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 regular basis.

Here is the Amazon description of the book. Click here to pre-order.

Heralded as “A crucial, compelling, and cautionary read for higher education in the 2020s and beyond,” Requiem for a College offers a riveting and heartbreaking insider’s view of the troubling trend of college closures in the United States.

There are two kinds of institutions that we rarely question when it comes to their long-term viability: Banks and colleges. We assume that our money, our collegiate memories, and our children’s academic futures are safe and sound — that such time-honored institutions will outlast us. But when it comes to colleges and universities, the future is not promised.

On February 3, 2017, Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, announced it would “suspend operations,” ending its 128-year history as a residential four-year college and leaving a painful void in the lives of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the surrounding community. Requiem for a College, now in its 2nd edition, is their story.

Deeply personal and replete with the powerful voices of the people who were there, this book by English professor Jonathan Nichols transports us back in time to the College’s final days, where we join him on a quest to find out what went wrong, how long the school had been suffering in silence, and who was at fault for destroying so many dreams and crushing so many careers.

“To be a Puma is to be part of a family,” Nichols tells us. In his book, he invites us into that family, to experience the pride, the comfort, and the eventual devastating collapse of what had become a “home away from home” for thousands of people. Requiem for a College is a memoir that reads like a mystery — full of suspense, shock, and appalling behavior. It serves as a cautionary tale, a timely analysis, and a warm embrace of validation and support for educators and learners alike — across the USA and around the world — who have faced (or will face) the demise of a beloved college.

Fiction writer and essayist William Gibson once said, “When you want to know how things really work, study them when they’re coming apart.” And that’s exactly what Jonathan Nichols has done. During the crisis, Nichols coped by investigating; he researched, and he wrote, and he talked to absolutely everyone who was willing to speak “on the record.” What he found and witnessed will frustrate you, shock you, and anger you — it will bring you to tears and will make you question everything you thought you knew about governing Boards and the business of higher education.

Jonathan Nichols, for all his years as an English professor and fiction writer, has proven himself a formidable investigative journalist, researcher, and historian. He “kept the receipts” of the crisis, and they will astound you.

There is, sadly, a larger story that extends beyond the confines of Indiana. Saint Joseph’s College is just one of thousands of academic institutions on the brink. College closures have been happening at such a rapid pace —a closure per week in the first half of 2024 — that it’s almost impossible to live in the United States and not have a connection to a shuttered academic institution. In the past 15 years, more than 300 degree-granting institutions have closed and nearly 1,000 post-secondary education providers in total have disappeared. And whether you think the trend is deeply troubling or just inevitable, the consequences are far-reaching. Requiem for a College should be required reading for everyone who works in, around, and on behalf of higher education.

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 of Oregon braces for deeper cuts as deficit balloons to $25.7 million

Hastings College earns reaffirmation of accreditation from Higher Learning Commission

Middle States to approve Keystone College’s request to merge with nonprofit

US Education Department threatens Columbia University’s accreditation over campus antisemitism concerns

Ithaca College to lower discount rate by 2028 as part of plan to decrease deficit

Why Trump’s $3 billion wake-up call to higher ed is exactly what America needs

Budget would expand state oversight following college closures (OH)

American Students Squeezed Out As Colleges Chase Foreign Funds

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 means for Indy campus

Multiple Saint Michael’s College (VT) employees laid off

USI president says tuition increase inevitable after state budget cuts

Notre Dame College (OH) sued by Bank of America for $20M debt, accused of improper use of endowment funds by Ohio AG Dave Yost

College enrollment is declining. How is Johnson & Wales preparing for the ‘demographic cliff’?

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 balance its budget

+ State university systems in MD and OR also announced cutbacks or potential cutbacks.

+ Let the colleges fail by Richard Vedder, Opinion on The Hill

+ Penn State Faculty Alliance Calls on University to Stop Campus Closure Process

+ Much more.

Show notes:

Canisius University (NY) to lay off all public safety department employees

Buffalo State University to cut some programs, staff to help balance its budget

Let the Colleges Fail

Penn State Faculty Alliance Calls on University to Stop Campus Closure Process

Kasia Lundy LI post on risky colleges

Kean University and New Jersey City University Sign Letter of Intent in Next Step Toward Historic Merger

America’s College Towns Go From Boom to Bust

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 College Advanced Financial Compass
College Viability app for Executive Analysis

Show notes:

Christian Brothers University and Lewis University Sign Letter of Intent to Explore Transformative Partnership

State University leadership recommends closing 7 branch campuses

Union College falls short on enrollment with big loss of international students

Salem College (NC) sees surge in enrollment after national recruitment push

Five of six state universities in Kansas seek tuition hikes to grapple with financial obstacles

Regulators remove Antioch College's financial distress designation

States Are Taking Up Higher-Ed Reform

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 CFO and endowment fund investment manager

+ WSJ: The End of the Free College Lunch

Show Notes:

Schedule a 1:1 Demo of the Private College Advanced Financial Compass with me.

Hood College (MD) faces budget deficit, increases draw from endowment

Johnson & Wales to cut 91 jobs amid $34m deficit, decreased enrollment

Arkansas Baptist College employees go weeks without pay

Applications drop to five-year low - as acceptance rate increases on May 8th

Linfield students, faculty push back on proposed university budget cuts

Averett University is suing its former CFO and endowment fund investment manager

The End of the Free College Lunch (Behind WSJ Paywall)

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 Guidance Sidesteps Core Higher Ed Safeguards. No, they have already been sidestepped. I will tell you how.

Do you have stories you want covered. Drop me a note at gary@collegeviability.com

Show Notes and Story Links:

LIVE: Limestone University holds graduation after faculty votes to ban President, VP, Board of Trustees

Limestone faculty asks president, trustees not to attend graduation; colleges reach out

Education Dept. Moves to Make It Easier for Colleges to Switch Accreditors

2025 College Athletics Compliance Report: A Look at the Continued (R)evolution

Trump's Accreditation Guidance Sidesteps Core Higher Ed Safeguards

An ugly fight brews

College Viability Web Site

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 plans to cut multiple undergrad programs

Statement on Executive Order Regarding Accreditation (from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education)

Where Is Congress?

Increase in administrative positions prompts report from faculty

How an Accreditation War Could Start

Changing the focus on financial transparency

Yes, the College Bubble Will Deflate