College deliberates recommended closure of UWW

On March 7, Vice President for Academic Affairs Susan Kress sent to the Skidmore community a recommendation that the college begin taking steps toward closing University Without Walls, the pioneering bachelor's-level distance-learning program that Skidmore launched in 1971.

The recommendation is a response to a 13-month process that included an external review of the UWW program, a report from the Special Programs Study Group (a committee of faculty and staff members chaired by Jeff Segrave, interim dean of special programs), and subsequent community discussions of that report.

The recommendation is now a matter for faculty deliberation through the college's governance system. Any recommendation for closure also will need to be approved by the Board of Trustees and subsequently by the New York State Education Department.

Why is Academic Affairs recommending that UWW be closed?

Three primary reasons:

• Increasing demands on Skidmore faculty to support the residential program through teaching, advising and scholarship.
  
  
• The market for distance-learning programs has dramatically changed. It's dominated by large providers?such as Empire State College, Excelsior College, and the University of Phoenix?that are able to achieve economies of scale that a small program like UWW can't match. For liberal arts colleges like Skidmore, it's harder to compete in this environment.
  
• Enrollment has slipped sharply in recent years ? from approximately 250 students four years ago to about 135 today. Revenues also have sharply declined -- to the point where UWW is now every year running a deficit that runs well into six figures.

Is there a way to restructure UWW and continue to operate it on a smaller scale?

The Special Programs Study Group described restructuring as a possible model, a step that would require reducing the number of UWW students and staff, raising academic standards, increasing marketing efforts, and streamlining administrative operations by moving some functions out of UWW.

Academic Affairs gave serious consideration to the possibility of restructuring UWW. "But even these more modest proposals require continued institutional resources, including greater support by members of the faculty," Vice President Kress notes in her recommendation. "At this time, we continue to explore options that would allow us to retain our current program for students in Antigua and Barbuda."

What's the proposed timeframe for closing UWW?

Dean Segrave is working with UWW staff to determine the degree status of all of current matriculated students and creating a timeline for the completion of all UWW degrees. He also is contacting other providers of distance-learning and adult-education programs -- such as Empire State, Excelsior College, Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence -- to facilitate the transition for any student that may wish to transfer.

"If the recommendation for closure is accepted, we will begin a phase-out that proceeds at a pace that is, within reason, determined by the needs of our students," Dean Segrave advised students in a recent communication. "We are committed to facilitating as best we can your ambition to receive a Skidmore degree."

When can faculty and trustees be expected to act on the recommendation?

It's possible that the faculty will complete their deliberations in time for action by the Board of Trustees at their meeting in May. It is also possible that their deliberations will continue into the fall.

Where can I find more information related to this recommendation?

Documents related to the review of Special Programs and the recommendation to close UWW are available to members of the Skidmore community here.