New 2-Year Nonprofit College Opening in Chicago

Interesting article by Emma Whitford at Inside Higher Ed, "A New 2-Year College in Chicago: A Chicago-based nonprofit is opening a private two-year institution aimed at Latino immigrants."

The college is founded by "...the Instituto del Progreso Latino, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to helping Latino immigrants further their education, Instituto College will welcome its first class of about 24 students into a pilot nursing program."  You can visit the college website for more information.

The Daily Nurse posted a short audio clip with an article by Christina Morgan, "JPMorgan Chase Funds Community College Nursing Program Targeting Chicago’s Latino Community," with details of a major investment to assist the startup.

Small Colleges are Thinking Strategically about Community Relationships

I enjoyed reading Douglas Belkin's article, "To Save Themselves, Small Colleges Offer Lifeline to Their Hometown," last week in the Wall Street Journal.  Belkin focuses his reporting on several small colleges that are thinking strategically about relationships with their respective communities.  He included references to Albion College, Monmouth College, Ripon College, Niagra University, and Emory and Henry College.

You can also read, "Ripon College Recognized for Renovation of Downtown Building," that was posted on the Small College Garden in September 2015.  In addition, the College Towns & University Cities blog includes posts featuring institutions working with their communities.

Focusing on Chicago's South Side: Ward College Plans to Open in the Fall

WGN-TV in Chicago features reporting by Amy Rutledge with an interview of Daniel Geiter who, along with others, is working to open Ward College this fall.  Ward College will initially operate out of the Chicago Theological Seminary at the University of Chicago and the institution will focus on providing certificate programs and an A.A. degree on the south side of Chicago.

The Elijah Glenn Ward Family Foundation and Catalyst Educational Research Center, Inc. have joined together to create Ward College.  A GoFundMe page has also been created as a way to raise startup funds.

Report finds Innovation and Promising Strategies at nine CIC Institutions

The Spring 2016 issue of The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Independent newsletter includes an overview of a new CIC report, "Strategic Change and Innovation in Independent Colleges: Nine Mission-Driven Campuses."  

The Independent's editor comments that the report provides evidence that private colleges face the future with optimism.  Further, it challenges the narrative that independent institutions are stuck with outdated business models and are unable to adapt to market and fiscal challenges.

The report focuses on nine small institutions and is based on interviews with presidents and other campus leaders.  Several themes summarize what the authors found;  "...a bias for action; a drive to connect locally, regionally, and beyond; realistic self-assessment and adaptation; structure for innovation; assertive leadership within shared governance traditions; and alignment of mission and innovation."

The table below provides the locations and enrollments of the institutions.

Institution	Location	Enrollment
Benedictine University	Lisle, Illinois	5,954
Bethany College	Lindsborg, Kansas	717
Dillard University	New Orleans, Louisiana	1,185
Houghton College	Houghton, New York	1,084
New England College	Henniker, New Hampshire	2,399
Stetson University	Deland, Florida	4,330
Valparaiso University	Valparaiso, Indiana	4,507
Washington Adventist University	Takoma Park, Maryland	1,057
William Jessup University	Roklin, California	1,161

James C. Hearn, Jarret B. Warshaw, and Erin B. Ciarimboli authored the report.  A .pdf version is available for download from the CIC website.

Aquaponics at Principia College

Principia College has a couple of interesting videos posted on YouTube that feature a fascinating aquaponic project.  The initiative began as a student project and may expand over time to provide additional vegetables and fish for college dining.  The initial video provides an overview of how the project started and the second video includes more details of how the project functions.

A Christian Science institution, Principia College is located in Elsah, IL and enrolled 493 students last fall.  Principia was founded in 1898, initially offering education for high school students.  A junior college was added in 1912 and a baccalaureate program in 1932.  

Shimer College President Urges Consideration of Artisanal College Movement

Susan Henking authored an interesting post on The Blog at HuffPost College asking, "Is it time for an Artisanal College Movement?"  Henking focuses her comments on the pervasive belief in higher education that enrollments must grow and that institutions are in a never ending campaign to achieve financial viability through larger and larger numbers of students.  Henking serves as the president of Shimer College in Chicago

Community Colleges Play Large Role in Towns they Serve

Tom Snyder, President of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, explores the multi-faceted roles of community colleges in "Contributions of Community Colleges to Cities and Towns."  The post in Huff Post College was published September 18, 2015.  In addition to mentioning recent initiatives at Ivy Tech, Snyder also highlights programs at Cape Cod Community College, Yakima Valley Community College, and Lewis and Clark Community College.

Blackburn College & College of the Ozarks Highlighted as Work Colleges

Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL and the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO are featured in a column, "Are Work Colleges like Blackburn an answer to rising higher-education costs," written by Chuck Raasch for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on August 27, 2015.  Blackburn and the College of the Ozarks are both liberal arts colleges and members of the Work College Consortium.

Raasch focuses on a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would make the tax-exempt status to income earned by students at Work Colleges permanent.  He notes that students work 10-15 hours a week at the institution to offset tuition with a goal that graduates are debt-free.

Glenn L. McConagha's history, Blackburn College 1837-1987, was the focus of a post on the College History Garden blog.