On June 25, 2024, Eastern Nazarene College announced its closure at the end of the year, leaving faculty and students stunned. The timing of the announcement, coming after course planning had begun, underscored the inadequacy of the six-month notice period in academia. This situation raises a crucial question for Christian colleges: How can they navigate closures ethically and compassionately?
A Pattern Among Christian Colleges
Eastern Nazarene’s decision is not isolated; similar closures have occurred at other Christian institutions. For example, The King’s College in New York City faced turmoil last summer, with conflicting announcements and abrupt faculty layoffs. Other schools like Trinity International University and Clarks Summit University have also shut down or downsized. The financial struggles of these institutions, exacerbated by the pandemic, have led to program cuts and closures, often handled with little regard for faculty and students.
The Looming Demographic Cliff
The primary factor driving these closures is the “demographic cliff.” The drop in US birthrates during the Great Recession has led to declining freshman classes nationwide. While prestigious institutions like Harvard may weather this storm, smaller Christian colleges face existential threats. Even Wheaton College has had to make adjustments in anticipation of this demographic shift.
Ethical Considerations in Closure Decisions
As Christian colleges confront the inevitability of closures or mergers, how they handle these decisions is crucial. The timing of notifications to faculty and staff is especially important, with early notice being a minimum requirement of compassion. However, some institutions, like Cornerstone University, have failed to provide timely warnings, leaving faculty and students in difficult positions.
True, in many other workplaces, a two-week notice is customary and sufficient. But higher education works differently because of its quirky annual hiring cycle. With very few exceptions, academic jobs are posted in the fall and early spring. Hires are concluded by late spring, and new positions begin in August. That means faculty need at least a full school year to have any chance of continuing to work in their field—not to mention to place a house on the market or finish out a lease and make plans for required relocation without losing a lot of money in the process.
Students are also deeply affected by college closures. While some will be able to transfer to other institutions, just over half are unlikely to re-enroll elsewhere due to various factors.
Source:
More Christian Colleges Will Close. Can They Finish Well?
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