[Alumni-chat] AB response to webinar

[ChristianF (christian.feuerstein at gmail.com)]

ALUMNI SEEK OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN ANTIOCH COLLEGE TO PROMINENCE, CANCELED WEBCAST DELAYS PROCESS OF AVERTING SUSPENSION OF OPERATIONS

For the first time in more than a generation, Antioch College has the opportunity to reemerge as a healthy institution with leadership devoted solely to its future. While the opportunity is born of a crisis of governance and financial mis-steps, the alumni of Antioch College are now seeking to reclaim and rebuild the 155 year old liberal arts college known for rigorous academic study, cooperative education, social activism, and community governance.

The Board of Directors of the Alumni Association encouraged its 17,000 members to participate in a webcast with University Chancellor, Dr. Toni Murdock, and Chair of the University Board of Trustees, Arthur Zucker in the hope that respectful dialogue would foster the transparency necessary to assess the needs of Antioch College. Alumni Board Treasurer, Rick Daily expressed his regret that the University elected to cancel the webcast based on the advice of counsel because of a pending lawsuit filed recently by members of the Antioch College faculty.

On behalf of the Alumni Association, Nancy Crow ‘70, President of the Alumni Board, recognized the faculty for the commitment they have historically made and continue to make to Antioch College. “We share the faculty’s dedication to the uninterrupted continuation of Antioch College as an independent liberal arts college with a tenured faculty. We hope that their efforts will not be misused as a rationale by University leadership to avoid participating in the conver-sation that will lead to returning Antioch College to prominence,” said Crow.

Some of the financial information that informed the University Board of Trustees’ suspension decision is already avail-able in many different public forums. What has been missing for over two months has been the opportunity to discuss the financial details in an open conversation between Antioch College alumni and University leadership. The Alumni Board repeats its request for a full and frank discussion of the College’s current finances and future governance, and it expects that information to be presented at the University Board of Trustees meeting at the Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport on August 25. The Alumni Board believes that the chosen venue will be less conducive to broad participation than would Kelly Hall at Antioch College; however, the Alumni Association will participate.

The Alumni Board will also extend that dialogue this weekend, as College alumni chapters in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and 20 additional locations will gather at events during Support Antioch College Weekend August 17-19, in order to raise awareness and to increase the already widespread support for the revival of the College.

Antioch College alumni reaffirm their commitment to open discussion of the future of Antioch College with the participation of the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders. Members of the Alumni Board, elected by the College alumni, look forward to that discussion’s being based on the Antiochian values of full community involvement and the free and open exchange of information.