Notes from Antioch College alumni meeting, Chicago 4/10/10

See video:
Part One
Part Two

Speakers: Matthew Derr, Lee Morgan, Beverly Rodgers, Aimee Maruyama, Julian Sharp

using arts & sciences
testing academic plan with high school students

Beverly:
a week to ten days in between each term
no summers off
flipped educational model upside down
begin forming relationships with faculty in first year 1:5 teacher ratio

lee: target to have tuition equal or below state school out of state, do it in 3 years.
we just lost a work quarter
seven academic quarters, five coops

the question is can a human being develop properly in 3 years. I don’t have a good answer.

sandy macnab: do you have entering class in back pocket?

lee: we can just about offer a free ride to the first 25 students
recruitment will be more about finding the proper diversity mix

beverly: want alumni chapters to help interview prospective students
in last year school closing had 62 students

susan greene: similar calendar took me five years.

three years may only attract more sophisticated students than our target diversity

kathy huff: how’s annual fund going?
aimee: it’s 2.8 million. we’re just over half way
kathy huff: wouldn’t it be wise to keep the endowment?

11.4% currently giving (aimee)

lee: since announced closure 16 million raised
2 million in the bank
4-5 million in outstanding pledges

lee: operating budget 400k/month $5 million/year
2 million to rehab gym

south gym will accommodate 250 seat black box theater shared facility with village

beverly level out at 600 students half on campus half remote

tour of building at antiochcollege.org

howard cort: is there enough flexibility in the program?

beverly: we’re presenting program for three years it may take four

derr: first class planned to come in at 100% discount
reduced discount rate to about 30%
hover around 20% after received accreditation
26,000 tuition and 10,000 in fees first year

beverly: not negating governance but having a director of community

jim hobart: what if this design doesn’t work?
I never would have made it through this program
where’s the fun?

derr: it works according to credits and math.
we have to invest in student life, gym, glen to have rich experience
we have to look at this empirically at how it plays to 17 year olds

we have to decide what our admission criteria are. works better when students have had work experience

first entering class 25 second 50 third 75

involve community mangers in year long curriculum in community
give new community agency of its own
have to plan for governance on campus or they’ll rebel against it

roger: where would you recruit transfer students?

derr: public university students who want liberal arts education but don’t have access
start hosting prospective students this fall

lee: if this doesn’t work we’re going to go down in a blaze of glory. we’re not going to do something half-ass

prexy: our legacy is risk taking. when I say antioch lives people say “are you serious? you came back again?” this is our legacy.

susan: I take you at your word student body won’t be all white.
the first year is where we must recruit the class that looks different. must have working class students.

prexy: we’ve begun going places antioch never went to (in terms of diverse recruitment).
lee: we’re devoting a day to this subject at our may board meeting

beverly: I’m chair of morgan fellows

julian: eight OSU students came on spring break to do work
4/24-25 big volunteer weekend on campus

derr: we need you to talk to disconnected and angry alumni and turn them around

note: the fundamental academic subjects- it’s unclear to some alumni how they fit in.

derr: board meeting will be in yellow springs may 24-25. Details to come.

Help chart the course for the future of Antioch College

Reunion 2009.  Photo by Dennie Eagleson.

Reunion 2009. Photo by Dennie Eagleson.

Beverly Rodgers (anthropology) and Jean Gregorek (literature) are two of the five Morgan Fellows who have been tasked with building the curriculum for the college to reopen in 2011 and oversee faculty hiring. (Both Beverly and Jean taught at Antioch College and the Nonstop Institute.)

They’re coming to Chicago to discuss their plans, and to find out what you think, asking big questions about the value and relevance of liberal arts in the 21st Century. Antioch has a unique opportunity to apply its historic mission to today’s social needs. They are genuinely seeking alumni input into this process. This is your chance to be heard and offer your contribution to the future of the college.

Join the conversation!

Also with With Lee Morgan ‘66, Chair of the Antioch College Board of Trustees and Risa Grimes, Director of Institutional Advancement

Saturday, Dec. 5
2-5 p.m.
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan, Room 921, Chicago

Optional dinner at 5:15 p.m. at Thai Spoon, 601 S. Wabash

$10 parking at northwest corner of Harrison & Wabash
2 blocks east of Red Line Harrison Station

RSVP (yes only) to the Antioch College Alumni Association Chicago Chapter.
Let us know if you plan to join us for dinner.