TWICV special edition with Dr. David Evans

This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

If I created titles for these podcasts, this one would be: Benefits of Hindsight in Closing a College.

Dr. David Evans was the president of Vermont Southern College in 2019. His college was on the leading edge of a demise that has since impacted dozens more private colleges.

Closure.

In this special podcast, we discuss:

• The accreditor's role in the closure
• A 5-year historical perspective on the changes in higher education still leading to the cutbacks, layoffs, and closure that happen with some regularity
• Broken bond covenants and the role they are playing in college closures
• The impact of higher education data entrepreneurs on the college market
• Dr. Evans talks about the importance of liquidity as a college faces a financial crisis

Here are some additional notes from the podcast

Takeaways

• Accreditors often prioritize protecting institutions over students.
• Transparency about financial health is increasingly important.
• Deferred maintenance can indicate a college's financial stability.
• Consolidation may be necessary for the sustainability of small colleges
• Future students should assess the physical condition of campuses.