announcements – Page 2 – Save Antioch College

Campus Facilities Update from Nancy Crow, President, Alumni Board of Directors

UPDATE: I have attempted repeatedly to contact Tom Faecke, the University’s CFO. I am strongly urging him in my role as a Trustee that he agree to the reasonable and entirely sensible plan of alumni representatives walking through the campus and taking an inventory of what currently exists on the Antioch College campus. I will remind him that we can easily remove caches of books and papers that we deem valuable, making sure that there is no fire hazard, while still securing our history and legacy.

Noreen Dresser, one of the co-chairs of the Facilities committee, was recently in Yellow Springs for a couple of days to review the current situation on the ground. She has prepared a most enlightening a report, with constructive suggestions on moving forward in collaboration with the Village of Yellow Springs. As many of you know, Noreen has many years experience with facilities and building management, and is quite passionate about making sure the buildings on our historic campus are secure, undamaged, and ready for rehab as soon as we have secured an agreement for the transfer of the campus to the College Board Pro Tem. After the Alumni Association Executive Committee and our Facilities Committee have an opportunity to digest the report, we will share her findings and suggestions for next steps with the community.

Intrepid alumni on the ground in Yellow Springs recently discovered that the University’s clean-up crew has been throwing out books and pamphlets. Many thanks to Gerry Bello ’97 and Tim Noble ’02 for making
this discovery, and to Gerry for calling me. As I said to him then, the idea of books being tossed is like a knife in my heart. These books are emphatically *not* subpar items, such as broken furniture or mold-covered mattresses, that would have to be discarded no matter what. These books and papers, many of them irreplaceable, are a catalogued and erstwhile organized treasure trove of our shared history, and as such, are priceless. They are also part of the legacy for future generations of Antiochians, some of whom are preparing to start classes right now with the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute. No Antioch alum can condone this action; it must stop.

The Alumni Board’s Facilities Committee had asked Milt Thompson for the chance to walk through campus and take an inventory. Milt’s boss, Tom Faecke, has not authorized Milt to pursue this sensible, easily-achieved plan. We recognize that Mr. Faecke is working on a limited budget and is carrying out the task he was assigned of cleaning out and securing buildings, but we strongly urge him to permit the Alumni Board’s
authorized representatives to remove caches of paper and memorabilia rather than pitch books and records, regardless of their historic value.

The Alumni Board facilities committee offers to work with the University to halt this needless destruction, and to agree to the common-sense solution of having representatives of the alumni take inventory. Yes, we can avoid misunderstandings and still protect the campus against fire by letting authorized alumni representatives walk through the campus and take inventory. The University Board of Trustees, on which I sit, in its June 7th resolution to start the planning for separation of the College from the University, acknowledged that the future of Antioch College rests on the shoulders of its alumni. We cannot build a future without the incredible work and materials of alumni of past generations.

We are still ashamed to let it die!

–Nancy Crow, ’70
President, Antioch College Alumni Association

First Five Members Named to Antioch College Board of Trustees Pro Tem

The Antioch College Alumni Board of Directors announced that it has named the first 5 members to the College Board of Trustees Pro Tem. This initial group includes Matthew Derr ’89, Atis Folkmanis ’62, Frances Degen Horowitz ’54, Lee Morgan ’66, and Barbara Slaner Winslow ’68. These first five members represent a broad range of skills, but share steadfast dedication to Antioch College.

More members will be named shortly. While naming the first members of the Board Pro Tem is an exciting step, it is a step that is done in tandem with the Task Force working to effect a separation of Antioch College and Antioch University. Last week, we reported that the Task Force had hired consultants to assist with legal and financial issues.

The initial members of the Board Pro Tem have been idenitified by the Committee on Trustees. The Committee on Trustees included representatives from the Alumni Board, the Antioch College Continuation Corporation, Nonstop, and the broader alumni community. It drew on the previous work of the Governance Committee to identify candidates for the first Board of Trustees to focus solely on Antioch College in over thirty years.

Alumni Board Charge to the Antioch College Board of Trustees Pro Tem

In this extraordinary moment in the history of Antioch College, you have been invited by the Antioch College Alumni Association Board of Directors, the elected body representing over 17,000 college alumni, to serve as a member of the Antioch College Board of Trustees Pro Tem. [Download]

As a member of the first board devoted exclusively to leading Antioch College in forty years, you are asked to lead the College in partnership with its key stakeholders through the current crisis, and to lay the foundation for its return to prominence and leadership as a residential liberal arts college based in our long-standing tradition of academic excellence, community governance and cooperative education. Further, this is a call to re-create an independent and thriving Antioch College that adheres to its historic mission while growing and adapting to the ever-changing social, technological, environmental and financial opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.

For more than a year, college alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends from the Village of Yellow Springs and around the world have committed themselves to sustaining the vision, spirit and soul of Antioch College in preparation for the opportunity to appoint a board of an independent college. The community is grateful for your willingness to accept this weighty responsibility and stands ready to support you. We pledge our talent, time and financial resources to restore Antioch College’s historic stature and reputation.

In the tradition of Antioch College, and in keeping with the trust this invitation represents on the part of our community, we call upon the Board Pro Tem to acknowledge and honor the essential role that community governance will continue to play at Antioch College. In preparation for the conclusion of the pro tem period of board leadership in thirty-six months, the Alumni Board further calls upon you to engage the community in the process of transitioning to a permanent Board of Trustee structure, and to continue to reflect a commitment to community governance in the vision, mission and by-laws, of the corporation that will ultimately own and govern the College.

In June of 2007 and again in June of 2008, the Alumni Association affirmed its commitment to the future of Antioch College in the form of resolutions passed by those in attendance at reunion and by the Antioch College Alumni Board. We ask that you review these resolutions carefully and consider the valuable insight they can provide to you as you begin your service.

Finally, you are called upon to take the measure of your success as a board from Horace Mann’s exhortation, in the same fashion that all Antiochians have for generations: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”

NonStop Liberal Arts Institute Presents Fall Academic Open House

August 14, 2008

CONTACT: Scott Warren 767-9971 or Chris Hill 767-2327

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NONSTOP LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTE PRESENTS FALL ACADEMIC OPEN HOUSE

On Thursday August 21 at 7:30 p.m. the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute will present a Fall Academic Open House at the John Bryan Center gymnasium, 100 Dayton Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio. This event is free and open to all.

Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute, founded by the former faculty of Antioch College, offers open-source post-secondary educational experience for learners dedicated to innovation, social responsibility and community involvement, both locally and globally. Pursued as an alternative door into higher education or as a means of continuing life-learning interests, Nonstop provides participants with an exciting program of courses, study groups and workshops. The Institute will also host Nonstop Presents!, a semester-long festival of public lectures, films, exhibitions and performances.

The Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute (Nonstop) and Nonstop Antioch (the movement to organize former faculty, staff, students and alumni of Antioch College to keep its soul alive and operating in Yellow Springs), which works closely with Nonstop, are not affiliated with or sponsored by Antioch University or any of the Antioch University campuses or related organizations.

Although Nonstop courses are not currently accredited, their structures and requirements adhere to national crediting standards. Students will maintain Learning Portfolios documenting each course and providing a future opportunity to petition accredited institutions to accept Nonstop Faculty-evaluated course work as transfer credit.

The Institute will offer a wide range of classes in many different disciplines, including anthropology, art, chemistry, communications, dance, journalism, philosophy, theater, political science, and writing. Courses and special events will be scheduled throughout the week with some offerings in the evenings and on Saturdays. At the Open House attendees will be able to interact with faculty one-on-one and receive copies of the course syllabi. There will also be tables set up for people to pre-register for classes, donate to Nonstop Antioch, offer housing or jobs for students, and share expertise. For those unable to attend this event, Fall course information is available at 937-319-4001, email inquiries or on the Web at nonstopsintitute.org. The mailing address for the Institute is P.O. Box 444, Yellow Springs, OH 45387.

Preparation for a New, Fully Independent Antioch College Aided by New Advisors

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Download

August 8, 2008 Contact: Charla White 734.661.2340

Antioch College Alumni Association and Antioch University Board of Trustees Continue Collaboration; Preparation for a New, Fully Independent Antioch College Aided by New Advisors

Yellow Springs, OH – Responding to an invitation from the Antioch University Board of Trustees, the Antioch College Alumni Association has devised a process leading to a new, fully independent Antioch College. In a continuing effort to move expeditiously, the process has called for the taskforce to craft a Letter of Intent as part of a comprehensive plan to be presented to the Board of Trustees. The task force consists of two representatives of the Antioch College Alumni Association, two representatives of the Antioch University Board of Trustees, and the President of the Great Lakes Colleges Association as the mediator.

With the assistance of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, the taskforce interviewed legal and financial professionals in early July. It has now asked these advisors to build upon the earlier work of the University and alumni-related groups. The advisors will provide independent counsel to the mediator and the taskforce on many of the issues involved in separating the College from the University.

George K. Baum & Company, an investment banking firm with an industry-leading municipal bond business and a strong presence in investment banking has been retained. Their clients include many liberal arts colleges and universities. For more information regarding George K. Baum & Company please visit www.gkbaum.com.

Also retained is the Higher Education Practice Group of Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC. This legal team is comprised of attorneys who provide a full range of services on issues related to colleges and universities. For more information of Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC visit www.bsk.com.

In the coming weeks, the taskforce and its advisors will be working closely with representatives from Antioch University and the Antioch College Alumni Association.

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Founded in 1962, the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) is a non-profit organization governed by thirteen selective liberal arts colleges in the Midwest: Albion, Allegheny, Antioch, DePauw, Denison, Earlham, Hope, Kalamazoo, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash, and Wooster. Its purpose is to strengthen and extend education in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences. GLCA often works conjointly with similar associations of liberal arts colleges to enhance the strength and vitality of member institutions. For additional information contact: Charla White at 734.330.5122 or email.

Antioch College Alumni Association Creates Framework for Plan to Open an Independent Antioch College with Support from Antioch University Board of Trustees

PRESS RELEASE [Download]

Great Lakes Colleges Association

535 W. William, Suite 301, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

www.glca.org

Phone: 734.661.2350 Fax: 734.661.2349 white@glca.org

The Antioch University Board of Trustees [Trustees] and the Board of Directors of the Antioch College Alumni Association [Alumni] have agreed to move expeditiously to create a new, fully independent, Antioch College to reopen at an early date.

In response to a request from the Trustees to create a process for an independent Antioch College, the Alumni sev-eral weeks ago moved to create a collaborative taskforce to assist with the development of plans requested by the Trustees. The objective of this process is to craft a comprehensive strategy to allow Antioch College to begin to rebuild immediately as a fully independent institution while not jeopardizing the well-being or prospects for growth of the remaining academic campuses of Antioch University. The taskforce consists of two representatives of the Alumni (Matthew Derr and Lee Morgan), two representatives of the Trustees (Dan Fallon and Jack Merselis), and the Great Lakes Colleges Association serving as an “honest broker” to function as advisor and facilitator through its president, Richard Detweiler.

The initial focus of the taskforce was to suggest a resolution, now adopted by both the Trustees and the Alumni, authorizing the task force to prepare a letter of intent outlining a full agreement. The resolution (full copy below) stipulates the shared premises of this work. The Corporation that is now Antioch University was called Antioch College prior to 1977 and includes, in addition to Antioch College, other campuses in Keene, NH, Los Angeles, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Seattle, WA, and Yellow Springs, OH. The resolution emphasizes the common heritage shared by all of these institutions, and the commitment to separating Antioch College to stand alone as a fully inde-pendent residential liberal arts college.

The taskforce is currently interviewing legal and financial professionals who, working with and building upon the earlier work of the University and alumni-related groups, will provide independent counsel to the taskforce on the many issues involved in separating the college from the university. The taskforce expects to retain these experts soon.

Two grants of $50,000 each have been received in support of the work of the taskforce: one from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the other from the Morgan Family Foundation.

The Taskforce is moving swiftly. It is the express wish of both the Alumni and the Trustees that an agreement be reached as soon as possible.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the elected Antioch College Alumni Association Board of Directors

(“Alumni”) agrees to collaborate with the Antioch University Board of Trustees (“Trustees”) to create the neces-sary process and plans and to identify the resources to sustain and strengthen Antioch College, a historic liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, OH.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alumni and the Trustees authorize a task force (“Task Force”) to prepare a letter of intent for a proposed agreement to be presented jointly for their approval; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Task Force be comprised of two Alumni representatives, Matthew Derr (’89 Antioch College) and Lee Morgan (’66 Antioch College), and two Trustee representatives, Dan Fallon (’61 Antioch College) and Jack Merselis (’96 Antioch University New England). Richard Detweiler, president of the Great Lakes College Association, will also serve as a member of the Task Force as a neutral third party.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Alumni and Trustees agree that the Task Force will begin its work upon the following general premises:

1. It is recognized that the terms stated in this resolution are not intended to be complete agreements, but instead as guidelines for the preparation of one or more definitive agreements between the parties.
2. The resources to assist the Task Force will be administered with the assistance of the Great Lakes College Association, which will also serve as the locus for official communication.
3. The Task Force will jointly retain professional expertise to assist it in this collaborative process and will build upon earlier accomplishments in order swiftly to achieve its purpose.
4. The establishment of a separate non-profit corporation with 501(c)3 status and governance by an independent Board of Trustees represent the best avenue to vigor and long-term sustainability for Antioch College.
5. Operations at Antioch College should resume at the earliest possible time.
6. The corporation Antioch College was founded in 1852 and changed its name in 1977 to Antioch University. There is and always has been only one corporation. Therefore, Antioch College and other campuses of Antioch University all share one historic legacy.
7. Upon the separation of Antioch College, Antioch University is composed of campuses in Keene, NH; Los Angeles, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Seattle, WA; Antioch University McGregor, Yellow Springs, OH; Antioch Education Abroad; and a University-wide Ph.D. program.
8. The Alumni and Trustees will collaborate in developing a plan for an exchange of assets that does not jeopard-ize Antioch University’s accreditation, creditors, or its financial well-being or prospects for growth, but that also allows Antioch College to begin to rebuild immediately.
9. Endowment and other funds and grants restricted to or intended for the use of Antioch College, excluding Antioch University, will become assets of Antioch College.
10. Endowment and other funds and grants restricted to or intended for the use of Antioch University, excluding those funds and grants restricted to or intended for the use of Antioch College, are assets of Antioch University.
11. The Alumni, with the assistance of the Great Lakes College Association, will provide the Trustees with an outline of an expertly advised business plan for Antioch College.

12. Collaborations between Antioch University and Antioch College in support of the respective missions and
needs of each institution will be encouraged as mutually agreed.

13. The Alumni will form a pro-tem Board of Trustees in preparation to assume fiduciary responsibility for An-
tioch College and to accept one or more definitive agreements.

14. The Task Force will proceed collaboratively to address and clarify at least the following issues:

a. The definition of the future real estate of Antioch College.
b. The definition of other future assets of Antioch College.
c. The status of any tax-exempt bond principal that is specifically associated with Antioch College.
d. How the name, trademark and sign associated, respectively or jointly, with Antioch College and Antioch
University shall be protected and reserved by either party or both parties.
e. The shared understanding to support and facilitate future fund-raising by both parties.
f. The rights of either party in the event of dissolution or change of mission for any reason by the other
party.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this document was written with recognition of the
historic importance of collaboration between the parties and the hope it signifies for future generations who, with
the benefit of an Antioch education, will commit their lives to winning victories for humanity.

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Founded in 1962, the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) is a non-profit organization governed by twelve selective liberal arts colleges in the Midwest: Albion, Allegheny, Antioch, DePauw, Denison, Earlham, Hope, Kalamazoo, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash, and Wooster. Its purpose is to strengthen and extend education in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences. GLCA often works conjointly with similar associations of liberal arts colleges to enhance the strength and vitality of member institutions. For additional information contact: Charla White at 734.330.5122 or email Charla White.