Month: August 2007

Open Letter to Antioch students

Open Letter to Antioch students

I just returned from a weekend in YSO and attended the open forum session with the Board of Trustees. As an alum (class of ’77), I had not been on campus since the late 1990s when I tried to interest my daughter in attending. My experience this weekend reminded me of why I have always loved Antioch and why I stayed after the 1973 strike.

Everything I have ever accomplished of any significance is due to my years at Antioch College (parenting included). I’m often asked how I learned the skills of my profession and I always credit my years at Antioch College. (I own a healthcare consulting firm.) I explain that I learned active listening through participation in AdCil and long meetings held to debate whatever issue was the hot topic on campus (including the ’73 strike). My classes emphasized critical thinking and the synthesis of multiple theories and ideas. During my work study job in the WYSO newsroom, under the careful mentoring of Mark Mericle, I tested my communication and analytic skills. Finally, I gained confidence and independence through the coop program/AEA experiences in Mississippi, New Orleans, Washington DC, and Mexico.

So why did I become alienated from the College from which I loved and took so much?

In part, the complexities of life just took over. Fundamentally, however, my generation received unfair blame for the enrollment decline and financial chaos after the ’73 strike. Perhaps we were the first toxic generation. Many seemed to forget that the strikers, whether we agreed with their tactics or not, actually challenged Dixon’s funding priorities (expansion to over 20 campus locations) and predicted the College would eventually ultimately suffer (for which they were labeled as marginal and fatalistic thinkers). So, as a 1st year student who survived the strike, I distrusted the expansion and move towards a University system from the beginning. I endured the strike – thousands of pounds of garbage piled on the horseshoe in front of Antioch Hall (strikers picketed to prevent garbage pickup), the suspension of classes and meal service, and a deeply divided campus. Yet I stayed.

The first year students I drove to the Cincinnati Board meeting reminded me of myself and other entering students of 1972; excited, curious, inquisitive, polite, and eager to start their Antioch adventure. They sensed this year would provide a very special opportunity to participate in a collective effort to save Antioch College and to understand the dynamics that led us to where we are today.

I admire all of you, both entering and returning students, for making a decision to go down this unpredictable path. Please remember you have the support of staff, faculty, the village, and thousands of alumni who are working towards a common goal. We will not forget you are actually living through this uncertainty and intensity day after day. Believe me, you will not regret it!

In solidarity,

Susan Greene 1977

To the Antioch University Board of Trustees

Julian SharpMy name is Julian Sharp and I am a senior at Antioch College. Over the past three years my experience at Antioch has been rich. I have taken challenging courses, involved myself in shared governance, for those of you on the board who know what ComCil is, I at one time served as the chair, made life long friends and have traveled the world through co-op and Antioch Education Abroad. Continue reading To the Antioch University Board of Trustees

Bookstore in Danger of Reduced Hours

Over the past several years the Antioch College bookstore’s revenue has mirrored the steadily decreasing enrolment. Once most Antioch students have bought their books and supplies for class at the bookstore many seldom return until next term. Antioch McGregor has been becoming a more constant source of sales for the bookstore, however even with this source of income the bookstore would sometimes only make 25 dollars in a day. At the rate business has been going the bookstore’s operations may have been switched to an online store, which is common at smaller schools that can not support a campus store.

With plans of building a new separate campus to the west of Yellow Springs, McGregor was faced with fi nding a store which could supply its new campus with the books and tools necessary for classes. McGregor had originally considered having a corporation like Barnes and Noble run the new bookstore. Since the Antioch book store is accustomed to dealing with the needs of McGregor students it was decided a new Antioch College bookstore would be opened on the McGregor West campus instead of a franchise. Milt Thompson, Vice President of Student Affairs and Auxiliary Ressources at the College declared: “If McGregor had taken their business some place else, Steve Lawry, the operations folks and I would have had to consider closing the bookstore down, and going to an online service. I don’t think our community would be in favor of that.”

Even though the new Antioch College book store would be located on the McGregor West Campus it would still be owned by Antioch College and all revenue would return to the college. Likewise, the new bookstore would also pay rent to McGregor for the space used. McGregor and Antioch College products will still be available at both book stores to provide convenience for all students.

On February 27th 2007 Steve Lawry announced that 20 positions throughout the college would be eliminated. Among these 20 was one of the two bookstore employees. Currently one person is running the Antioch bookstore, and trying to open the new store at McGregor once fi nal inspections are passed for the new building. Once the new bookstore is open there will only be one person running both stores. Both McGregor and Antioch College are hopeful that FWSP and IWS students will step up to work in the bookstores, increasing the number of hours for both of them.

When Dave Cook, manager of the Antioch College bookstore, and now of the New McGregor West bookstore, was asked what he was looking for in employees he said that he needed devoted, responsible students and that experience handling money would not hurt. Dave Cook also guaranteed that there would be ample hours available, due to the fact that there are now two understaffed book stores.

The success of the new bookstore is not guaranteed. If Antioch College closes, so will the bookstore and McGregor will buy its remaining products. If the new bookstore at McGregor does not make a profi t or does not suit the needs of McGregor West it could also face closure. Milt Thompson seemed hopeful for the new store’s success, and even had plans for Antioch College bookstores at all Antioch University campuses allowing larger

Interview with Angie Glukhov, Director of Admissions and Transfer Services

Angie Glukhov, Director of Admissions and Transfer ServicesI recently got the glamorous Angie Glukhov to take a break from her rock and roll lifestyle as the Director of Admissions and Transfer Services to sit down with me and answer a few questions about the future of Admissions, and the present of the Office of Transition (conveniently located on the right as one enters Main Building).

So, tell me a little about the creation and function of the Office of Transition

When the decision to suspend operations was announced this summer, we knew immediately that there would be students who needed to find other options. For those students who felt it was in their best interest to take opportunities elsewhere, we tried to lessen the burden of research by contacting other colleges and gathering information so they don’t have to. We can broker transfer credits, call registrars, that sort of thing so students can focus on this not only being the best year possible, but the best year ever at Antioch. Continue reading Interview with Angie Glukhov, Director of Admissions and Transfer Services

“We need this one.”

Stakeholders advocate in Kentucky for survival of Antioch College“We are not just fighting for Antioch, we are fighting for the institution of tenure, for unions for liberal arts school, for other kids who might not go to Antioch, who might go to just another liberal arts college that did not close,” events manager Rory Adams Cheatham said in an impromptu speech during the afternoon session of the special stakeholder meeting with the Antioch Board of Trustees on Saturday. Continue reading “We need this one.”