[Alumni-chat] What will the BOT do?

[bdevine (bdevine at antioch-college.edu)]

>In a message dated 9/3/2007 12:54:41 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
> Barry Hollister used to contend that the best schedule Antioch ever had was
>the "Old (or sometimes Old Old) plan.  There were four sessions, the first
>two just 8 weeks long, and the second two 16 weeks long, thus all students on
>co-op returned to their job after a period on campus.  It also was the true
>meaning of Co-op -- two students cooperating to hold down and service one  job.
>One disadvantage, some freshmen went on co-op before they begin their  first
>period of study.  In this plan, which ended in 55 or 56, most classes  were
>split, one took the first third of a course, went on co-op, and  then returned
>to finish the class.  An advantage, students in some fields  could "read ahead"
>in a course while on co-op.  In particular those in  History and Literature
>favored the Old Old Plan.  Barry Hollister also  thought most co-op employers
>did too, as they had their student employees for  almost six months.  This was
>also the most economical plan for the college  -- it used the campus resources
>fully for most of the year, with students paying  tuition and fees to sustain
>personnel and buildings, etc., but about 2/5ths of  the student body was, at
>any one time, not on campus, and not using campus  facilities.  In essence
>that meant 2/5ths more income than the college had  facilities to service.  It is
>one of the key reasons the college grew  gradually and successfully in the
>40's and 50's, but maintained a budget that  was in the black, and produced
>small reserves.
>
>
>
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Are you referring to the 8-8-12-12 which was J.D. Dawson's favorite incarnation of co-op alternation?  When we were revising the calendar in the early 90s, he tried very hard to sell that model to faculty.  

The challenges of co-op have changed significantly since the 50s and 60s, and therein is part of the problem:

a) The cost of transportation has made travel to-and-from co-op a challenge for the 90% of Antioch students who are on financial aid.

b) The cost of living in urban centers has increased dramatically, and co-op pay is no longer able to cover cost of living in most situations.  While in my era we were able to actually save some cash on co-op and return to campus with startup money for the academic term, today, on average the co-op experience is a double whammy for students.  They pay tuition to be working, and then end up paying for the living costs of the job as well.

c) The cost of living in a safe place is proportionately higher than basic costs.  These days I find students in New York living 7 to a 3 bedroom apartment, paying $2500-3,000 rent, with attendant transportation costs, but residing in a neighborhood that is relatively safe.  

d) Entry level jobs of the sort that used to fill half of the co-op list, have been eliminated by computer and internet technology and other automation.  

e) From the X-generation on, (and probably before), students have been seeking more than simply entry into the adult world of work; they've been seeking "meaningful" work, and many eschew filing and gopher positions in favor of work in which they feel they can make a difference.

I think  you're mistaken about the College's budget being in the black.  If we look at the Record in 1951, we find out that
McGregor was struggling with the need to slash the budget by $250-300k (a lot in those days) because of a predicted 25-30% drop in enrollment and the pressures of inflation.  As a result, the Record predicted a tuition jump of 10% in 2 years, and the College abolished its Deans of Men and Women jobs, replacing them with CG responsibilities and committees.  The saving grace for the College was the GI bill and a whole new market for student recruitment.  The illusion of a "golden era" in which the College enjoyed stability and financial security is nostalgia at its best.  The GI bill and the baby boom provided the only years of relative solvency.   

Bob