[Alumni-chat] Antioch Then, Now and Future

[Michael Brower]

Dear Fellow Alums,

Good to see this Chat forum up and running and suddenly being used so  
much.  A healthy sign.

I want to post 3 cautions, all of which relate to avoiding over- 
simplifying,  and then 4 suggestions.

Cautions:

1.  Please avoid  trying to identify any ONE single cause or force or  
aspect of Antioch that made it once great.   I have written a draft  
two page paper which I have not yet posted anywhere on   "Ten Reasons  
Why Antioch College Was, and Will Again Be, the Highest Quality
American College."  You may or may not agree with all of my 10, or  
that there really are as many as 10 reasons,   But if you stop to  
think about it, I'll bet you would ALL agree that Horace Mann's  
famous charge to us was one.  How about Co-op, and also high quality  
faculty, small classes, and a very diverse student body.  See, up to  
5 already!  And for many of us, Community Government is a strong 6th  
at least as important as many of the above.

2.  Please avoid attributing Antioch's, and our, current predicament  
to any one single cause or structure or group or person.  I hear and  
read every day that the blame lies with the Antioch University  
system, with the Board of Trustees, with past Administrations, with  
current President Steve Lawry, with Alums who have deserted Antioch,  
with the PR office, with inadequate Recruitment efforts, with the  
current student body, with a "toxic student culture."  Etc., etc.   
And now today one Alum posts that it is due to lack of a Professional  
PR firm.  Come on, folks.  We have to think historically, culturally,  
economically, competitively and more in total systems terms.  The  
problem is complex and there is no one single simple cause.

3.  Therefore, there is no one single simple solution.  No, the  
solution is not throwing out the Renewal Commission plan for Freshman  
cross-disciplinary Core courses.  Although the faculty did very  
recently review this and decide to cut this plan back to Fall  
semester only.  No, the solution is NOT to divorce Antioch College  
from what is left of the University system.   (Sorry Katy Jako, I  
know that some years ago, when the University was much more vast and  
sprawling, you advocated this.)  Today the other University branches  
(there are only 5 others left!) subsidize Antioch College and without  
them  we would close tomorrow.  No, the solution is not to fire Steve  
Lawry and hope for somebody better.  Steve has a tremendous  
background and values for Antioch, is working his tail off for us,  
has a lot to learn about Antioch's history and culture, is willing to  
learn, and is in fact learning very fast.  Our job is not to undercut  
him.  It is to help him succeed.  He may be our last chance!

Here are 4 things that we, all alums, can do, at a minimum:

1.  Donate whatever we can to the Annual Fund, and if possible also  
to the Capital Campaign.   You want to know why Oberlin is doing  
better?  Try, for starters, an endowment close to 25 times as large  
as Antioch's meager $30 million!  Are you a recent grad, or working  
in non-profit, or low income for any reason?   OK, then give whatever  
you can to the Alumni Fund.  Even $50.  Why is that so important?   
Because big donors and Foundations look not only at total amounts  
raised by the College, but also at the percentage of Alums who  
donate.  Anything.  Even $25!

2.  Help the Admissions Office identify candidates.  Get trained for,  
and then go to High Schools and College Fairs.  Volunteer to call or  
write postcards to prospective students.  Then write to students who  
are admitted, welcoming them to Antioch.

3.  Organize an Alumni Chapter in your city or town.   Of if there is  
already a Chapter there, get involved.  In Boston we started our  
Chapter 28 months ago and we have already had Sixteen (16) Chapter  
meetings.  With 5 more planned for 2007!  You will meet old friends  
and make new ones.  You will learn in much more depth what is gong on  
at Antioch.  You will find channels to have some input and influence  
if that is what you want.   And guess what?   When Alums long  
disconnected from the College are then asked for a donation, by a  
caller from Antioch, or by you or me, they are MUCH more likely to  
give.  Every professional fund raiser will tell you that.  And I have  
personally experienced it over and over again.  Call the Alumni  
office, Risa or Amy, for info and ideas.

4.  Attend Reunion in June.  You will find much of the old Antioch  
still there to love.  You will get re-involved. And you will,  
hopefully, jump in and start becoming part of the solution -- just as  
I did after the 2004 Reunion.

See you there!    --- Mike Brower '55   and Member, Alumni Board