Martin University Turns a Corner

The Indianapolis Business Journal posted "Martin University focuses on workforce needs to close equity gap" on January 16, 2021 with reporting by Samm Quinn. 

Martin University was founded in 1977 with a mission to serve low income, adult learners. Quinn reports that he leadership of former Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White and more recently, Sean Huddleston, has placed the institution on a more secure foundation.

Recent announcements include a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College to create a pipeline for minority students to complete degrees in education or cybersecurity. Martin University is also  transitioning to become an “urban work college."

Berry College Invites Retirees to Campus

Matt Kempner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on a new senior retirement complex, "Georgia college invites elderly to retire on campus." Kempner interviewed campus administrators and students at Berry College for the article and notes that the "...college also provided seed funding for the complex, which will offer independent and assisted living housing, as well as a nursing care facility."

Berry College traces its roots to the founding by Martha Berry in 1902 when she founded a school for boys in rural Georgia. A program for girls was added in 1909. A junior college program was offered in 1926 and a baccalaureate program after 1930.

Berry College is also known for student work experiences and student operated enterprises.  The senior retirement facility will offer opportunities for student employment.  The college enrolls 2,110 students.

Vermont College President Offers Key Observations and Optimism

Important comments by president Matthew Derr of Sterling College in Craftsbury, VT were published by the Rutland (VT) Herald on February 2, 2019, "Vermont by Degrees: Optimism for our Future."

Derr begins by noting some recent higher education news items and cautions that a number of Vermont's institutions like Sterling College are actually thriving. He further argues that institutions with modest resources, "... can navigate tough times when leadership is stable and the board’s relationship with the president is healthy. Such a relationship is not simply about accommodating the president’s ideas, but rather it requires a balance of shared responsibility for the institution’s well-being."

Derr offers two key observations of struggling institutions.  They tend to have quite a bit of turnover for presidents and there is usually a tendency to see information sharing as a threat. 

Instead, Derr argues that recruitment of institutional leaders and continuity of the leadership over time are critical to insure that there is a good fit for leaders with the mission and institutional culture.  He then notes that engagement between a college’s stakeholders needs to be based on trust and that good communication and transparency is critical.

You can visit the Sterling College website to learn more about the programs offered and their relatively unique mission as a work college.

Sterling College has also been featured in several posts on the Small College Garden blog:

• Saturday, September 8, 2018 The Wendell Berry Farming Programs Enrolling Students Again with details of partnership of the Wendell Berry Farming Program in Kentucky and Sterling College
• Wednesday, September 13, 2017 Focus on Work Colleges: Lower Levels of Student Borrowing and Debt
• Sunday, August 28, 2016 A Call for more UltraSmall Colleges
• Thursday, August 25, 2016 Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College

President Derr was inaugurated as the 11th president of Sterling College in 2012.  He previously served Antioch College in Ohio.

Berea's Work College Mission Featured on CBS This Morning

Berea College and its work college model were featured yesterday on CBS in a video segment with reporting by Michelle Miller, "Kentucky college has stayed tuition-free for more than a century."  Miller's segment provides a good overview of Berea's mission and how the institution impacts the lives of the students it serves.

The College History Garden blog has a couple of posts where you can learn more about the history of Berea College:

• Saturday, October 29, 2016 Founder of Berea College inducted into National Abolition Hall of Fame
• Saturday, September 7, 2013 Videos on YouTube...Scripps College (CA) and Berea College (KY)

You can also review a number of earlier Small College Garden posts that feature work colleges:

• Saturday, December 15, 2018 Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are Recognized
• Saturday, September 8, 2018 The Wendell Berry Farming Programs Enrolling Students Again
• Wednesday, September 13, 2017 Focus on Work Colleges: Lower Levels of Student Borrowing and Debt
• Monday, March 27, 2017 Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation
• Friday, September 16, 2016 PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this Week
• Thursday, August 25, 2016 Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College
• Friday, August 28, 2015 Blackburn College & College of the Ozarks Highlighted as Work Colleges
• Wednesday, July 1, 2015 Weaving Program at Berry College Featured

Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are Recognized

Education Dive web site recently recognized Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX, as their President of the Year.  Reporter Hallie Busta identifies several recent initiatives at the college from a significant reduction in tuition, to official designation as a federal work college, and a recent large grant that will be used to expand Paul Quinn's urban work college program to fast-growing Plano, TX. 

Busta notes that Sorrell was recognized by Forbes earlier in 2018 as the only college president on the magazine's World's 50 Greatest Leaders list.  Forbes notes that enrollment has grown under Sorrell's leadership and that Paul Quinn is planning to expand his "new urban college model" to other cities.

You can visit the Paul Quinn web site to learn more about the institution.

Review previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Paul Quinn College:

• Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation...March 27, 2017 - "Paul Quinn Becomes First Historically Black College to be Designated a 'Work College.'" The institution also indicates that it will be the first urban Work College. 
• PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../pbs-series-features-paul-quinn-college.htm...Sep 16, 2016 - President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series ...
• Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-and-michael-sorrell.ht...Aug 30, 2016 - Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in …
• Paul Quinn College featured at American ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-featured-at-american.htm...Oct 31, 2015 - Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ...
• Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-colleges-community-gardening.h...Sep 18, 2015 - ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College.
• Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-plans-to-become-work...Feb 18, 2015 - Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune.

The Wendell Berry Farming Programs Enrolling Students Again

Linda Blackford of the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader reported on The Wendell Berry Farming Program in "‘A guiding light.’ Why Vermont students are farming in Wendell Berry’s backyard."  Blackford interviewed a number of people involved with The Wendell Berry Farming Program that is now enrolling students again "...after a two-year hiatus, precipitated by the unexpected closing in 2016 of St. Catharine College in Springfield, (KY) where the program was based. This time, however, the program’s home will stay in Henry County, even if it’s new collegiate partner is at Sterling College in Vermont."  

Blackford provides a good overview of the program and how it fits with Sterling College's mission of environmental stewardship through a work college model.  You can also read more about Sterling College of Vermont and the Work College model in previous posts on the Small College Garden: 

     Thursday, August 25, 2016, Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College.
     Wednesday, September 13, 2017, Focus on Work Colleges: Lower Levels of Student Borrowing and Debt.

Focus on Work Colleges: Lower Levels of Student Borrowing and Debt

The PBS Newshour posted, "Century-old 'work college' model regains popularity as student debt grows," on September 1, 2017, written by Timothy Pratt of The Hechinger Report.  He interviewed students and staff at several of the institutions and offers a picture of what it is like to attend the work colleges and administer the programs.  Pratt's primary focus is on the fact that work college students depend less on borrowing to finance their education and graduate with lower levels of student debt.

Pratt notes there have historically been seven institutions designated as work colleges and all are small institutions with enrollments under 2,000 students.  Paul Quinn College (TX) and Bethany Global University (MN) have just joined, raising the number of work colleges by two.  Silver Lake College (WI) is currently seeking the designation and hopes to do so next year.  

Warren Wilson College (NC) and Berea College (KY) are also highlighted in the post.

You can review several previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Work Colleges:

•  Monday, March 27, 2017, Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation
• Friday, September 16, 2016, PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this Week
• Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are featured in Washington Monthly
• Thursday, August 25, 2016, Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College
• Friday, August 28, 2015, Blackburn College & College of the Ozarks Highlighted as Work Colleges
• Wednesday, July 1, 2015, Weaving Program at Berry College Featured

Paul Quinn College: 1st HBCU and 1st urban institution to receive 'Work College' Designation

Renee Yan reported on March 22, 2017 that "Paul Quinn Becomes First Historically Black College to be Designated a 'Work College.'"  The institution also indicates that it will be the first urban Work College.  You can visit the Paul Quinn College website for more information on the Work Program.

You can also review previous posts on the Small College Garden that feature Paul Quinn College:

• Small College Garden: PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../pbs-series-features-paul-quinn-college.htm...Sep 16, 2016 - President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series ...
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-and-michael-sorrell.ht...Aug 30, 2016 - Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in …
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College featured at American ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-featured-at-american.htm...Oct 31, 2015 - Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ...
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-colleges-community-gardening.h...Sep 18, 2015 - ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College.
• Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ...https://smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com/.../paul-quinn-college-plans-to-become-work...Feb 18, 2015 - Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune on February 17, ...

PBS Series Features Paul Quinn College this Week

President Michael Sorrell and students of Paul Quinn College were interviewed by Hari Sreenivasan as part of the Rethinking College series for the PBS Newshour.  Sreenivasan explores how students prepare for a career while gaining a liberal arts education at the nation's first urban work college.  "The Texas college where students grown into workers," segment initially aired on September 12, 2016. 

You can also follow earlier Small College Garden posts linking to other articles and interviews that focus on Paul Quinn College.

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College featured at American ... Oct 31, 2015 ... Read more about changes at Paul Quinn College on the American RadioWorks website in an excellent post by Samara Freemark, "The ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are ... Aug 30, 2016 ... Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX and president Michael Sorrell are featured in the September/October issue of Washington Monthly. In "Labor ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College's Community Gardening ... Sep 18, 2015 ... ESPN's Wayne Drehs has an interesting post and a video with Antonietta Collins interviewing President Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College. smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Small College Garden: Paul Quinn College Plans to Become Work ... Feb 18, 2015 ... Paul Quinn College is pledging to become a Work College according to reporting by Bobby Blanchard for The Texas Tribune on February 17, ... smallcollegegarden.blogspot.com

Paul Quinn College and Michael Sorrell are featured in Washington Monthly

Paul Quinn College in Dallas, TX and president Michael Sorrell are featured in the September/October issue of Washington Monthly.  In "Labor of Love," reporter Matt Connolly focuses on Sorrell's New Urban College Model.  Connolly interviewed Sorrell and a number of students to provide details of how the vision of Paul Quinn as an urban work college plays out in practice.

The New Urban College Model developed over time to focus on students as they acquire what is needed to succeed professionally and to do so in a way that is affordable and helps elevate surrounding neighborhoods and the institution itself.  The model received quite a bit of publicity from the College Board, The Hechinger Report, and other outlets in early 2015 when Paul Quinn announced that students would be able to graduate with less than $10,000 in college loan debt.

Paul Quinn College was founded in 1872 and is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Spotlight on Sterling College as a model Work College

Kevin Picard of Seven Days interviewed students and administrators at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont for his fascinating article, "Students Work It at Sterling College."  Picard provides details of Sterling's Work College model where students integrate work within their academic program.  Sterling College was founded in 1958 and currently enrolls one hundred thirty students.

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.

Weaving Program at Berry College Featured

The Rome News-Tribune has an interesting article on the weaving program at Berry College located adjacent to Rome, GA.  The program is part of Berry College's student work experience and student-operated enterprise programs.  Berry offers work opportunities for all students, though it isn't one of the eight institutional members of the Work College Consortium.

Berry College was founded in 1902 as a school for boys in rural Georgia.  A program for girls was added in 1909.  A junior college program was offered in 1926 and a baccalaureate program after 1930.  Berry enrolled 2,141 undergraduate students in the 2014 academic year.