and even furious. I think this story, you know, even if you know what to expect, is going to grip you. That's how I got sucked into the first edition of this book and literally was trying, like stalking, like, who is John Nichols? Like, how do I find this guy? I want to talk to him. Like, and John wasn't really active on LinkedIn at the time. And I'm like, who doesn't have a LinkedIn profile?

Like, you know, that's, that's how I'll call it.

Exactly. Oh my gosh. It was great, but it was, you know, I mean, listen, I heard about this book from somebody I was doing some consulting for who was an alum of St. Joseph's College who I had, my book Commencement had just come out. He told me about Requiem for a College, said you have to read it. I bought it that day, started reading it, fell in love with it, you know, reached out to Gary and told you about it. You're like, you've got to read this book. You read it. And then we both started stalking and we're like, there's this like this LinkedIn profile that says Jonathan Nichols, but there's no photo. And we just both kept sending messages and eventually, um, got John sort of, and now he has really become somebody that people turn to and lean on and ask about these issues. So in terms of who this book is for and why the second edition is so important, I would say for college leaders, this book is a wake-up call. You just can't keep smiling and posing for photos at homecoming pretending that everything's okay. We're watching you and we're holding you accountable in this industry. You must come up with a strategy for how you're going to identify communicate about and address financial exigency. Interestingly, at St. Joseph's, the faculty handbook actually had information in there that said in that contract with faculty that should the university come upon some sort of financial exigency, we will involve the faculty in our plans for how to get ourselves out of that. And then they did not, they, because they were, that was like an academic exercise writing that handbook. It's like they thought it would never happen to them. But I think, you know, we have to be, you know, college leaders need to read this book and then ask themselves, have we done a tabletop exercise lately with our cabinet about what we're gonna do if all hell breaks loose financially? Have we been asking department directors and chairs to make sort of risk registers about trends that are concerning them? Like if this goes wrong, we'll do what to sort of fix it or how we're gonna sort of, you know, sort of, you know, keep everything from sort of leak the boat from leaking. I think that too many leaders are afraid that if they admit that something's wrong, that they're experiencing some sort of tough times, that, that while that might motivate donors or alumni or others, or even faculty or staff to help right the ship, it can also worry the marketplace, right? About your viability. And then your new class evaporates or your transfer out rate goes up. But you cannot hide from this challenge. You need a plan. I would say for faculty and staff, this book is going to gut you. I hope that it also motivates you to pay better attention and get more involved in the operations of your college or university. I would say, you know, you start with a gut check and to, you know, to not cut any punches here, do the freaking math. People who work at higher education institutions are smart. So quit looking the other way and assuming that your CFO will tell you that something is wrong if something is wrong. If you have X number of students paying an average net tuition of Y, that's how much tuition revenue. And then think about what's the average faculty salary times how many people times how many staff, how much did you pay for that new building you just put up that you took out a bond for or whatever else? Do you have any other major streams of revenue coming in other than tuition? And, and when you look at those numbers, ask yourself, is that sustainable year over year to you? You know, or can, you know, Mrs. Brubaker only die once and leave you her million-dollar estate, right? And so if you are, if you're dependent upon donations, that's a problem. Do you, you know, thinking that begging ex-customers to keep you afloat is a viable budget strategy is just not. And you got to look at the real numbers. You know, you look at, you know, the College Viability App, you look at IPEDS data, you go to your website where your institution is legally required to put this year's audited financials and look at them. And if you don't understand how to read them, ask somebody to help you. And I would say for students and families, though, these are the people who my heart breaks for the most. I've been doing a lot of consulting for folks whose kids are deciding where to go to school, and they're asking me, will this institution be alive in 5 years? And so I've been— and so this book is the kind of insider story that you're not going to get anywhere else. It just doesn't exist. This is right. Requiem for a College is really unique. So if you want to send your kid to a small, private liberal arts college, especially one that's religiously affiliated, you have to know that that is the very definition of the kind of school that is ripe for closure. So read this book first. Then do the rest of your homework to select a truly healthy, strong, viable school. And I would say for community leaders, you know, before you agree to serve as a community participant on, you know, a college or university strategic planning committee, before you, you know, be sure that you really understand what's afoot at that college or university. Your name and your institution's brand, if you work for a hospital, manufacturing plant, maybe you're the mayor of the town, your brand, your reputation is non-negotiable. So before you hitch your wagons to a college or university that might be lying to you about how well they're doing, and that might be closing their doors this next May, make sure you do your homework first. And I think that this book will help you understand what that looks like. You know, you know, I've said it before and I will say it again, you know, I stand kind of on this weird razor's edge as a higher education author and prognosticator. I often write love letters to academia, but I serve as a devil's advocate. And so when it comes to my involvement with John's brilliant book, it really is on both of those sides of that coin. This industry is full of treasures and it's full of troubles right now. And people deserve to understand which is which.

And for the listeners, of course, you're just getting the audio version. But as we're recording this, we have video going. And as Kate was saying all the nice things about John, you missed his blushing. So my apologies for that. We're just having the audio version of this released. John, you've lived this, and I talked about this in the first edition, and how does just the threat of a college closure, even college cutbacks, impact faculty morale and productivity?

It honestly depends. And I think that if you are talking about a small private institution, particularly one that's religiously affiliated, then it's going to be a tremendous morale blow. It is worrisome because I tell you, most of the folks who are working and teaching at these institutions, they've put their life into it more often than not. That I, I think most professors see their work as a calling, but there's something about the small environment where everybody feels like they're building something together. And so the the feeling or the sense that that might go away is doubly heartbreaking. And I think also plays into it when you're talking about morale. It also plays into the denial. The idea that the center of your universe could completely fall away is something just too big to fathom. So in other cases, if it's another institution that is mid-sized or publicly affiliated, and yes, the public ones need to worry too because there are troubles brewing, then you might have a different sort of issue where people are going to kind of like they would in a lot of other lines of work. I'm not going to be giving my 100%. I'm looking on higher ed jobs or looking in the private sector. And you can only do a few things at once. And if they need to survive, they're going to start applying and that will get a little more of their attention. And so it, it's shaky no matter how you look at it. But in terms of the, of the morale, it really does depend on what situation you're in.

I was going to jump in on this for just a second. You know, one of the interesting things and some of the research that I've done is that 58% of higher education leaders believe that their institution is in trouble. 58% believe their institution is in trouble. And we only got that sort of data because we measured it anonymously and that helps with truth-telling. But that's problematic. And, you know, and Jon's talking about, you know, what happens to faculty morale and productivity But the threat that an institution might eventually close starts to hurt every single stakeholder group. So I have degrees from 4 different institutions, 2 of which I'm a little bit concerned about, one of which actually closed its campus and sold its building yesterday, but says they're still alive. Do you think that alums and donors will continue to support institutions that they think are on the bubble? And the answer is no. And so it it starts to break hearts and, and around the community. There was actually a really beautiful article that was just written about, uh, you know, talking about public institution, um, Southern Illinois University, um, you know, and Carbondale, you know, the regional public that's lost like half of its students in the last 20 years. Um, and what that's doing to the town, um, a very sort of rural area is just this, it's all so heartbreaking. It, the impact is far and wide and deep.

And John, the last big question that I have is for you. And from my perspective, and also an opinion, college faculty have the power to drive change. And yet historically, college faculty have a general history of protesting almost any change offered at their college. There was a book that Bryan Rosenberg wrote, the second best book according to After Requiem, and the title, what is it? Whatever It Is, I'm Against It. And of course, it was from the perspective of faculty not agreeing with things. And this era where college closures, and not just the closures, John, but the cutbacks and the layoffs are almost endemic. What's the best approach from your perspective and from the book for faculty when pressed with these really acute financial challenges?

Well, that's a good one, Gary.

I think that years writing that question, John.

Well, I think that it, I think there's a couple things we are going to have to change. I think that's almost a universal, maybe not universal, but it's definitely making the rounds in higher education. You've heard from Dr. Malik Khouri and others who are trying to revitalize different campuses. He was very successful with Unity. And I think for a bunch of people like college professors who are supposed to be open to the ideas of the world, I admit fully that we're, we've got very firm ideas of how things should be. So I think two things have to go on. There's going to be a kind of a middle ground. Everything's got to change. We've got to be looking at how we can change delivering classes, how we are, what different types of degrees we're awarding or certificate programs or continuing ed, different populations to reach out to. We all know the demographic cliff is, it depends on who you talk to, but we're either right at it or about to go over it. So yeah, there's a lot of different, we have to be, try to be as best we can open to change. While at the same time preserving what is, I see, a beautiful baby sitting in really filthy bathwater. That my fear is that everything will be overhauled to a point where we've lost part of the meaning of college. And that means educating the entire individual and developing them in addition to providing job skills. Now, that happens usually in the in the general education component. Now, are there new, creative, innovative ways we can deliver those general education programs in, in manners that a student won't feel like they're just rehashing high school? Absolutely. I am 100% for that. I am very proud to be involved in efforts right now to, with team teaching, learning communities, things that are new. And well, I guess they're not really new in concept, but things that are different than the traditional cafeteria. Like I said, making a student feel like they're rehashing high school so we can accomplish keeping the spirit and mission of a higher education institution, but changing it for the 21st century. Again, buy Kate's book Commencement because there are a lot of great ideas in there for doing it.

Yep. Yep. So, Kate, before we wrap this up, talk about the logistics. I know you're in the final stages of getting the book ready to go. Tell us about when the book will be available, how listeners can get the book, and I'll take it from there.

Yeah, so we are deep in the editing and just did a cover reveal of the beautiful new book. So John just did a cover reveal on LinkedIn, so make sure you check that out. We're expecting to release the book this summer, so summer 2025. We will be making an announcement relatively soon about when the book will go up for pre-order on Amazon. You'll be able to pre-order it in paperback and Kindle ebook. Book editions. I think one of the best ways to stay in the know right now would be to connect to John on LinkedIn, where he'll be providing a lot of updates. And if you, you know, like, comment, and/or share, that way when he can go back to those, those posts and provide updates, you, you know, you have raised your hand to say, I'm interested in this book, and then you'll be among the first to know when it's available for pre-order. But we expect to have this in your hands before you know it. And we're really, really very excited.

So for the listeners who this is the first time they've heard John Nichols speak about higher education, you have to be impressed with how thoughtful and analytical his recitation and his ideas are. And that came out in the first edition of Requiem for a College. And remember, the man lived it. The man lived it intimately and you don't have a better source, a better perspective than what John Nichols can provide. This is an industry, higher education, that is in the middle of changes. Admit it, don't admit it, whatever you want. But this book as it comes out is an important perspective. Agree with what John Nichols says, disagree, but you'll want to get the book because it offers a perspective. And if you're an academic, you want to listen to other people's ideas and nobody presents the perspective of colleges in trouble than John Nichols. So John, always grateful for you making time. Kate, you've written your own book, you're publishing this through SoberTree Communications. Guys, I wish both of you the best. I'm going to write some kind of comment on LinkedIn, John, so I can get a heads up on pre-ordering the book and we'll do this again sometime. So, so Kate Colbert, John Nichols, thanks to both of you. We look forward to talking to you again in the future.

Thanks so much for having us.

Thank you so very much.