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December 4, 2009
Scott Warren
SYNOPSIS OF THE MEETING OF THE BOSTON ALUMNI CHAPTER ON
NOVEMBER 15, 2009
The meeting of the Antioch College Boston Alumni Chapter with Matthew Derr and
Morgan Fellows Anne Bohlen and Scott Warren produced a great number of suggestions,
concerns, and good ideas. We will make every attempt to deliberate on each of the points
made during the discussion to determine how we might incorporate them into the
planning and design of the concept and curriculum for the new Antioch College.
Following is a synopsis of those ideas and comments, which I have tried to organize by
various relevant categories. I have also put key words in bold, so as to help focus
attention on central points.
A. Calendar
1. The possibility of a three-year program leading to a B.A., with the
further possibility of a three-year/two-year program that would lead to a
Masters degree after a total of five years: some alumni were skeptical of
whether a 3-year program would provide sufficient time to deliver an
adequate program. Others actually found the idea appealing, especially if
the Internet could be used on Co-op to continue and finish courses begun
on campus. Others found the 3-year program to be attractive on a cost
basis, offering more students access to Antioch.
2. Some alumni thought it important that students be allowed to transfer
between “Divs.”
3. A number of alumni also felt strongly that the calendar include a “C-Div”
for the sake of building and maintaining community.
4. Finally, the idea was raised that perhaps Nonstop might serve as a good
option for students who wanted to wait a year between high school and
college.
B. Curriculum
1. There was strong sentiment during the discussion that science and math
should be important components of the new curriculum.
2. One alumnus emphasized that even more important was a strong
component on the relationship between science and technology.
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3. One idea suggested creating an incubator culture for the sciences in the
context of student entrepreneurship, as had been done in Antioch’s past.
4. Yet another alum recommended pursuing partnerships in the sciences
with other institutions, given the issue of limited resources.
5. It was recommended that the curriculum focus on issues that graduates
will have to face, like sustainability, global warming, and
environmental issues.
6. Another suggestion was that the curriculum be focused on a limited
number of integrated themes, such as human ecology, arts, literature,
and life skills.
7. One alum suggested looking at Tufts University and their concept and
practice of “juried classes” in their experimental college.
8. Many alumni/ae felt strongly that the global dimension of the curriculum
was absolutely crucial.
9. Another comment suggested that science offerings be focused on the
environment, again given the resources issue.
10. It was suggested that perhaps a “freshman seminar” be explored.
11. One alumna thought it would be a compelling idea to have a program that
focused on the global economy, and especially the question of labor in
that economy.
12. A number of alums felt strongly that the College continue to have crosscultural requirements.
13. Finally, there was general support for the concept of “hybrid courses,”
which would begin in the classroom on campus, and then continued online when the student went on Co-op.
C. Faculty and Pedagogy
1. There was strong consensus that the College should hire faculty with a
serious passion for the liberal arts and experiential learning (to which we
added that they should also be versatile and able to work across
disciplinary lines, and also committed to integrating issues of diversity
into the core of the curriculum).
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2. Some alums suggested that the faculty should be kept small, especially at
first, and that the College make extensive use of guest faculty from the
alumni and other institutions.
3. There was also mention of the pedagogical importance of involving
students in the very question of “how to learn,” so that they become truly
active learners.
D. Community
1. There was overwhelming consensus that community and community
governance continue to be central values of the College program.
2. Some alums stressed the importance of maximizing use of the internet,
facebook, etc. to create an on-line community to supplement and
complement the face-to-face on-campus community.
3. Some concern was expressed about whether a 3-year program would
vitiate the possibility of a strong community.
E. Co-op
1. Again, there was obviously universal support for the centrality of Co-op to
the future of the College.
2. The main question raised was what should the Co-op program look like,
and how might it be different from the program of the past. (There was
some definite support for the concept of having students move from local
to national to global Co-op experiences, as long as flexibility was allowed
for the varying developmental stages of students).
F. Access and Support
1. Alums responded positively to our strategic and principled decision to
make the College not only accessible to all interested prospective students,
but to ensure the perception of accessibility as well.
2. A few alums stressed the importance of making sure that all students, no
matter their financial status, have access to computers and the internet.
3. There was animated and enthusiastic support among the alumni/ae for
ensuring that the College offered substantial academic support services,
and especially that we be supportive of different learning styles and
personalities.
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G. Process and Transition
1. As the transitional process moves forward, a few alums suggested that the
College explore developing partnerships with Wilberforce College and
Central State University.
2. Another suggestion involved exploring the creation of a kind of
Chautauqua program, somewhat like the Summer Institutes of the past, to
enhance the cultural life of the College and to involve alumni and others in
contributing to that cultural life.
3. Many alums stressed the importance of using focus groups of high school
and college students to test the appeal of any proposed program and
curriculum (which is currently part of the planning and design process
underway).
4. Finally, an intriguing idea was suggested concerning the possibility of
offering “short courses” to the public during the second year of the
transition, both as a way of generating extra revenue for the College, and
of keeping intellectual life alive on campus next year.
