{"product_id":"requiem-for-a-college-the-troubling-trend-of-college-closures-in-the-united-states-9781948238519","title":"Requiem for a College: The Troubling Trend of College Closures in the United States","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeralded as \"A crucial, compelling, and cautionary read for higher education in the 2020s and beyond,\" \u003cem\u003eRequiem for a College\u003c\/em\u003e offers a riveting and heartbreaking insider's view of the troubling trend of college closures in the United States.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere 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 \u003cstrong\u003ewhen it comes to colleges and universities, the future is not promised.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn 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. \u003cem\u003eRequiem for a College\u003c\/em\u003e, now in its 2nd edition, is their story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeeply 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"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. \u003cem\u003eRequiem for a College\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFiction writer and essayist William Gibson once said, \u003cem\u003e\"When you want to know how things really work, study them when they're coming apart.\" \u003c\/em\u003eDuring the crisis, Nichols coped by investigating; he researched, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonathan 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is, sadly, a larger story that extends beyond the confines of Indiana. \u003cstrong\u003eSaint Joseph's College is just one of thousands of academic institutions on the brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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. \u003cem\u003eRequiem for a College\u003c\/em\u003e should be required reading for everyone who works in, around, and on behalf of higher education.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e---\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith analysis of other college closures (e.g., Antioch College, Burlington College, Cardinal Stritch University, Dana College, Dowling College, Lincoln College, St. Catharine College, St. Gregory's University). With a foreword by Kate Colbert, author of \u003cem\u003eCommencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNichols, Jonathan:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Jonathan Nichols is an Assistant Professor of English at Waubonsee Community College and the author of Requiem for a College: The Troubling Trend of College Closures in the United States, a compelling exploration of the 2017 closure of Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana. Drawing from his personal experience as an alumnus, a former faculty member, and someone with deep family ties to the institution, Nichols provides a movingly human perspective on the broader crisis of small college closures in the United States. His work has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Guardian, and he frequently contributes to discussions on higher education's evolving landscape. The forthcoming second edition of Requiem for a College, set for release in summer 2025, expands on these themes, offering updated insights into the increasing frequency of college closures and their profound impact on communities nationwide. His academic areas of study are composition and rhetoric, along with longform literary nonfiction. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Debbie, and his dog, Tony.","brand":"Silver Tree Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51779379101970,"sku":"9781948238519","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4620fb5f-240b-47c5-a6ea-846c107d68e8.jpg?v=1765367257","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/requiem-for-a-college-the-troubling-trend-of-college-closures-in-the-united-states-9781948238519","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}