Published Wednesday, July 25, 2007

By Arthur J. Zucker Chair, Antioch University Board of Trustees

Dear Antioch Community,

Based on what the Antioch University Board of Trustees has heard, from Antiochians during Alumni Weekend and through a variety of communications, we’ve concluded that we haven’t effectively communicated the process leading up to the Board’s decision on June 9 to suspend operations at Antioch College. It’s reasonable that all Antiochians should understand the rationale behind that decision and we intend to share all the financial details that led to this decision.

To accelerate this process, we will provide a web-based financial discussion that will take place on Thursday, August 16, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. By using this technology, all interested parties will be able participate. Following this, we have scheduled a special board meeting on Saturday, August 25, in Cincinnati. The morning session will be a town hall meeting, followed by an afternoon session with invited participants from key stakeholder groups.

Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock and I will conduct the August 16 web-based presentation to share with the Community all of the financial information that served as the basis for the Board’s resolution – information which demonstrates clearly that the current business model cannot be sustained. During this presentation, we will provide the facts and figures that were seen, studied and discussed by Board members between the November 2006 and June 2007 meetings.

You can join the conversation in real time through Internet access. In the next few days, information will be provided on how to join the presentation. You can find this on the Antioch College website, www.antioch-college.edu. This process will also provide the opportunity to send questions to Chancellor Murdock and/or to me via e-mail, before, during and after the presentation. Following the web seminar, we will post the conversation, as well as questions and answers, on the Antioch College website so anyone can access the information in the future.

Overview of Antioch College Finances (www.antioch-college.edu)
Web Presentation by:
Board Chair Art Zucker and Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock
Thursday, August 16, 2007
8:00PM EDT/5:00PM PDT

This web seminar is open to all interested parties. The goal is to provide financial information that will enable us all to understand the rationale for the Board’s decision. From this point we can then, collectively, begin the efforts to re-build
Antioch college. To participate: Log onto www.antioch-college.edu. Further details will be posted on the website in the near future.

The August 25 special board meeting, to be held in Cincinnati, is the next step in the process of working together to re-build Antioch College. It is felt that starting this re-building process cannot wait until our regularly scheduled meeting in October, and it’s critical that we have the participation and support of Antioch College’s key stakeholders
in this process. The meeting in Cincinnati will consist of two parts:

•The first part will be an open forum where any member of the Antioch Community will be able to provide their vision for the future of Antioch College.

•Given the morning conversation, the second part of the day has been set aside for invited stakeholder representatives to meet with Trustees. This will involve a facilitated discussion to continue charting a strategic plan leading to the reopening of the College.

Specifically, the Cincinnati sessions will include:
Open Forum Meeting With the Board of Trustees (www.antioch-college.edu)
9:00AM – 11:30AM EDT, location to be determined.
Saturday, August 25, 2007

The forum will allow alumni, current students, faculty, staff, Yellow Springs business and community leaders, donors and others to share their visions with the board and senior administrative leadership. Please visit www.antioch-college.edu after August 3, 2007, for further information on the guidelines for the meeting, details on the format and meeting location.

Stakeholder Discussion Session with the Board of Trustees (www.antioch-college.edu)
1:00 – 5:00PM EDT, location to be determined.
Saturday, August 25, 2007

Key stakeholders representing the Alumni Association, faculty, staff and students, and Yellow Springs Village leadership will be invited to attend the afternoon session.. Names of key stakeholders will be submitted to the Board and the individuals will participate in a facilitated discussion with the Antioch leadership team. This meeting will focus on the process to move toward re-opening Antioch College by 2012. Please visit www.antioch-college.edu in upcoming days for additional information on the meeting format and for further details on the meeting agenda. It is important to recognize that the Board has made the decision to suspend operations as of July 1, 2008. The Board will not reverse that decision. The Board has instructed the senior leadership to develop a plan leading to re-open the College at the earliest possible time, with a target date of 2012. This plan will require the involvement and cooperation of all of Antioch College’s stakeholders. It is hoped that during this meeting we will begin the process of working together collaboratively.

Sincerely,

Arthur J. Zucker
Chair, Antioch University Board of Trustees

Last Modified : September 27th, 2007 Filed under : Letters, announcements, news Navigate : Previous post / Next post