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Editorial
A noble effort
It’s heartbreaking to consider the opportunities
squandered by the Antioch University trustees when they rejected the Antioch
College Continuation Corporation’s offer to save the college.
To begin with, there’s the money that could have put Antioch College
back on its feet. The AC3 offered $9.5 million up front for the college,
$6 million for the university campuses and the promise to raise $100 million
more. Their proposal offered many assurances that the whole university
would not only not suffer financially from the proposal, but would benefit.
But these offers weren’t enough for the trustees, who together have
raised a mere $25,000 for the college this year.
Even more heartbreaking is the loss of human capital. Talented, creative,
committed alumni — including the college’s alumni board, the
leaders of the College Revival Fund, and the AC3 — came forward
this year, put their busy lives on hold, and gave thousands upon thousands
of hours to save the school. AC3 member Lee Morgan offered his skills
for free to raise money for a year, and renown educator Frances Horowitz
volunteered her summer to lead the transition. Given the chance, they
all would have done much more.
Nothing about the trustees’ rejection of this incredible effort
makes any sense. The majority of the divided board seem to have been passive,
fearful and manipulated by a chancellor who, for whatever reason, simply
wanted to close the college. And she did.
University leaders now say that Antioch College values live on in Antioch
University. Don’t believe it. These leaders seem to think these
values — social justice, for instance — have nothing to do
with how they treat real live human beings. The university leaders have
treated the Antioch College faculty and staff — those who have given
the most to Antioch College — with great disrespect. Beyond that,
the Antioch values of community, critical thinking and experiential learning
depend on people engaging together with honesty, directness and transparency.
Instead, Antioch University leaders have taken the road of dishonesty,
secrecy and manipulation. They do not understand Antioch values.
But these values are alive and well. The Antioch alumni leaders, faculty,
staff, students and villagers who led the effort to save the college did
so with integrity, courage, commitment and grace. Thank you to all who
took part in this noble effort. Thank you for believing that Antioch College,
and the values for which it stands, is worth fighting for.
—Diane Chiddister
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