This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for October 14, 2024

I want to start off this week’s podcast with a personal observation.  

I watched some 40- 50,000 people run in the Chicago Marathon yesterday.  It was a spectacle of humanity to see so many people invest so much into a challenging endeavor like running 26.2 miles

Watching some 50,000 people pass you in a matter of about 90 minutes,  is a lot of humankind.  

As I was watching those tens of thousands of souls, it was easy to make the connection to a higher education number.  40,000 is about the same number of college students impacted by college closures over the past few years.    

Countless times as my family traversed the marathon route in Chicago supporting a loved one, I saw the excitement of people recognizing their loved ones running with screams of joy.   As I reflected on those encounters, I couldn’t help but think about how many closed colleges are taking away that same joyous scream from thousands of their students and families

So for those who write off small percentage of college closures as not a big deal, no impact on the overall market, - you are missing the human point.  These are thousands of hopes and dreams being shredded by colleges that should not be in the business of higher education.

Grab a seat at the CHI, BOS, NY or even other marathons.  Watch some thousands or more human beings pass you as they engage in that challenge of challenges. 

This week's news and commentary:
Cutbacks at Drexel and SLU
Fitch Ratings:  Pressure Mounts for U.S. Colleges As Students Head Back to School
Martin Center:  Universities Are Doing Education Badly

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