This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

TWICV News and Commentary for August 18 2024     I had a higher ed friend send me a story on Sunday about an Iowa private college.  The spin was silly and obvious.  A look at their financials suggests this college is a likely closure candidate when the Higher Education tipping point hits.   I could have pulled a half-dozen of these type of stories in just the past week. This is an industry living...

Shellee Howard is the founder and CEO of College Ready, a college graduate, and a Certified Educational Planner.  Her son graduated from Harvard in the spring of 2016 debt free! Her daughter attended the University of Alabama and completed the Nursing program at CBU, also debt free!  Her passion is helping students all over the world get into the best possible college for them.  Shellee has travel...

This is the podcast that talks about the financial health and viability of public and private colleges with data, details and perspectives offered nowhere else.  This podcast is the alternative media source for colleges, students, families, and communities.  I work every week to expose the spin, the stalls, and the silliness that pervades Higher Education in America. This week: + Bellwether warns...

This Week in College Viability is the alternative higher education media source for college stakeholders. This was a big weekend here at College Viability.  We released our first fully automated College Viability report for student and families The free and paid versions are similar to the Kelly Blue Book for cars.  KBB kicks the tires on cares.  Our apps kick the financial health of colleges. The...

For the July 28th This Week in College Viability podcast, I have:  + A college president who must be dizzy with the spin she is trying to impart on a very difficult financial situation. + Technical and trade schools are not sitting waiting for students.  They are marketing to them aggressively.  I have a story and a point to make on that. + College business officers are still a generally delusiona...

Here are the headlines from today's podcast + Vague layoffs and a merger + Maine university system approves accelerated degree programs to address workforce gaps + Are  there really positive perceptions developing around higher education.

This is the podcast that talks about the financial health and viability of public and private colleges with data, details and perspectives offered nowhere else. + More layoffs and cutbacks. + Look at 2 colleges with accreditation updates. + Pennsylvania’s 14-campus higher education system is piloting plans to allow students to access courses beyond their home institution + TUITION DISCOUNT RATE hi...

Dr. Paula Langteau experienced a college closure first hand as President of Presentation College.  Her efforts provide a positive example on how to provide guidance and support to students and their familes at the time of closure.  She joins me on this special podcast episode of 'This Week' to share guidance for college leaders, students, their families and others. If you are unfamiliar with the p...

Here are some of the news and commentary stories for July 7, 2025 + Siena Heights University announces closure + Indiana colleges cut hundreds of low-enrollment degree programs ahead of state mandate + Southwestern Seminary placed on 12-month probation, keeps accreditation + La Salle University warned accreditation could be in jeopardy + A set of public universities in IL focus on enrollment and n...

TWICV News and Commentary for June 30, 2025 + Many layoff and cutback announcements last week.   + Cornell College (IA) steers away from financial health toward marketing hail mary. + My alma mater: typical of the plight of public And private colleges. + Tuition discount rate continues to move upward.  Good for the students.  Not so much for the colleges. + Seth O’dell:  it’s the trends that matte...

Much thanks to the many, many listeners to the podcast.  This past week we hit 10,000 downloads.   If you would, make sure to share the podcast link with your colleagues.  We don’t want them to miss out on the perspectives we offer here at College Viability. This week we have layoffs, cutbacks, and lots of tuition increases.   It is also silly season for college enrollment announcements, and I hav...

News stories and commentary this week: + ‘Lives will be impacted’: TSU proposes staffing, scholarship cuts to stay open + Shuttered Michigan House GOP's higher ed budget includes huge cuts for UM, MSU + NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future (Wells College)  shows emotional and maybe irrational attachment to our colleges + Inside Silicon Valley's anti-college movement Show notes: Shuttered...

With the second edition of 'Requiem for a College' due out on July 8th, I asked author Jon Nichols and publisher Kate Colbert to join me again to talk about the book.  It has been more than 8 years since St. Joseph College (IN) closed. In the interim, scores of additional collleges have closed their doors.  Public college closures are now joining the list of private 4-year college closures on a re...

Here are the stories and links for this week's podcast. Harrisburg University to Close Philadelphia Campus Guilford College Considers Formal Step Toward Possible Faculty Layoffs Facing declining enrollment, Clark University to reduce faculty by as much as 30 percent over next three years As UConn enrollment spikes, a housing squeeze tightens. What’s being done across state to address it University...

On the June 2, 2025 'This Week in College Viability' podcast, Gary looks at: + Can you really ‘grow’ out of financial challenges? +  Notre Dame College (closed) is sued by Bank of America.  The reason is a big deal. +  Education news reporters have a really tough job. Show notes and links:   Peninsula College closing Fort Worden campus Ivy Tech CC (IN) will be laying off 202 employees. What that m...

I didn’t broadcast on Memorial Day.  I spent much of the day reading military histories.  I was in the Army Reserves for 8 years, but I cannot imagine the challenges and bravery of those who have fought in military battles.  I did not. But back to my role as Your College Financial Quality Control Advocate This week on 'This Week' + Buffalo State University to cut some programs, staff to help balan...

In an era of DEI cutbacks, we have a diverse set of stories this week. + 7 public colleges in PA proposed to close. + KS is fretting over tuition increases, but the real issues is they can’t graduate students in 4 years. + A college closure prediction story from 2019 + Regulators remove Antioch College's financial distress designation + States Are Taking Up Higher-Ed Reform App links: Private Coll...

Lots of cutback and layoff stories this week.  With most commencement events taking place, I continue to look for stories where colleges proudly announce their sub-50% graduation rates.  Hasn’t happened yet. Here are the top stories beyond cutbacks and layoffs   + Arkansas Baptist College employees go weeks without pay + Not All Colleges Are Worth Saving + Averett University is suing its former CF...

Here are some of the stories I cover on the May 5th TWICV. 1.      Limestone University holds graduation after faculty votes to ban President, VP, Board of Trustees.  As you might guess, I have some thoughts on that. 2.      Closed college students” Be wary the college ambulance chasers 3.      Education Dept. Moves to Make It Easier for Colleges to Switch Accreditors 4.      Trump's Accreditation...

It looks like it is accreditor justification week at College Viability.  Many of the stories in this week's podcast deal with the chronic inability of accrediting agencies to use graduation rate and financial data to monitor collleges.  Show notes: Trump’s Executive Order Bashes Accreditors, Blames DEI for Low Standards and Poor Outcomes St. Andrews University to Close on May 5 UToledo announces p...

Eric Kelderman is a Senior Writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Our podcast topic is based on Eric's March 2025 article entitled:   ‘We Have More Athletes Than We Have Fans’ Many small colleges have invested in sports to boost enrollment. What happens when it doesn’t work? Eric adds some depth to the developing concerns that adding college sports programs is a solution to enrollment and f...

Springtime in higher education is bringing more and more stories of individual college financial trauma and industry-wide trends that almost always are negative. + Limestone College (S C) nears what may be its final days of existence. + Jacksonville University faculty issues ‘no confidence’ vote in President Cost after decision on cuts +  Ryan Craig:  An Unexpected Consequence Of The Push For Stud...

There is much to catch up on in this week's podcast episode. Highlights include:  + Two Mass. colleges in financial ‘danger,’ accreditation agency finds – Belatedly so. + Our College Closed: Advice for Navigating Professional Deaths and Rebirths + The reason dozens of Mass. colleges could close within a decade (hint: it’s not Trump) + Shock:  A politician speaks out on a public college closure. +...