by Antioch Alumni Association, Friday, August 17, 2007
For the first time in more than a generation, Antioch College has the opportunity to reemerge as a healthy institution with leadership devoted solely to its future. While the opportunity is born of a crisis of governance and financial mis-steps, the alumni of Antioch College are now seeking to reclaim and rebuild the 155 year old liberal arts college known for rigorous academic study, cooperative education, social activism, and community governance.
The Board of Directors of the Alumni Association encouraged its 17,000 members to participate in a webcast with University Chancellor, Dr. Toni Murdock, and Chair of the University Board of Trustees, Arthur Zucker in the hope that respectful dialogue would foster the transparency necessary to assess the needs of Antioch College. Alumni Board Treasurer, Rick Daily expressed his regret that the University elected to cancel the webcast based on the advice of counsel because of a pending lawsuit filed recently by members of the Antioch College faculty.
On behalf of the Alumni Association, Nancy Crow ’70, President of the Alumni Board, recognized the faculty for the commitment they have historically made and continue to make to Antioch College. “We share the faculty’s dedication to the uninterrupted continuation of Antioch College as an independent liberal arts college with a tenured faculty. We hope that their efforts will not be misused as a rationale by University leadership to avoid participating in the conversation that will lead to returning Antioch College to prominence,” said Crow.
Some of the financial information that informed the University Board of Trustees’ suspension decision is already avail-able in many different public forums. What has been missing for over two months has been the opportunity to discuss the financial details in an open conversation between Antioch College alumni and University leadership. The Alumni Board repeats its request for a full and frank discussion of the College’s current finances and future governance, and it expects that information to be presented at the University Board of Trustees meeting at the Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport on August 25. The Alumni Board believes that the chosen venue will be less conducive to broad participation than would Kelly Hall at Antioch College; however, the Alumni Association will participate.
The Alumni Board will also extend that dialogue this weekend, as College alumni chapters in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and 20 additional locations will gather at events during Support Antioch College Weekend August 17-19, in order to raise awareness and to increase the already widespread support for the revival of the College.
Antioch College alumni reaffirm their commitment to open discussion of the future of Antioch College with the participation of the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders. Members of the Alumni Board, elected by the College alumni, look forward to that discussion’s being based on the Antiochian values of full community involvement and the free and open exchange of information.
Supporters Committed to Raising Necessary Funds
Antioch College Revival Fund
Established in June 2007 by the Alumni Board of Antioch College in response to an attempt by the University Board of Trustees to suspend operations of the 150 year-old historic college, the College Revival Fund, Inc. is an Ohio non-profit corporation established solely for the benefit of Antioch College to ensure its continued operation. Alumni have raised $625,000 in cash and pledges to date for the College Revival Fund that is under the full control of the Antioch College Alumni Association. In addi-tion, there are expressions of interest in contributing to a revived, self-governed Antioch College that are in excess of $2 million.
Antioch College
Founded in 1852, Antioch College is a private undergraduate liberal arts college located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Antioch College is a leader in American higher educa-tion and has been recognized for many generations for academic rigor, innovation and social justice. The College was among the first to offer women and men an equal academic curriculum, offer faculty equal compensation regardless of gender, among the first to offer African-American students access to a college education, and among the first non-sectarian colleges in the United States. The College counts many noteworthy alumni in all fields.