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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 14 February 2019

States look to boost oversight of struggling small colleges

By LISA RATHKE and COLLIN stay afloat amid a shift to-
BINKLEY ward more career-oriented
POULTNEY, Vt. (AP) — After training and, particularly in
185 years of educating stu- college-rich New England,
dents on its campus of brick a decline in the number of
buildings on Poultney's high school students.
main street, Green Moun- "I'm definitely just sad and
tain College announced disappointed," said Lauren
last month it would close Coye, an environmental
after this academic year, studies major from Plaistow,
leaving hundreds of stu- New Hampshire. "I mean
dents scrambling to figure this community is so great
out where to go next. and I fell in love with the
The liberal arts college, campus as soon as I came
which saw enrollment drop here, and the farm and
43 percent over the last de- the goats and everyone in
cade, is going the way of town, too."
some other small schools She and her friends thought
that have struggled to they had another year and

In this Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, photo, students walk on the campus of Green Mountain College in
Poultney, Vt.
Associated Press

a half together, she said. plan to help them transfer student records if a school
"Now it's only four months," elsewhere. went out of business.
she said. The state moved to inter- Vermont legislators last
To help protect students, vene after the abrupt shut- year considered requir-
state officials in the region down of Mount Ida Col- ing that a school placed
have been looking into in- lege, which announced on probation for financial
creasing their oversight of last April it would be closing reasons by its accrediting
private, independent col- just weeks later. The news agency inform the state of
leges. The plans have met blindsided students. its status and submit a plan
resistance from college In Vermont, officials took for student records, setting
leaders, who worry finan- notice when Burlington money aside if necessary.
cial woes could be pub- College folded in 2016 un- That bill did not pass but
licized before they are at der the weight of debt from lawmakers hope to take up
serious risk of closing. a real estate deal, leaving similar language this ses-
In Massachusetts, where student records behind. sion. "With the recent news
at least 17 colleges have The state Agency of Edu- about Green Mountain Col-
closed or merged over the cation had to take over lege and concern about
past six years, state edu- the records, which was what's happening around
cation officials are mov- costly, said Rep. Lawrence New England, it does seem
ing forward with a plan to Cupoli, vice chairman of appropriate for us to con-
screen colleges every year the House Committee on tinue to look at a response,"
and gauge their risk of clos- Education. The following said Rep. Kathryn Webb,
ing. If the state concludes year, the Legislature had chair of the House Educa-
a school might not finish the Association of Vermont tion Committee. The Mas-
the next academic year, Independent Colleges set sachusetts plan has drawn
it would be required to no- up an agreement with its outrage from some college
tify students and prepare a member schools to house leaders.q