YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio — Black and gold “Save Antioch College” signs stood on the campus Saturday as supporters waited for a decision on the future of the 155-year-old school known for its social activism.
Trustees of parent Antioch University said this summer that because of declining enrollment, heavy dependence on tuition and a small endowment, the college would close after the spring term, reorganize and reopen in 2012.
On Thursday, alumni formally asked the trustees to reverse the decision, saying they had raised $18 million primarily in pledges to keep the school going.
The two groups discussed the alumni proposal behind closed doors, and a decision was expected to be announced later.
The college, founded in 1852, is the flagship for Antioch University, which has five other campuses in Ohio and on the East and West coasts.
The signs were planted by Antioch supporters who wanted to make sure trustees know how they feel about the private school with a pioneering academic program that produces students with a passion for freethinking and social activism.
An endowment of only $30 million and heavy dependence on tuition revenue amid declining enrollment have hurt the 230-student school in southwest Ohio. The school’s current annual operating budget is $18 million.
Alumni fear temporarily closing the college will scare off badly needed donors and make it difficult to recruit faculty and attract new students.
The college’s alumni include Coretta Scott King, “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling and two Nobel Prize winners.
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