Save Antioch College - The Portal

Alumni,

As of 2/28/07, Antioch College no longer has a Dean of Students position.  The Director of Auxiliary Services will now be called the Vice President of Student Affairs and Services and will assume the responsibilities associated with the Dean of Students. This is not the only institutional change that has occurred recently. Ten positions have been cut today, while ten other positions have been vacated and are not planned to be re-instated. This decision was not made with any larger community input. The decisions that were made not only affect the individuals dismissed, but the community at large. The decision to cut these positions also has deeper implications for the structure of the community and has devastating effects on community governance. As you all are undoubtedly aware, the foundation of Antioch College is predicated on the three C’s: Community, Co-op and Classroom. Community has been infringed upon.

Community governance is a reality that generations of Antioch students have cherished and reflected upon. When a decision of the enormity that has been undertaken today is made unilaterally and without community input, it invalidates the worth of collective sentiment and renders less meaning to community input. With a Dean of Students position in a lesser hierarchy than it was originally intended, Community Government suffers. Budget deficits and financial disparity are the reasons cited for these employment cuts. We need alumni support to challenge these administrative impositions.

As members of the Antioch community, we want the re-establishment of the Dean of Students position and a written statement by President Steve Lawry to formally recognize AdCil and ComCil as directed in the LegCode. Our former Dean of Students, Jimmy Williams, has served Antioch College for 17 years and has proven to be an indefatigable link between students and the administration and is a wonderful student advocate. His position needs to be re-instated. We have provided the letter to the community from Steve Lawry and the contact information for the Board of Trustees and President Steve Lawry. Please help us retain the integrity of our institution by contacting the individuals accountable for these actions and by expressing your discontent. There will be a meeting between students and President Lawry on Thursday morning at 9 am. This is an urgent matter; if you can send your e-mails beforehand or forward this e-mail to the addresses listed as signatories, it would be very helpful. Thank you for being allies of the Antioch community.

In solidarity,
Antioch College Radicals

Hello Mr. Lawry,

Jimmy Williams is an integral part of the Antioch community and a knowledgeable point of access to the strands that tie Antioch’s past to Antioch’s future. I am saddened to see that his importance has been overlooked by this administration.

I am also amazed and appalled to hear that you don’t believe a dedicated Dean of Students is important to student recruitment and retention. Who else is there to act as a direct connection between the students who pay for the experience and those who work for them: you, Mr. Lawry, and all of the offices you oversee.

I’m sure Mr. Williams will make out fine without Antioch, and I’m sure you will save some money without a Dean of Students (or his secretary), but I believe the Antioch community got the short end of the stick on this decision.

Sincerely,

Forrest Gray

Class of 2000

While this may sound out of left field, has anyone considered contacting The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? If they are truly committed to improving and providing education to the population at large, then perhaps they would be willing to assist in or provide a grant that would sustain the college through the proposed period of rebuilding. If this develops into a real possibility, then Antioch would certainly have to install a new president firmly vested in higher education, who would make decisions limited to the betterment of the institution and firmly committed to Horace Mann’s founding principles. The Gates Foundation requires a letter of inquiring prior to submitting any proposal. So, I am going to take it upon myself to come up with a something that I hope will pique their interest in getting involved. I’ll update you as things develop.

Respectfully,

Sid Blair

class of 1983