Future of Division III

[Ron Boerger]

The good folks at d3playbook.com let us know that a group called NACAC, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, publishes a voluntary list of colleges that still have openings which is updated daily.  While the web site allows some filtering it's best to download a CSV and use your favorite spreadsheet or other tool if you want to really poke at the data.  Looking at private institutions you will unsurprisingly see a good number of D3 schools still looking for bodies, and in the public arena a few of the UW family are still open.  Of schools based in the US, there are a *lot* more private schools still open (193 as of this writing) than public (89), though schools must be members of the NACAC to participate.  There is a searchable directory here if you want to see if a school is a member, though that doesn't guarantee participation in this particular program.

[Kuiper]

Article in the LA Times regarding struggles at Whittier, which has seen enrollment decline from roughly 1850 to 1200 since 2018.  Besides the numerical issues, there’s apparently a leadership crisis.  Endowment for a school that size is actually decent ($120m).

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-30/whittier-college-hit-with-low-enrollment-financial-woes

One of the accompanying charts shows enrollment at La Verne with a similar percentage decline.

UPDATE:  Whittier College's President is stepping down

https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/1657368122289160192?s=20

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/whittier-college-president-resigns-amid-financial-troubles-plunging-enrollment

In recent years, Whittier has seen enrollment plunge 35%, from 1,853 students in 2018 to about 1,200. The decreases have driven down annual revenue by 29% over roughly the same period, according to audited financial statements. In an effort to balance the books, the college last year cut football and three other sports programs and unveiled plans to sell the president’s residence, Wardman House, a hilltop mansion with views to the ocean.

[D3Navy]

Article in the LA Times regarding struggles at Whittier, which has seen enrollment decline from roughly 1850 to 1200 since 2018.  Besides the numerical issues, there’s apparently a leadership crisis.  Endowment for a school that size is actually decent ($120m).

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-30/whittier-college-hit-with-low-enrollment-financial-woes

One of the accompanying charts shows enrollment at La Verne with a similar percentage decline.

UPDATE:  Whittier College's President is stepping down

https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/1657368122289160192?s=20

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/whittier-college-president-resigns-amid-financial-troubles-plunging-enrollment

In recent years, Whittier has seen enrollment plunge 35%, from 1,853 students in 2018 to about 1,200. The decreases have driven down annual revenue by 29% over roughly the same period, according to audited financial statements. In an effort to balance the books, the college last year cut football and three other sports programs and unveiled plans to sell the president’s residence, Wardman House, a hilltop mansion with views to the ocean.

It seems DEI initiatives, at the expense of sports, for example, have had a major impact on alumni support:

https://savewhittiercollege.com/home-2/letter-to-kenya-williams/statement-of-no-confidence-president-oubre/

[Kuiper]

Another DIII institution has announced it's closing.  Medaille University in Buffalo, which is a member of the Empire 8 conference (and I believe the Allegehny Mountain Collegiate Conference), will close at the end of the summer.

https://www.wivb.com/news/education/colleges-universities-buffalo/medaille-university-to-close-aug-31/

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Medaille University announced it will be closing this summer, following the termination of its integration deal with Trocaire College last week.

The official last date for the school will be Aug. 31.

Medaille cited “financial instability, declining enrollment, outstanding liabilities, and other challenges that are impacting institutions of higher education across the region, state and nationally” as its reasons for closing.

[Ron Boerger]

Another DIII institution has announced it's closing.  Medaille University in Buffalo, which is a member of the Empire 8 conference (and I believe the Allegehny Mountain Collegiate Conference), will close at the end of the summer.

https://www.wivb.com/news/education/colleges-universities-buffalo/medaille-university-to-close-aug-31/

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Medaille University announced it will be closing this summer, following the termination of its integration deal with Trocaire College last week.

The official last date for the school will be Aug. 31.

Medaille cited “financial instability, declining enrollment, outstanding liabilities, and other challenges that are impacting institutions of higher education across the region, state and nationally” as its reasons for closing.

Once that merger fell through you knew this woud happen.  Probably Trocaire had a look at their financials once they got deep into discovery and said "no way we want any part of this mess."