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Printed by: Leslie Bates
Tille: Pres Lawry Vision for Antioch College: Antioch
.~-~
~c”-. Message
From: 9 Leslie Bates
Subject: Pres Lawry Vision for Antioch College
To: ~ Board of Trustees
~ ULC
Cc: 9 Karen Ely
Dear Members of the Board and ULC:
Thursday. November 09.2006 8:22:19 AM
Page 1 of 1
You will soon be receiving in the mail a copy of College president Steve Lawry’s report
to the Board which he presented to you last week. This mailing will also include a copy
of the text pertaining to Antioch College from the 2006 “Insider’s Guide to Colleges,”
which Steve cited in his remarks. The characterization of the College, based on student
comments, will convey a sense of how Antioch is being represented to prospective
students who are influenced by guides of this nature.
In Steve’s report, he provides his vision for building a new Antioch that includes ideas
for academic rigor, civic engagement, study abroad, and the arts. The foundation for the
new Antioch is one “committed to intellectual freedom, open inquiry, and mutual
respect” and a changed culture is paramount not only to this foundation but also in
overcoming the College’s fmancial problems.
This report is to be treated as a confidential document because the proposals he raises
will require far-reaching discussions with faculty and others at the College, and it is
important that he lead and manage them carefully. We would not want some portions to
reach members of the commlmity without the careful preparations this kind of process
deserves_ Thank you for your confidentiality.
Sincerely,
Toni
Toni Murdock
Chancellor
CONFIDENTIAL
Briefing of the Antioch University
Board of Trustees by
Steven Lawry, President
Antioch College
November 2, 2006
The College’s chronically-low levels of enrollment and poor levels of student retention,
and hence chronic budget deficits, are in my view expressions of an’unconstructive social
and intellectual climate. I believe that the College’s financial problems will’ not be
overcome unless we change fundamentally tIle culture and put it on a foundation
committed to intellectual freedom, open inquiry and mutual respect.
COI’ltext:The attributes ofa failed culture
Antioch College has become the destination for some considerable number of students
who have imbued it with very particular political and cultural characteristics. The notion
of “Boot Camp for the Revolution” represents this view. Persons who might not fit the
narrow mold of an acceptable Antioch student are subject to severe scrutiny on arrival.
Their social values and political credentials are tested through a process of “calling out.”
A fourth-year student described this process recently in terms of ”forcing students to
come to terms with the context in which they live.”
The presence of students who are not of the dominant Antiocll culture is seen by many as
corrosive and threatening of the particular “community” that has been established here.
Many Antioch students bring with them grievances for how they have been treated in the
so-called “real world,” for some by virtue of non-nonnative life ~tyles, not fitting in
mainstream culture, etc. As one student rather ,starkly put it, “The Antioch student is the
person who did not have any friends in high school.” Psychologically, students, in
finding comfort and support in persons with similar experiences of estrangement, foster a
shared political discourse and set of behaviors based on resentment toward the real world.
As such, Antioch is not really a community, but a commune, where membership is based
on a narrow set of political and social beliefs and an insistence on confonnity by all
students to those beliefs .
.The.campus culture and the health of a good number of students are affected by
substance abuse and a tolerance within the student community for it. Students arrive at
Antioch with ‘an expectation that behaviors not allowed off-campus can be engaged in on
campus. This is a misplaced and misdirected understanding of what we mean by freedom
at Antioch. According to the “Insider’s Guide to Colleges” (Yale Review Press, 2005),
“If you go to Antioch you’d better bring a bike, a bong and lots offood … ”
2
TIle intellectual and leanling ellvironment has over the last two decades been diminished,
in my view, tlrrough admission of large numbers of student~ with weak academic
backgrounds.
Campus social life and the health of tile learning environnlent are affected negatively by a
cOlnparatively high incidence of mental health problems among students. Dr. Cynthia
Olson, director of the Wright State clinic in Yellow Springs with which the College has a
11ealthservices contract, has told me that the student body displays an exceptionally 11igh
proportioll, for the age group, of persons with bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and eating
disorders, exacerbated by high co-morbidity with substance abuse.
Il’lstitutiol’lal attribtttes titat foster tltis compromised culture
TIle College’s open curricular model puts great weight on students themselves to design
and manage a program ofleaming. This works for the kind offo.cused and highly
·motivated students it was designed for. It does not work for students who need high
levels of advice and mentoring, and witllout direction they can and often do flounder
witllin it.
Similarly, the College’s system for evaluating student perfonnance, based on narrative
critiques of student work, can be very helpful for the strongly-motivated student but can
fail to hold accountable others for unsatisfactory progress.
SOlne number of tIle faculty believes tllat improving retention extends to keeping students
WilO would otherwise be failed.
A deeply confused “shared governance” model conveys to students unreasonably high
expectations for running the College. Community governance structures have become
vessels for vociferous opposition to the administration and strangely misdirected power
struggles. Community governance, at least as currently practiced, has doubtful
educational benefit. The North-Central Association had commented crit~cally on the
College’s cumbersome administrative processes.
I’l’lI1’lediatesteps takel’l ill tl’le COlttext Ofti,e Rellewal Plait
I Ilave spoken clearly to issues of intellectual freedom, open inquiry and mutual respects
as essential foundations for the College’s success. Obviously, we must address this
probielTIvigorously. Good students, attracted by the College’s traditional values and
educational ideals, are chased off or leave in discouragement over the culture and its
Ilarrow and strident foundations. This compromises our financial situation.
The College is recruiting lTIOre academically-qualified students. This will contribute, one
Ilopes, to tIle constitution of a student body more empathically concerned with study and
learning and contribute to greater persistence to graduation.
3
The College has begun a process of reflection on the roles and purposes of community
governance arrangements. My questions include: How do ~hese structures contribute to
the College’s educational mission? Do they contribute to or detract from the effective
administration and management of the College? .Do they contribute to the success of the
College?
College administrators are taking back direct responsibility for student discipline.
There is son1epromise that these actions, taken forc.efully and effectively executed, will
contribute to a shift in the College’s culture to one founded on intellectual freedom, open
inquiry and respect among all community members.
However, cultural change will be very hard to do should large numbers ofth·osewho see
the College as a fit socially and politically continue to bring with theln values and
attitudes anathema to the culture that we are trying to build.
I believe we must change the College more fundamentally, in ways that build a truly
challenging and distinctive institution ofhigher learning, authentically inviting of
students who expect to be challenged and stretched intellectually. Such a college will,
moreover, not for long be perceived as a fit by those who are not prepared .to be
authentically challenged intellectually and socially.
I believe that for the College to survive th£! leadership must be bold and very an1bitious in
addressing the problems identified above. Incremental change will not be timely or ~
effective.
A New Antioch College
Fervently committed to intellectual freedom, open inquiry and mutual respect.
Providing a highly rigorous liberal-arts education that prepares graduates for ethically
grounded civic and intellectual leadership.
The New Antioch College would be:
Selective
H~gh admissions standards
Diverse student body
Strong focus on personal responsibility and accountability
A n’lore “classical” core curriculul1’l
Critical thinking and writing
4
Logic and mathematics
Philosophy and con1parative religion
Integrated identity studies
Relevaltt altd rigorous flags/tip progranls
Environlnental sciences and lnanagelnent
Business and entrepreneurship
Global leadership-politics and economics
Creative writing and lnusic
Integrated cultural studies-building the Beloved Community
Co-ops, reduced to two, would be strol’lgly ilttegrated witlt classroont learltiltg.
A COSlllopolital1educatioll-all studellts would be required to study or work abroad
New 11laltdatesfor AdCil altd COlltCil
Building aNew Antioch would be expensive and would require a number offundalnental
changes in the College and its structure and operations. It would require realignment of
the existing faculty as well as recruitlnent ofnew faculty to meet new needs. Significant
investlnent would be required in facilities. Significant Scholarship funding to attract
well-prepared students would be essential.
That said, I believe that this effort could attract the kind ofattention and commitment of
resources that are necessary to nl,eetthe College’s short and long-term needs, and in
ways that the Renewal Plan alone, despite its lnany positive attributes, has not and
arguably will not.
Steve11Lawry
Novenlber 2, 2006
I·
~
2006
Compiled and Edited
by the Staff of the
Yale “Daily News
St. Martin’s Griffin
New York
~
.~ .
—————–711′
Ohio
A
ntioch College is an anomalyin the
middle of Ohio. This small school
is lmown for rejecting mainstream
America Ironically, students experience
life outside college for half their years
with required off-campus academic pro
grams called co-ops. The ambiguity res
onates in its student body. Vaguely
summed up by one student, “This place is
not nonnal. n Intrigued? Confused? Anti
och students wouldn’t have it any other
way.
More than Just a Year-Round
School
Per~aps one of the most 1.lIjqueaspects of
Antioch College is its cooperative educa
tion programs, “co-ops, n in which stu
dents leave campus to explore internships
and employment-all for college credit.
.:~:.~.::;.
II” 0 h i 0 711
·~~jided, working for the circus, shabby.” But in typical Antioch fashion,
“:,’–ofTmajorpublications, filmmak- the students would much rather speak
: ~W.York City,Web site design, and about the communities of students within
:’~d international travel to name the dorms than the buildings themselves.
~fi(jch requires that one co-op in- Housing is characteristically lax, with a
‘;:~;ffying a culture other than one’s mix of all classes occupying most donns
‘-~e;’conege is always there to sup- and even floors. Floors are co-ed and
. ‘tt:~help students’ design experi- some dorms even have co-ed “couple”
~~~t.many upperclassmen say that rooms (though, there are also single-sex
i i1on’treally use the co-op office. donns and floors available). Housing, like
L~-~~–i.-L:~””..;…~:..:;::::..: :;=- .•:~ 4·:,- … “l”~, ~r.:.”t;’··’·”’i.:!i.r”: .,: ;~~”:~·.’t,·j:.;,;:” •..,,~i.~- .. …:_..,(;, .”.i::.:” .,:.:””1N~'”:’~;?~’-””’ ‘~j;~……<:':fihere downsides to this unique and the student population, is extremely flexi-
k.1 Address: 795 Uvermore Percent Asian: 1% A r . . ·:·i~,~;-' :. ~~"':.'-g opportunity? Yes. It does re- ble and there is no crowding for space.
n Street; YellowSpring,OH Percent Hispanic: 4% ':I:~:tlon Dea~I~;~:I~I"~ ~~ing to school all-year round," a The dorms vary in respect to size and
i::; 45387 Percent Native-American: Middle50% SAT ranget~ -¥e"~a~:-·mso~e~:~~~a::~ma:u~ y~:~ ~~~av:~:~e~~~~~,~~~.~: Phone: 937-767-6400 1% V 580-670, M SOcH52:or' ~u •
nE-mail address: .., ~'f. r;as-;both at home and at school. "It's was summed up by one student as "cer-
:r" Percent in-state / out of Middle 50% ACT ra.nge·;:',;~~.·· . -~.~.:..t~·'.mak·e relationships because peo- tainly not a palace. " Many of the dorms doH admissions@antioch- state: NA 19-29 w
_~"I~= A [
nReligi?us affiliation: none 467 Tuition and Fees: $24;9d2~ :~1i. ~:ffie9ne couId go off and dO' pottery in carnpus for allfoll! year~. _ ." ..
~:: Location: rural Percent Accepted: 75% Room and Board: $6;4~':!; :'~. 4~':"ont, and really find their niche, and Like the donn buildings, many acade- .
t; Undergraduate p .'.' '- ~~".;"'#ever come back"-a fact that per- mic and administrative buildings on cam-ercent Accepted who Financial aid, first·year:f'::::~~ ·:-·~·;..:·contributes to Antioch's low reten- pus are also in need of renovation. The1":. enrollment: 627 enroll: 42% 91% .::':;0:;" :~
I~: ~:~ ~_M~~~I ~~
[' . Early Decision or Early Ubrary: 300,000 volum~,~·:. '.::~;~: .:.~=;n',~ae and quanu·tative reasoninsl. both the library is in need of new resources.!~j Percent Minority: 12% Action Acceptance Rate: .-::..::', ::'';'~':l; . O~ __,
U~:M_i_~.n_~.:.~.m.._~__ ~~ ~._.·.~.•,:.:.!.f,;.I_[:[~I:~.I.: ~~
- .::•..~,<,,:- ..,,~.,::.,;:.-..:. .. ,: ';'.:::..~'.,,"., ~".:,:~.,~."",·-::~:;:::-;, __:.c."Y;I'~;.':;~""k~ :~ :.:,.~~ '-~ould not be lost on those indivlduais" one Student stated, u'I'hisschool"needs to
>:.:~ -!.~> l~wn to the school by the absence of be brought into the 21st century,” and that
;:~. /::~~..::;~ . i~ and gradeS. Instead of grades, stu- “Antioch’s biggest shortcoming is its con
The co-op program is fully integrated into::.~?’;~~ ~~t.s receive narrative evaluations from stant need for a larger endowment” While
the basic academic schedule and requir~’~, ?~.~(~: !J.ra~hers, although grades can. be. pro- the antiquated buildings may be frustrat
students to take co-ops for two of the fo~: ‘.’::::’ ~..:r.~~e~ on request (for students WlShingto ing for some, others enjoy the atmosphere
terms (fall, winter, spring, and swnmer)•.:’.’::/~ ~i~fer, etc.) “The philosophy behind An- and the activities that accompany the old
Freshmen generally stay on campus ~~r:.:,> .~% ”’~9ch academics is that you learn it be- campus. One student delightfully men
their first fall and winter and then partiCl~ ,~:”:'” .:~ .~use you want to learn it,n explained one tioned exploring the underground tunnel
pate in co-ops during alternating terms,’,,>’I ~/~dent However, stress levels are still system as a “must-do activity” and also
through the rest of their years. The college.:. f’X ~~d to be extremely high. Class size is disclosed that many of the college and his
offers a special co-op office with advisOrs,.”::~~~ ~ (generally 10-20 students) and the tonc buildings of Yellow Springs (a
ideas, infonnation, and documentation of ::’ ..} 1J~achers are extremely talented. One stu- nearby town) are haWlted. The town of
past co-op experiences to be utilized by ..: :.::. ~dent made sure to differentiate between Yellow Springs, described by one student
students (most often by freshmen). After :’.’ :·~~f ~~e new teachers and Antioch’s long-time as “unlike anywhere else in Ohio,” main
freshman year, students axe allowed to de- ‘,.X ~professors, saying that new teachers of- tains a strong relationship with Antioch
sign their own co-op experience and the :,- “.:; ~~ten don’t understand the philosophy be- students. First-years are introduced to the
chosen programs generally agree with the .’ :*,.hindAntioch’s academics. town during their first week on campus by
student’s major but are not required to. .:.} .~N. dining in the homes of the residents ofYel-
Students are very enthusiastic about the /~~91 d Fa c iii tie s low Springs. -While the local businesses
co-op programs, saying that -it gives thenl :.:~. ~e facilities at Antioch are generally re- are often viewed as “tourist traps,” some
hands-on experience in fields that they .i: ~~:garded by students as being simply “old.” inexpensive restaurants, such as Ha Ha’s
are interested in. Past co-op experiences .:.; 1~~:Donns are described as “run-down and Pizza and Subway, offer a welconle haven
. 4~t~:
~~t
~:’!;’:
713o h i 0
~~.~.. b. g “b·ke a bong and lots of food because The Cat
, ~e to Antioch, yoU’d better nn a I ,
‘~~~:. d I ? “Thursday night: ayOS to hang out, Friday: party,..,.. . I weekend sche u e “~th~ tyPIC8 da catchUP on work and sleep- ‘
iday:theme pa~ Sun Yet-AntiochI’d “change the economic status-we need more
lei’change one thingabou .
~y-~. t tAt· h should do before graduating are “ride in Camelot,
ings every studen a n IOC .”
:~p as the opposite sex, and get a pierCing.
-:t~}··.
712 0 h i 0 ‘~’t.:T;.”;;
to Antioch students fleeing from the un- One girl said simply, “There is nci;:~~~”: :.
pleasant food in the college’s cafeteria here-you love who you love ari(fn~o’ .
All, yes, “The Caf.t, Perhaps the only bothers you.” It is generally agreedr~<···:.· ~;;~
thing that Antioch students agree on is the Anti:0ch stu~ents are incredibl! acc~g;
poor quality of the food. Although there is of different lifestyles, all of whichcom~~'
plenty of choice in dining at Antioch: a a head with the annual spring studerttii~r~
meat, vegetarian, and vegan selection is "Gender Fuck" dance which req~f~~f.;,"""'"
available at every meal at the Caf most tending naked or as the oppositl(..r.·?,;-:
students still cannot stomach it Instead, Cross-dressing is apparently a .CoriUil&i~~~
snacking is popular at the student-run cof... occurrence atAntioch. "All parties ~~
fee shop (the C-shop); and for the most tee at least five boys in drag,at 1e8st;~:i1(l
desperate, there are ldtchens in some of one first-year. Indeed, all forms of:s~
the dorms aroWld campus. ity are openly discussed at Antiocl1~'du1~; .
part to the controversial SOPP(SeXualt':,:·: .... '.. ~""s,~,:.,~~;;.:~,.~i::"·S;;'.;;;";.~;~""';:':·:':~lo.§·~·· .•;,;r;!:~....s':':"":";"'~;:~~"'.;:r.~."';'!;' .;.:..~.:.::., .,; ::.:,-, .. i
fense Protection Policy.)Thoughjcikin"" ~", •110 MC~ Percent Asian: 1% Applicatio,Deadline: t'i
rdeefinetsrreddotoabasl.dethbeY·l.'ht.°ltOrkine·m~i~esPPvOelir·bCYJal"~:·c~:-o~~ c :;.~:~- BowlingGr' .e~n,OH Percent HNiSt~aniAcm:3e~r~lcan' M~:C;:~15.6% SAT range: ltr.:''-:j
~~ : "117~'*-' .~:~.':"',..._.".":40' 3 . perocent a Ive- - 0sent between two people before:,:;,~~'I. ~__ 0* V450:-560, M450-56 i'!
sexual activity and serves to promote;~~h~.. ~~~e: 419-37~-2086 ·.~per~ent In-state lout of Middl~ 50% ACT range:':'!
alogue between individuals on canip~~~~ .;E..mall address- t t 93CM /7CM 19:24 :"i
"There's lots of sex, it~s a· big part .ofJif.~tt6~ ~~~dmi~si~n~~bgnet.bg~~~. -.', s.a ~~ pu~ 'HS~ NA ~ost popular maj4lrs: '. I.
~ ..
:
Ii
::i
There are also a lot of parties. Antio.~f.:~:~.~.~.< ;~tion: rural Percent ~cc:Pt~d·WhO
0
financial aid, first-year: ';
d" .. - 4Jndergraduate Percent cc p ~. 72%
=::s~~~a~~:t:~~;~~~ ~~nrollment: 15,481 enr~lI: 3~% '3 ~1 Varsityor Club Athletes: .::i,
: }:;;:::;:'~ :]i..~....·..o.·.tao. I enrollment: NA Entering c. ass7-, J.,. NA ' :1
nized parties on both Friday and Saturda~.·~)~~}· ~ f 64 ~ ~
nights. AI'cohotlS· e~~Tta cO'meby' andb.·.. ~:..~.::·.;.·:.· ...~.•_~ . ~p.ercent.MalelFemale:.: ,.,.. Tra~s .~rs:. '. .... E' 'l'~ ....:~~..: .;Ubrary:%,468,-812'. . I
,-"'",. -, ~~.~ 440' /56O/C Early Decls~on or ar y '.. t·!.,!
ing underage doesn't seem to matter '~j~~:~~l -;;;.. 70 ° . A· A .. eptance Rate::.... volumes
Antioch. One student mentioned smo~g·~:);? "": ~~Percent Minonty: 10% etlon :cc ~ i: i
pot and tripping in Glen Helen to be ara::',;:~~~Z~Percent African-American: NA, '- · ,
vorite pastime of many students. CamPus/;;i}, t~ 6%,~_~~:' " c" ", " • .> “,:=”7 ,~:=:’:;-~–:–.•’
security is present yet relaxed, say mO~:::~:’:it … .~ .~-:-;;-‘ ·.t:-,1…~f”‘~~·’:”:;”’::··:~ .: •.:r;;;;-:;,~.~:~.:;,,–‘;~’,~.o;;~”!:f”‘::+”” ~.r-:’…
=::~~ ~~ ~~~~~~c=~~~oc:;:¥f;~~ ‘ ,/” most every academic~TQgram is regarded
plained, “1 don’t bust It’s paperwork, and~ ,.:.,::.~~..~,~,,~, ~’:.~aW·’ hUe for one wee~end’ each year, as strong and marketable;J,he most pop~-
hate paperwork” For the most part, s
about NOT being typical.” Cons~der the<'>; if~OWling Green State University. Jand’ several pre-professional p~ograms.
much-loved student-run annual bike-rac~ :::-:;:..!~},:…: . •• Getting into classes is not typIcally re-
known as “Camelot” during which Antt- ‘.:-::.~::::,~~,!ulling Strings (and Majoring arded as a problem. One student n.oted
och students collect and throw “all image “.:’,;’ _~~i.~(I, nTh em) . ~at being shut out is particu1~lY ~kelY
inable fonns of human waste” at each ..:.. :::’~ :~~KWith over 160 majors including everything leif you get on waiting lists unmedi~tely
other. Why? At Antioch, many things d~ :.;~:>:. ‘~R.~f:rom Glass, popular Culture, an~ d actually talk to people to get strings
definitions and answers. Yet as manyAntl- .::”;:: -~~~J:Fi.berlFabric to the more corom on1! see anulled .” Another student liked the f~ct
oeb students will tell you, sometimes the ;..’> ~~t~;>HU1na.nities, Arts, and Sciences, it 15 rar~ ~at ‘he could easily take classes outsIde
ques~ons are more important.-MariS G …. :.’J’ ‘~f~to find a student who cannot find ~ pea1r~ his major, such as dance and theater. Stu-
Benott :~·:q~~:;-:sonal course of study at BGSU. While
‘~’f’
“Anything Goes Here”
If there is one thing that unites Antioch
students, it is being different “les like the
freaky school” one student explained. In
deed, the campus is alive with different
groups supporting different causes such
as SPROl.J:r~, a st:lld~nt group :.,~hich
staiuls for “Supporting Plants RequiresOn
Us Together and Separately” -an organi
zation that seeks to gain rights for plants.
The Community Government is a student
organization that, in addition to organiz
ing themed dances for every Friday and
Saturday night, also has some say with the
administration regarding hiring and firing
of teachers and creation of policies. The
dances are highly attended and alcohol is
availablc~:Thereare aisD many chern-free
activities available for students who pre
fer not to drink-bonfires, weekly shows,
and movies sponsored by various student
groups are always going on somewhere
on campus.
There are no intercollegiate sports
teams at Antioch. In fact, women’s rugby
is the only competing sport, though many
club sports such as Ultimate Frisbee are
popular. Students also take advantage of
Glen Helen, a IOOD-acre nature preserve
that borders the campus, where many go
hiking or biking dwing the weekends. Fol
lowing that health-conscious trend, an im
portant organization at Antioch is the
student-ron Wellness Center. It is dedi
cated to supporting the physical J emo
tional, and spiritual needs of Antioch
students.
The gay and lesbian population at Anti
och is extremely vocal, with its own center
in the Student Union and its own social
events. “If you are not bisexual at Antioch,
you are in the minority,” said one student
