Notre Dame de Namur University is searching for a miracle while it cycles out its current students and postpones a closure some fear is now inevitable.
Notre Dame de Namur University’s interim president said a decision announced last Monday not to admit new students is buying time for university leaders to find a way to keep the university open.
Faculty members are less hopeful. One faculty leader described the decision as a temporary stay of execution.
The unsettled situation demonstrates why it’s so difficult to close a college or university. Faculty and staff members resist the idea of giving up on their employer’s future — and their own jobs — too early. Leaders who want to do right by current students and staff are left with few paths forward and are very often criticized for giving up on the colleges they lead.
Similar situations have unfolded in the past. Hampshire College’s leaders tried last year to suspend admissions and seek a merger partner, only for alumni to revolt and force the institution to reverse course. Before that, Sweet Briar College leaders attempted to close the college and wind down operations because of poor enrollment and financial trends but were stopped by outraged alumnae.