Hello from Yazz Allen '66!
(Contact me directly at YazzAllen@Yahoo.Com)
Arthur Zucker '55, Antioch U. BOT Chairman, stated on July 23, 07 that the decision to close down Antioch College will not be reversed. This statement appeared in the very last paragraph of a message me made public July 23, 07.
Here is a July 23, 07 public communication sent to a McGregor School (Antioch U. Biz School in Ohio) communications forum.
It is written by Antioch University Board Of Trustees Chairman Art Zucker '55, North Carolina millionaire who has led the move to close down Antioch College in July 2008 completely.
Mr. Zucker states in his open communication that communication about the closedown decision hasn't been effective.
He's wrong.
His communications have been very effective. But, his conclusion/ decision to closedown Antioch College as a solution to the school's various problems has been almost universally rejected, and quite loudly.
This is NOT a "failure" to communicate, as the phrase was stated in the COOL HAND LUKE movie of the 1960's.
It's a failure to get the many stakeholders part of the Antioch College all over the world to accept and support Mr. Zucker's wrong decision to close Antioch College in July 2008.
Here is a communication posted today (July 25, 07) by Antioch faculty member Denise Eagleson which contains Mr. Zucker's July 23, 2007 message about "not communicating" his closedown message clearly or completely enough!
---------------------------------
This letter was posted to the Groupeverybody list at McGregor and
forwarded to me. I haven't seen this posted on antioch's First Class or
website yet so here it is - the outline of the process for the webcast
financial discussion, and the Board of Trustees meeting set for August
25th, Saturday where they are proposing an open forum from 9:30-11:00am at
a location to be announced.
I don't know how to post a new message on the antiochians.org website, so
if anyone wants to forward it to the various places this should be posted,
please feel free.
thanks,
Dennie Eagleson
college faculty
-------------------
FROM: Arthur Zucker '55, Antioch University Board Of Trustees Chairman:
July 23, 2007
Dear Antioch Community,
Based on what the Antioch University Board of Trustees has heard – from
Antiochians during Alumni Weekend and through a variety of communications
– we’ve concluded that we haven’t effectively communicated the process
leading up to the Board’s decision on June 9 to suspend operations at
Antioch College. It’s reasonable that all Antiochians should understand
the rationale behind that decision and we intend to share all the
financial details that led to this decision.
To accelerate this process, we will provide a web-based financial
discussion that will take place on Thursday, August 16, at 8:00 PM Eastern
Time. By using this technology, all interested parties will be able
participate.
Following this, we have scheduled a special board meeting on Saturday,
August 25, in Cincinnati. The morning session will be a town hall
meeting, followed by an afternoon session with invited participants from
key stakeholder groups.
Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock and I will conduct the August
16 web-based presentation to share with the Community all of the financial
information that served as the basis for the Board’s resolution –
information which demonstrates clearly that the current business model
cannot be sustained. During this presentation, we will provide the facts
and figures that were seen, studied and discussed by Board members between
the November 2006 and June 2007 meetings.
You can join the conversation in real time through Internet access. In
the next few days, information will be provided on how to join the
presentation. You can find this on the Antioch College website, [
http://www.antioch-college.edu ]www.antioch-college.edu. This process
will also provide the opportunity to send questions to Chancellor Murdock
and/or to me via e-mail, before, during and after the presentation.
Following the web seminar, we will post the conversation, as well as
questions and answers, on the Antioch College website so anyone can access
the information in the future.
Page 2
Letter to Community
Overview of Antioch College Finances (www.antioch-college.edu)
Web Presentation by:
Board Chair Art Zucker and Antioch University Chancellor Toni Murdock
Thursday, August 16, 2007
8:00PM EDT/5:00PM PDT
This web seminar is open to all interested parties. The goal is to
provide financial information that will enable us all to understand the
rationale for the Board’s decision. From this point we can then,
collectively, begin the efforts to re-build Antioch college.
To participate: Log onto [ http://www.antioch-college.edu
]www.antioch-college.edu. Further details will be posted on the website
in the near future.
The August 25 special board meeting, to be held in Cincinnati, is the next
step in the process of working together to re-build Antioch College. It
is felt that starting this re-building process cannot wait until our
regularly scheduled meeting in October, and it’s critical that we have the
participation and support of Antioch College’s key stakeholders in this
process. The meeting in Cincinnati will consist of two parts:
ß The first part will be an open forum where any member of the Antioch
Community will be able to provide their vision for the future of Antioch
College.
ß Given the morning conversation, the second part of the day has been set
aside for invited stakeholder representatives to meet with Trustees. This
will involve a facilitated discussion to continue charting a strategic
plan leading to the reopening of the College.
Specifically, the Cincinnati sessions will include:
Open Forum Meeting With the Board of Trustees (www.antioch-college.edu)
9:00 – 11:30AM EDT, location to be determined.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The forum will allow alumni, current students, faculty, staff, Yellow
Springs business and community leaders, donors and others to share their
visions with the board and senior administrative leadership.
Please visit [ http://www.antioch-college.edu ]www.antioch-college.edu
after August 3, 2007, for further information on the guidelines for the
meeting, details on the format and meeting location.
Page 3
Letter to Community
Stakeholder Discussion Session with the Board of Trustees
(www.antioch-college.edu)
1:00 – 5:00PM EDT, location to be determined.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Key stakeholders representing the Alumni Association, faculty, staff and
students, and Yellow Springs Village leadership will be invited to attend
the afternoon session.. Names of key stakeholders will be submitted to
the Board and the individuals will participate in a facilitated discussion
with the Antioch leadership team. This meeting will focus on the process
to move toward re-opening Antioch College by 2012.
Please visit [ http://www.antioch-college.edu ]www.antioch-college.edu in
upcoming days for additional information on the meeting format and for
further details on the meeting agenda.
It is important to recognize that the Board has made the decision to
suspend operations as of July 1, 2008. The Board will not reverse that
decision. The Board has instructed the senior leadership to develop a
plan leading to re-open the College at the earliest possible time, with a
target date of 2012. This plan will require the involvement and
cooperation of all of Antioch College’s stakeholders. It is hoped that
during this meeting we will begin the process of working together
collaboratively.
Sincerely,
Arthur J. Zucker
Chair, Antioch University Board of Trustees
