Articles - THE RECORD

Lynda Sirk new head of Development and Alumni Relations

Lynda Sirk, former head of communications and Public relations for Antioch College was appointed the new head of Development and Alumni affairs, according to a press statement released by the University yesterday.

Sirk’s appointment was announced after much commotion on campus on Friday when the staff of both the Development Office and Alumni Relations office, including then head of Development Risa Grimes, were locked out of their office on Friday afternoon. “We were told to leave and we don’t have access to our first class accounts anymore, that’s all I can tell right now,” said Aimee Maruyama, head of Alumni Relations for the college in a phone interview Yesterday. Several officers had an automated out of office reply on their email boxes saying their office was closed for a long weekend and they would not be responding to their email until Tuesday. Continue reading Lynda Sirk new head of Development and Alumni Relations

Murdock announces Lawry stepping down effective immediately

In a press release dated today, August 31 University Chancellor Toni Murdock announces “Today Antioch College President Steven W. Lawry is stepping down from the presidency effective immediately.”

Dean of faculty Andrzej Bloch is said to step in as chief operating officer, though no mention to him is made in the early afternoon press release. When approached for comment at his house this afternoon Steve Lawry said he was not allowed to talk at this point. He did confirm he no longer had access to his First Class account. Rumors about the development office being gutted were not confirmed. “For what we’ve heard the development office will receive more funding,” one administrator said this afternoon after an ad hoc closed meeting in Main building at which the news was first presented.

BOT to collaborate with Alumni Board on plan for viable future of Antioch College

“This tree is not ready to die. New twigs are budding; you’ve heard them today,” faculty member Hassan Rachmanian told Antioch Trustees and close to 200 stakeholders assembled at a Kentucky airport hotel on Saturday morning. Whether it was his plea or that of dozens of others last weekend, the Board of Trustees of Antioch College on Monday announced its willingness to collaborate with the college Alumni Association to further develop a business plan for the future of a viable Antioch College. In addition, the trustees in a separate vote expressed their willingness to consider the creation of a separate Board for the college with “significant authority”.

The Board adopted a resolution to that affect on Sunday, following a weekend hearing of stakeholders from the wider College and Yellow Springs Community whose collective efforts over the last two months have brought to the table over eight million dollars in cash and pledges to keep the doors of Antioch College open past the academic year 2007.

Andrzej Bloch to become Antioch’s Interim President in January 2008

On July 26, Antioch College president Steve Lawry announced his resignation to the community, effective by the end of December of this year. “My family and I have taken this decision in light of the June 9th, 2007, decision of the Antioch University Board of Trustees to suspend operations at the College from July 1st, 2008,” Lawry said in an official press release by the College. “I look forward to contributing in other ways to the advancement of the kinds of values Antioch has traditionally taught and honored—engaged citizenship, free and open intellectual inquiry, and respect for human dignity.”

Shortly after Steve Lawry’s announcement, several newspapers published the news that Chancellor Toni Murdoch had asked Antioch College dean of faculty Andrzej Bloch to assume the role of interim president on the first of January 2008. However, as yet there has been no formal announcement as to whether Andrzej will accept the new title.

Continue reading Andrzej Bloch to become Antioch’s Interim President in January 2008

Sign Here Please

A wind of panic spread among Antioch students upon their return to campus last week. Along with the traditional contact sheet that they were asked to fill out, they were requested to sign a “Student acknowledgement of suspension of operations of Antioch College”.

Paragraph four, in particular, (reprinted below), constituted a source of worry, as it appeared to be protecting the University from any potential legal action by non-graduating students based on a breach of contract.

Community Government, acting upon the advice of alumni legal committee members, published on Pulse a message to enjoin students not to sign the form, which could potentially waive their legal rights. The possibility of signing “under duress” was also discussed, as a significant proportion of students had been under the impression that they would not receive their dorm key if the document was not signed.

Continue reading Sign Here Please