Michael HornCo-founder and Chairman, Christensen Institute

Future U -- Reporters Roundtable: Colleges Must Face Hard Truths

5 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment of the Future U reporters roundtable, a panelist laments that political and cultural debates dominate media coverage while the pressing business and financial challenges facing small, vulnerable New England colleges are largely ignored. The speaker emphasizes that these institutions are vital to the local economies and cultural life of their towns, yet they are showing clear warning signs of financial distress. Despite visible problems, there is a prevailing optimism that is not grounded in the actual data or forecasts, raising concerns about the future sustainability of these schools.

Chapters

Hey, it's the politics and the culture that dominate the discussion and dominate so much of our social media feeds and the media. But it's the fundamental business questions that are so urgent. And I don't see schools acting. And we have so many of the small vulnerable schools here in New England that are so important to the economy and to the culture here. I mean, so many of these towns would be really boring without their little colleges. So it's really sad to think about But these schools are in trouble, and all the warning signs are flashing. And and you just hear the same. You just hear this optimism and this hope that isn't based on reality, isn't based on the numbers or the predictions that were that are there. So it's really concerning. I don't.