Jon Baker posted the following to the Antioch College Alumni & Community Facebook group.
Antioch is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a regional agency that offers evaluation and accreditation to colleges and universities. In late November, 2024 the HLC alerted Antioch College that the school had been assigned a “financial distress designation.” The designation was based on a 2023 financial audit which found that the College’s “significant decreases in net assets, reliance on contributions and borrowings from its endowment fund” raised “substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.”
At the time Jane said that the HLC designation was not a surprise for the College. The administration had “expected something to happen” two years ago. Jane told the Yellow Springs News that the College was preparing a report on a strategic plan which had already been completed. She said it would be given to the HLC during an upcoming advisory visit.
The Plan was the Social Enterprise and Enrollment Plan (SEE Plan), approved by the Board of Trustees in June, 2023. Its goal was to be “a diversified, mission-driven revenue structure as a path to resilience and true sustainability.” Among its proposals was rebranding seven campus facilities as “learning hubs” – the Antioch Review, The Coretta Scott King Center (CSKC), the C-Shop, the Foundry Theater, The Herndon Gallery, the Wellness Center and the Antioch Farm.
Well, it worked. The HLC did have an advisory visit in February, 2025, during which time the College presented it with the SEE Plan as evidence of a viable path forward. Three months later the HLC removed the financial distress designation, finding now that the College “has a viable plan and demonstrating progress in key financial areas.”
But did it? The SEE Plan’s planning window ran from June 2023 through June 2026. It has now elapsed and projected revenue never materialized. As an example, the Antioch Review, once one of the most well-respected literary magazines, was projected to raise $242,700 gross and $68,350 net income. At the time the Plan was written, it was not operational, never became operational and never produced the projected revenues. There is no successor plan, the administration has not acknowledged publicly that the SEE Plan failed and the Board of Trustees continues to use the SEE Plan as its guiding document because no new strategic plan exists.
The failure is not a surprise – there were problems right from the start. The 80+ page plan was presented, reviewed and approved by the Board in a single day. No faculty or staff were provided with resources or training to develop workable business plans or build revenue-generating capacity. The Plan charged each hub with developing its own sustainable business plan, then assigned that work to people already employed full time in other roles, including full-time professors. No one was offered training, business-development staff, marketing or bookkeeping infrastructure, or startup capital for materials and inventory.
With the removal of the financial distress designation, the College retained its accreditation. It is now going through another review to determine if it will keep it, with a decision expected after the first of the year. Many of us are concerned about the College meeting the HLC’s criteria. One requirement is that an “institution’s administrative structures are effective and facilitate collaborative processes such as shared governance.” Another is that “the institution’s financial management balances short-term needs with long-term commitments and ensures its ongoing sustainability.” Can Antioch meet these goals?
Also, the HLC requires Antioch to include an update on its financial situation as part of its scheduled reaccreditation report. And this is yet another problem because the auditors have once again questioned if Antioch is a “going concern.” They stated in their June 30, 2025 audit:
“The College relies on significant contributions to pay operating expenses. This reliance along with the significant endowment loans, unfunded gift annuity obligations, callable bonds, and continuing significant decreases in net assets, create uncertainty about the College’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
We cannot let Antioch fail its upcoming accreditation review.
Sources: Yellow Springs News, 2/7/25 and 5/18/25. “SEE Something? Say Something: Antioch College’s Social Enterprise and Enrollment Plan” by Liz Flyntz. Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, Years June 30, 2025 and 2024 by Brady Ware & Schoenfeld. Higher Learning Commission “Criteria for Accreditation, Policy #CRRT.B.10.010.”
