Former community manager Deborah “Amina” Warfield has volunteered to co-moderate the meeting.

Some preliminary agenda items for the meeting:

How can the rebuilding Antioch College continue and improve upon its legacy of racial and social justice?
How can the college and the board pro tem improve the transparency of their communications?
How can the college maintain its legacy of community governance and meaningful participation in decision making?
How can the college develop more substantive volunteer opportunities?
What are the college’s responsibilities to the students, faculty and staff of the college when it was closed, and of the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute?
Introduction of the Antioch Community Student Union.

Some of the people who have volunteered to organize the meeting are:

Lincoln Alpern ’11, Antioch Community Student Union
Matthew H. Baya ’92, Community Manager 92-93
Michael Casselli ‘87
Art Dole ‘46, co-organizer Downeast Maine Chapter
Jonny Estes, Antioch Community Student Union
John Hempfling, Antioch Community Student Union
Chad Johnston ‘01, Alumni Board member elect
Ed M. Koziarski ‘97, Chicago chapter co-organizer
Foster Neill ‘07
Susan Opotow ‘65, Alumni Board member
David Renz ‘92
Travis Sanford ’94, Alumni Board member
Don Wallis ‘60, Alumni Board member
Deborah “Amina” Warfield ’92, Community Manager 92-93
J.D. Wood ‘88, New York Chapter co-chair

If you’d like to get involved or discuss the agenda for the meeting, please feel free to post to the ACAN list, acan or email Ed M. Koziarski. To post to ACAN, you need to subscribe

Also elected were:

Laurence “Larry” Glasco
Chad Johnston
Tanya Mink
Karen Mulhauser
Allen Spalt
Paula Treichler
Don Wallace (re-elected)

Reunion and Work Project

Campus work project starts next Monday and reunion starts Friday. Are you going? Need a ride? Have space in your car? Post it here. Help someone out and save some gas.

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.

SUMMARY: The Board resolved to endorse the spirit of a refined concept paper for the college. This paper has not yet been made public pending editing, but details of it emerge from Board members’ comments, as detailed below.

See the original concept paper

The Board committed, without a vote, to continue working toward opening in 2011 with a class of 75. The board received first financial report from new college CFO Tom Brookey.

In broadest strokes, the plan is for a 40-month program. 12-1 student-faculty ratio (even lower in the early years). Students study in intensive tutorials of up to four students and 1 professor in first year, to provide great support. Work part-time on campus during academic term. Maintain academic continuity electronically during co-op. On campus instruction geared toward preparing students for work, international co-op. Later academic sessions include global seminar with visiting faculty. Final colloquy year about 20 students in same area of study developing thesis, working with faculty to tailor the program to meet their individual needs. Five-six co-ops.

Fundraising stands at $1.4 million, or half the annual fund goal of $2.8 million, plus $9 million toward $50 million capital campaign. $3.4 million cash on hand, endowment of $21-22 million in the process of being transferred from university. Alumni participation stands at 10%, goal is 25% for the fiscal year ending in June.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: The dates, locations, agenda, and background materials for board meetings should publicized sufficiently in advance to allow substantial public feedback and attendance. Audio, and ideally also video, of the meetings should be recorded and streamed, and minutes made promptly available. This would go along way toward generating a sense of accountability, openness and transparency and overcoming the mistrust toward the college that is still widespread among many alumni. Board members should be actively engaged in dialogue with alumni and other constituencies about vital issues facing the college.

DETAILED MEETING NOTES

Matthew Derr: Brought plan to GLCA in December, asked is this accreditable? They said yes. Talked to Rick Detweiller.

Arts and Science is reviewing the concept paper. [They will test the concept with focus groups of prospective students [and parents] identified as part of the target market.

We appointed a Science Advisory Board of alum scientists to review the curriculum.

Developed a presentation for alumni with Rob Stein of Democracy Alliance

Hope at May Board meeting have a plan far enough along to have impact on reopening college in 2011

Pavel Curtis: Distracted by need for copy edit in the concept paper.

Prexy Nesbitt: Need to spell out more what diversity means. Need to see emerging technology better reflected in the concept paper. Need to specify venues for Global Seminar, be clear about selected countries. Specify international relationships.

Derr: Skirting issue of where the new president’s expertise is, which will impact what countries.

Jay Lorsch: Concerned about the mission: need to not only educate people to win victory for humanity, but also to have a balanced, successful life. Mann’s dictum isn’t the only ideal. Need to sell more broadly.

How many students in a tutorial?

I’m for food, democracy, etc.

What if student has interest in other subjects?

Bachelor of philosophy is a risky degree for graduate school placement.

Let’s be innovative for a purpose.

Derr: This is not an admissions brochure. The mission is pared down to give president room to shape it.

Pavel: Need to present detailed plan to Arts & Sciences, change it later.

Don’t understand Colloquy year.

Tutorial on top of four courses seems too big a load.

How will we go back to 2 divisions.

Frances Dean Horowitz: This is leading to something truly different, as it must.

Let’s go through section by section.

We need to come out of this meeting with a decision on approving this plan.

Jay: Let’s write a memo on the details and talk broadly now.

This has to be a communications document.

Write the detailed document first, then executive summary.

Prexy: I’m disappointed in this document.

Horowitz: The concept of fast track 3-year program focus on work. If we’re on board with concept then go into details.

Jay: Need to know what majors are in the program. Can we train premed?

Joyce Idema: Troubled by mission. Everyone doesn’t need victory for humanity. Broaden mission. It’s pretentious.

Tendaji Ganges: This model doesn’t address the issue of whether sufficient time is allowed for student to fully mature in the three years allowed. Only recruit students already prepared for that? Need more flexibility to accommodate diversity. This will exclude the students I’m working with. They won’t be able to do it in 3 years. Won’t be ready for grad school.

Derr: We’re not ready to be as specific as you want.

We have to compromise for smaller class.

Need one Div at the start.

Frances: 2011 may be too early to admit students. Should start 2012. Let president and faculty work out these details and present them to the board. Need Arts & Sciences to review this before resolving details. We’re boxed in by timeline. We can’t wait because we need the income of students, and 2012 would disappoint people expecting 2011. We’d be better to do it slower.

Jay: When do we have to decide?

Tendaji: January Feb 2011. Have to send out letters of acceptance a year from now.

Jay: Year from now have to accept class. Search committee estimates 6-8 months to hire president. Is it realistic to open in 2011? We better change now if we’re going to change.

Pavel: If we open in 2011 would be a first draft program. Maybe disruptive to future classes if we open without defined plan.

Derr: Need to think about 5-year period to achieve something for accreditation. From fundraising side, not enrolling students would be chilling to fundraising. Need to control our dependence on tuition. Fist class will be pioneers knowingly engaged in college’s development. We will only very gradually increase our dependence on tuition. We committed resources to plan for 2011. Too late to change.

Pavel: If we open in 2011 we need to be ready to change after we open. We can’t wait for president to establish details. Just settle on details and let president change later. Let’s come up with first draft of details so we have something to work with: specifics of a students academic program.

Derr: Details will emerge. Wonder what Prexy isn’t happy about in this iteration?

Tutorial made of 1 faculty 4 students.

12 to 1 student faculty ratio.

Tutorial composed of arts, humanities, science and social science. Tutorial would include basic coursework. We can offer 18-20 based on the strengths of faculty.

The balance of courses has to be defined by what NCCA expects of us.

We’re focusing on conversational work-based language training so student will be prepared to work in their host country.

Language and science study was difficult to sustain in old Antioch model. Use technologies to sustain academic learning over co-op.

More time working one on one with faculty will prepare students to complete program in 40 months.

People love the idea of students working on campus.

Always work at Antioch full and part-time. Prepare students to work off-campus. Give greater depth of experience through on-campus work program. We backed away from students taking courses on co-op so it doesn’t interfere with full-time work experience.

Prexy: Global seminar is most saleable exciting part of the program. We’ll never be fully ready no matter when we start. Being part of first class is of great value.

Pavel: Four to one teacher ratio is the key to me. The meat is the tutorial.

Prexy: There’s no separation between tutorial and global seminar.

Jay: I don’t understand the tutorial structure.

Derr: Students in groups of 1-4. Ratio is 12-1. Each student takes four tutorials in one quarter.

Students are composed of small groups in tutorial, and large groups

Lee: How do you value performance in global seminar?

Anne Bohlen: Projects

Jay: What does this have to do with liberal arts.

Derr: Liberal arts faculty teach global seminar. Creates a bridge between co-op and liberal arts.

Jay: This structure is difficult for student to get sufficient scientific background for premed.

Derr: Third year will allow students to prepare for medical and law school.

Horowitz: Highest acceptance to med school is philosophy major. First year of med school is premed.

Jay: No, they need to take extra science.

Derr: Tutorials are based in disciplines, including science. They’re designed in two blocks per quarter. Classes meet longer better for science.

Jay: What makes you think groups of 4 is best way to learn science?

Pavel: It worked for me.

Derr: They’re also going to co-op. The combination prepares them.

The colloquy year allows student and faculty to focus on discipline. All the science students together with science faculty in colloquy to define what they need for grad school. We can do this in small flexible school. Student could take only five vs six coops and do an extra term of course work and research. Colloquy is built on foundation in one of the four areas of liberal arts. From that produce a major work. Touches on bachelor of philosophy. In the colloquy they’re working together on their theses in groups of about 20, depending on the discipline.

Jay: This is upside down from traditional undergrad. Most classes start with large class then go to small.

Tendaji: That’s a failed model based on graduation rates.

Jay: Trying to build on something elite like school we went to.

Tendaji: Not elite, excellent.

Jay: The assumption is that younger students need more face time.

Derr: Historically we’ve had problem of high attrition throughout co-op program. Building strong faculty relationships early can address attrition.

We’ve budgeted for 75 students in first year.

Faculty is overstaffed initially. To offer core curriculum need a faculty of 25-35. It’s a big campus. If model is strong it will continue to grow. We won’t be able to offer everything.

Jay: With 45-50 faculty you can have a full breadth of offerings.

Derr: We can’t plan ahead of financial capacity. Have to grow conservatively. Small colleges work, but I have no desire to stay small.

Jay: Nothing in plan about building relationships between students and faculty. Need to better explain the rationale.

Lee: View through lens of student.

Horowitz: Best way to understand institution is to read student handbook

Atis Folkmanis: I’m excited by the engagement btw students & faculty, the small group and independent work in this program. The language of citizen activist: I want us to build place attract students want academic rigor and to change the world, even in a small way. Mission says right thing to me. Attract students who want to change world, or explore whether they can.

Susan Ecklund-Leen: Formalizing on-campus work creates educational culture that includes everyone on campus as an educator. The walls between groups (including staff) will tumble down before open doors. Apprentice with plumber, electrician. Valuable life skills. We’ll take all this feedback to generate next version of document.

Jay: We need to address the issue of when we open the school.

Derr: We have to finalize the schedule this at this meeting.

Nancy Crow: Don’t get hung up on details. This will change over time. We have to start in 2011. Hope the new director of communications will revise this document. Need to make this document publicly available.

Tendaji: I’m worried about the pace. How ready will 18 year old be for this program? Unprepared students will waste the start of their time. Need to provide proper support networks for students. Need to teach independence, responsibility and discipline. We need people in the world to raise questions. The higher ed system is a failure. Half of students don’t graduate. Institutions throw away bright young people all the time. It’s unforgivable. Don’t narrow focus on who can get in based on who’s ready for the program. Retention is the wrong attitude. We need to instill in students the ability to persist. Too many students piss away first year. We should come up with concept, let the faculty and staff work out the details.

Horowitz: This plan provides students with intense intellectual experience. Liberal arts is a discovery process, skill acquisition is less important. This is different than anything else in education, which makes it worth doing. Have to change some terminology. Bachelor of philosophy requires too much explanation. Executive summary does the concept a disservice. We have to come out of meeting saying yes or no. My vote is yes. We may have no choice but to open in 2011. To get out to Arts & Sciences focus groups and search committee, need to flesh out details.

Risa Grimes: I can sell it.

Lee: I share Tendaji concern. Kids from other countries may have a different pace. I don’t like the mission. Winning victories implies there a losers. We’re about serving human needs. At this meeting we need to approve the concept and the target opening, but it’s just a target, we may not make it.

Derr: We’re trying to reinvent liberal arts education in six months or less. We’re about to transition from this spare document. Need to know board wants to bring this concept forward. We’re embracing our legacy of progressive education and reinvention. This is unique. This is worthy of the legacy we’ve inherited.

Lee: Let’s resolve that this outline is the skeleton on which we can build the college.

Joyce: Do we agree mission is too short?

Lee: Joyce, Nancy and Matt can articulate an appropriate resolution. We think this represents an innovative approach for Antioch College. This is the framework for a program that would be innovative and progressive.

UNANIMOUS VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION

Jay: I hope we can look at it one more time before it’s shared with everybody else.

Lee: How do we handle the distribution of this document?

Jay: You don’t want to sell this document. Sit down and work on it. Need to clarify the rationale.

Derr: We ended up with this document, too many people advising us on how to revise it. Barbara interviewed a search firm. He said the original concept paper was best he’d ever seen. I don’t want 13-14 editors. I hope we’ll adopt this document and you’ll trust us to refine it.

I’ll remove mission from this document. New president will take up immediately with faculty and alumni. We know the identity we’re trying to create well enough to develop the concept.

Pavel: Send us drafts when you feel appropriate.

Derr: I need the authority to move forward.

Lee: We’re assuming open in fall 2011. It’s risky.

Tendaji: We have to make certain the structure is in place.

Presidents don’t know how to hire faculty. Faculty know how to hire faculty.

Look at what we have to get done, walk backwards from 2011.

Derr: We have to hire director of admissions before president. The board can help us develop diversity protocol and hiring timeline. Board should instruct us in how you want to see hires. Student life staff.

Jay: We could focus on Fall 2011 and have a fallback position. Tell entering class first term will be co-op rather than academic. Buy us another six months.

Derr: Plan needs the confidence of the accrediting agencies. Any major curricular change requires review by accrediting agencies.

Tendaji: We won’t have accreditation for years. We’d like to have it when we start handing out diplomas.

Lee: Board is not equipped to do a timeline.

Derr: We’re on pace from timeline we approved a year ago in Chicago. We have pledges to hire communications director and science faculty.

Jay: The success of this enterprise depends on the students and faculty we attract. Need to prepare carefully who selects faculty, admissions director. We can’t rush in. The experience is driven more by the faculty and students than by the curriculum.

Derr: Board adopted budget for salaries and set of positions. Defined how we’re hiring. Need further board scrutiny.

Lee: We’ll schedule to open in 2011, but we’ll be prepared to flex.

Our plan is to engage people not on board on committees.

We’re looking at committees of 3-6.

We have continuation fund as separate corporate entity.

Jay: Does the fund go into perpetuity?

Derr: It never goes away.

Lee: We’ll have two endowments. The continuation fund is to manage the old endowment. $21 million.

Tendaji: Can we make this information available?

Horowitz: Alumni need to know there are two funds.

Derr: It is a different corporation with a different board.

Some elements of accreditation discussion need to fall into executive session.

Lee: We’re not going to vote to open in 2011, but we’ll continue on our current course to do so.

Risa: We visited 11 chapters in Nov-Dec so solicit feedback. 505 people, 3% of alumni came. Used volunteers to call and encourage attendance. We have better chapter network than other GLCA schools. We have 18-20 active chapters, will be focus for student recruitment and co-op jobs. Reunion third weekend of June, Father’s Day.

Micah Canal: Annual fund: Goal for this year is $2.8 million and 25% participation by end of fiscal year in June. We’re far above where we were pre-closure.

Risa: Annual fund last year open 800,000. Participation 17%. Year before that 20%.

Micah: E-letter goes out to 8,000 addresses. Spike in giving after each e-letter. Mailing went out to all 15,000, got 120 checks in one day. In spring we’ll put out Antiochian and a print appeal. Phone solicitation 5x more effective than print. Participation grew by 25% in December. We’re up to 10% participation. We’ve raised $1.4 million, half of annual fund goal.

Pavel: Two reunions in one fiscal year may lull us into false sense of security

Risa: We have 17,000 living alumni, 15,400 good addresses. Participation based on ones we can reach. It’s unusual, we count anyone completed two semesters as alum. Some of the biggest donors didn’t graduate.

Micah: Annual fund offers opportunity for gateway giving.

Prexy: Who is coming forward? Correlation with chapters, geographic? Ethnic? By class?

Risa: We haven’t done that, staffing issue.

We did 58 personal visits in December, cultivating for spring asks? Picked low hanging fruit in last two years. Have to cultivate new relationships. Total pledges in major gifts in $9 million btw June 07 and Dec 09. Raised 700,000 in major gifts in Dec. A third of our visits will yield gifts. We did guerilla fundraising for two years, emergency basis. Now we need to cultivate on more long-term basis. Need board members to help us get in the door with potential donors. We want to raise $10 million by June 30.

Bequests: Sandy Macnab ’65 is consulting with us on planned giving. Added new staffer Sam Eckenrode. She’s finalizing 10 bequests in her first month. Training her to be planned giving officer. We can use planned giving inventory to secure loans. Antiochians live longer than average.

Derr: We can use that as a marketing angle.

Risa: We have trouble tracking stock gifts.

Nancy: Need to encourage stock givers to send a letter declaring stock gift.

Frances: How do we identify non-Antiochians as potential donors?

Risa: We’re still working through our list of alumni. Harry Belafonte’s granddaughter went to Antioch.

Prexy: Natural constituency that we haven’t done enough with: network of progressive grant makers and philanthropists. Match them with Antiochians in their town and go see them. In Chicago we have Crossroads Fund.

Lee: Welcome CFO Tom Brooking.

Tom: Received second half of $1.5 million pledge. We’re at cash $3.4 million. Budget process not fully developed.

Jay: Need projection of cash flow on side out. Side in more difficult to predict. How long will cash last if we don’t get more.

Derr: It’s in a single account with US Bank. Need to develop a sweep.

Jay: Need to start earning on reserve.

Tom: We’re looking at moving some of the money to new account, maybe new bank.

Prexy: Should look at socially responsible banks. Suggest South Shore Bank in Chicago. No redlining, supportive of affirmative action, beautiful record on loans and correspondence banking.

Horowitz: Need to see monthly report on expenditure to compare vs. budget so we can monitor spending levels.

Pavel: Need to see spending by department.

Derr: Giving to the Antioch Review has increased since college became independent. They’re in good standing. We’re planning an award ceremony and reception in NY in May.

Glen doesn’t have its own 501c3. It has a supporting board that donates to Glen. Review has its own editorial board, could have its own 501c3 supporting board. Look at how Kenyon Review is structured.

Tom: We’re hiring director of communications.

Derr: We’ve appointed a search committee.

We’re working with Science Advisory Board to create a search committee for science Morgan Fellows and faculty.

Pavel: There’s a sense of urgency to get science Morgan Fellows.

Derr: We may hire visiting science Morgan Fellows.

Tom: I’m meeting with our bankers, attorneys, insurance agents.

John Fienberg gave great presentation at rededication of South Hall.

We’re figuring out necessary repairs, Fienberg is bringing summaries next week.

I’ll begin overseeing further renovations.

Pavel: We should have more visibility on the renovation process.

Tom: The village is looking for an activity center from the village.

Derr: We’ll distribute a campus proposal. The Board purchased an asset. We’re trying to protect it from further decay. We’re removing bad work and restoring historic building. South today is better today than in 94. Lighting, ventilation, downspouts are better.

When students arrive in 2011 some buildings will be empty.

Some buildings may still be removed but we’re not rushing to judgment.

Fienberg stays at my house and we go over plans over breakfast.

When we keep a building we need a long-term plan for its contribution to the college.

Generating some on-campus enterprises.

A company wants to put a green office lighting research incubator on campus.

Bring back to our legacy of having industry on campus, sustain some of these buildings.

The performing arts center in Yellow Springs is a political challenge.

I’ve built a few theaters and it’s always hard.

Theater building former foundry not that flexible.

We have Kelly Hall, South Gym, Kelly Hall.

Village wants to develop 3-400 seat performing arts center. We’re talking to village about how we might help develop and use downtown theater

In future college could renovate theater building and expand theater curriculum.

We could co-own village theater and staff with co-op students. By May Board meeting we should know more. It’s not the village govt, it’s a group of donors want to mix in. Across from Peaches.

I’d choose priorities of dining hall, living facilities, but we need to take this opportunity.

Tendaji: What buildings most vulnerable?

Derr: Theater, big footprint requires large student population. Nothing structurally wrong with it.

There’s concern with how close the union is to private homes, too close to neighborhood.

How do we preserve buildings convert to intimate spaces. Union could accommodate 1000 students.

Underlying all of this is sustainability and energy. If we can fund geothermal plan takes pressure off of putting boilers into individual buildings.

Fels is difficult to adapt. I come from conservatory background, all these offices are practice rooms.

Jay: Put your tutorials in there.

Joyce: How is main building doing?

Derr: Much better. When we cleaned gutters under ground we discovered three thirty feet high bricked in chambers in front of main acted as cistern. We found buffalo nickel but not Horace’s box of gold. It will take longer to renovate Main.

South is classroom bldg. Science will be. Upstairs at library. And main. Also McGregor. We have more than we need. Art could be seasonal building so we don’t have to heat in winter.

Jay: Why not put village theater in foundry?

Lee: They want it downtown for business development.

Derr: There are nearly as many buildings in Glen as on campus. 37 including pump houses. Birch Manor is important to the board. We had conservators looking at restoration. Could put president back in there.

Jay: No, that’s where Jim Dixon started all the trouble.

Derr: Cost $260,000 to renovate.

Prexy: Tremendous asset if we can utilize.

Derr: Glen has good plan, visiting artist housing and conference center.

Prexy: We should have some of our next meeting there.

Derr: There are 50-60 acres on northwest side of campus we could develop mix of faculty and student housing, where presidents, Normant and Day House were.

Tendaji: Faculty can’t afford to live in YS. We should subsidize faculty housing.

Derr: It would change the culture of the college (positively).

Lee: It’s a high priority.

Tendaji: College could charge faculty rent at cost.

Prexy: Omar Circle, African American base of Yellow Springs. We should partner with African American churches and organizations to develop multiracial multicultural housing.

Risa: And ages too.

Prexy: Historically that was an appeal to African Americans, oasis in the desert.

Jay: Williams couldn’t attract black students because there was no community. Need to have church to support that community. Need community to support African American and Hispanic students.

Derr: We’d be ready in fall to let Central State use dorms, but they’re not sure they’re ready. They like having students in Yellow Springs. I met with pres last week. Largest facility we can offer is Birch, from their perspective is small dorm. It declined to 900 students, back to 2,200. New president has expanded resources.

Wilberforce is oldest historically black college in country, struggling financially, used to be same school with Central State, associated with church.

Lee: We’ve move $9 million of $22 million into common fund. $7.7 million is YSI stock. That will transfer until July. Helps University pass bank test. We get all the appreciation. Balance of endowment invested in hedge funds can be liquidated this month.

Pavel: The YSI stock is giving U time to improve their debt ratio. The transfer is not contingent on U doing well.

Lee: We want to empower students to look at shareholder activism in our portfolio, can’t be in mutual fund so we can control.

Tendaji: I sit on small foundation board. We’ve instructed manager to make certain funds are not invested in anything political difference with. You take a little hit.

Lee: I didn’t put in the requirement not to invest in tobacco, military, pollutants. Banks push socially responsible funds but they get ignored. University was in a big hurry to move the money. The common fund is a safe quick choice but no provision for shareholder activism or social responsible investing.

Derr: Alum Robert Zevin is founder of socially responsible investing.

Prexy: As students we took over board meetings and raised hell to force socially responsible investing.

Lee: I’m hoping students will do that again.

Jay: You have to determine what’s socially responsible.

THE BOARD THEN WENT INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS ISSUES REGARDING ACCREDITATION AND THE PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH.

The Board meets in open session from 8:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. in Room 2049
The Board goes into closed session at 2:30 until adjournment at 5:30 p.m.
Then at 7 p.m. the Board hosts dinner and reception for alumni in the Dublin/London Room on the mezzanine level.

Open session agenda items include:
9:00 A New Design for Liberal Education
10:00 Accreditation & Enrollment
10:45 Board Committees & Organization
11:45 Fundraising: Annual Fund, Annual Campaign, Planned Giving
1:00 Finance & Operations: Financial Dashboard, Buildings & Grounds Improvement Update
2:00 Report from the Continuation Fund

All times are subject to change. I’ll post updates as I get them.

Meeting agenda

If you plan to come please rsvp by email or Facebook
Please indicate if you plan to attend the meeting, the reception, or both.
If you have any questions email antiochrsvp or call me at 773.910.1444.

Public transit or carpooling are highly encouraged. Feel free to email this list to arrange carpooling.

Here’s a map
It’s steps away from the O’Hare Blue Line stop. Hotel parking is $45, with airport lots starting at $4 for up to 3 hours.

See parking rates

Beverly Rodgers and Jean Gregorek, two of the five Morgan Scholars tasked with building the curriculum
board chair Lee Morgan
and advancement director Risa Grimes

The presenters shared plans for the rebuilding of the college, and invited alumni to share their own ideas about the process.

See video of the meeting:
Part one
Part two

See photos

Audio will be posted here

Here are some notes from the meeting:

Lee Morgan: The college’s capital campaign has raised $15 million of its $50 million five-year-goal.
$2 million is in the bank
$9 million is in outstanding pledges
The college is spending at a rate of $4 million per year, and has spent $4 million to date

Lee believes all the major leaks in campus buildings have been repaired. Preservation and repair of the campus is projected to cost significantly less than the $40 million originally projected.

The plan is to admit 70-120 students in fall 2011, with a small faculty and relatively narrow curriculum. The college is considering a program in which alumni could teach short (6 week) segments in their field of expertise at the college, under the supervision of faculty.

Accreditation could take up to 5 years, though provisional accreditation could be available sooner. The college is exploring ways to assure graduates can gain accepted into graduate programs during the interim.

Federal financial aid requires accreditation, but the college is looking at other forms of financial aid to assure the it can be made affordable for lower income students.

Currently plan for tuition is to stay competitive with the cost of out of state tuition at state schools, or about $30,000. Average student of the Great Lakes Colleges Association pays 46% of their institution’s full tuition.

11 of 15 positions on the board have been filled.

Curriculum will be narrower when the college first reopens, with a relatively small faculty serving the small student body.

Jean Gregorek: The college held its first symposium on immigration. Upcoming symposiums are planned to cover Native American identity, restorative justice as an alternative to imprisonment, green innovations, and issues facing contemporary liberal arts colleges.

Beverly Rodgers: Plans for the college are in flux. Alumni feedback will be substantially incorporated into planning in the coming months.

Part of the challenge in recruiting students is to demonstrate Antioch’s value to potential employers in thinking critically and unconventionally.

Plans are to more fully integrate identity-based studies (such as women’s studies, African American studies, queer theory) throughout the curriculum

Jeanne Kay: shared governance needs affect real decision making in order to have real educational value. Should be integrated into the curriculum.

Beverly Rodgers: the college is considering hiring a dean of community
(This idea was met with skepticism by some, particularly younger, alumni, who feared it could disempower community government)

Ian McPhaden: Are there plans to offer degree completion programs, targeting the many Antiochians who didn’t graduate?

Lee Morgan: College will focus on traditional age students. Continuing students should consider attending Antioch University.

Judy Spock: It would be valuable to gather a repository of Alumni experiences. (This idea is reiterated throughout the meeting).

Susan Greene: College should hire young faculty and focus on making Antioch accessible to minority students.

Prexy Nesbitt (board member): Need to make Antioch accessible also to students from developing countries, who can apply their education to addressing specific problems at home. Need to look at recruiting students who demonstrate non-traditional aptitudes, such as gang leaders.

David Nekimken: Integrate peace into the curriculum.

Robin Sheerer: Focus on social entrepreneurship.

Claudia Hommel: Don’t think about what employers need, thin about what the working class needs. Don’t limit co-op job to preprofessional. Give students real life work experiences like American sweat shops. Better integrate students with staff/union.

Jon Baker: Think about where we want students to end up: organizers, critical thinkers, change agents. Don’t send them to work in sweat shops. Send them to work in sweat shops. Students from working class backgrounds need to see real job prospects.

Meghan Pergrem: Diversity also includes transgender students and students with disabilities. Also must focus on diversity within faculty and staff. 30,000 is a lot of money. Be careful about letting full-tuition international students fulfill diversity requirements at the expense of lower-income domestic students. If identity studies are integrated into curriculum, how do we preserve dedicated spaces for these groups? Co-op should focus on community. Need curriculum on community organizing, harm reduction, seeking justice from a place of love.

Bill Jaggard: Need to retain focus on core liberal arts curriculum.

John Edgar: Antioch needs to focus on less hubristic goals than saving the world.

Risa Grimes: Alumni participation in this fiscal year, begun in July, is 5%. Need to get it up. Even small donations can raise the rate and improve the college’s prospects to secure grants.

Liberal Arts Reading List

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.

Matthew Derr '89, Maribeth Joy McManus '00, Abby Pike '00, Risa Grimes

Some 45 Antiochians and friends celebrated Antioch College’s independence and enjoyed the stunning skyline views and urban cacophony of Nic Ruley 02 and Brett King’s South Loop sky garden on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Guests chief transition officer Matthew Derr ‘89, College Revival Fund executive director Risa Grimes, and assistant director of alumni relations Steve Duffy ‘77 spoke about ongoing rebuilding and fundraising efforts at the college.

Matthew reported that hiring some 40 staff will begin this week. He’s forming a search committee to hire the first core six college faculty, called Morgan Fellows, who will develop curriculum and hire more faculty. The faculty search committee includes, among others, former dean and professor emeritus Steve Schwerner ’60, Cary Nelson ’67, president of the American Association of University Professors, and Frances Degen Horowitz ‘54, president of the graduate school at the City University of New York.

All three guests emphasized the need to increase alumni participation in the movement to revive the college. Increasing the rate of alumni giving, which currently stands at 5%, will be instrumental in qualifying the college for larger grants.

See photos.

Audio from the event (complete with El trains and police sirens) will be posted shortly at http://listen.antiochians.org. Video from the event will be posted later this month.