Clarification

Let me clarify something I said in a previous post. I mentioned that I had heard a rumor in the hot tub at the pool that Hampshire College might be closing. I've checked that out by looking at the student newspaper at Hampshire and watching a video by Hampshire College President Nelson. The story seems to be that the board has voted to accept a much smaller class in the fall of 2019, a reality which will be accompanied by significant layoffs of staff and faculty this spring and summer. Hampshire is also pursuing the possibility of a "strategic partnership" with another institution to preserve its long-term viability. So, the college is not closing, but it clearly is dealing with serious financial challenges. The president, in her video talk, mentions both the shift in demographic of college-age students, and also the fact that Hampshire has never had a large endowment. It has no reserves to help it weather a difficult time. It sounds like they're hoping they can find someone who does have a lot of money that they can partner with, but who knows where that will lead.