Small-school shakeout: statistics are grim, but some survive - Update

University Business, June, 2002

It's harder for small colleges and universities to hang on, according to the latest statistics from The New York Times, which recently noted that 27 of the nation's 1,600 private colleges have closed since 1997--a 35 percent increase over the previous five years.

But some small IHEs are trying to reinvent themselves, to survive. Case in point:

Champlain College in Burlington, VT (1,500 full-time, 700 evening students). Roger Perry, Champlain's president, says he began 10 years ago to fashion the two-year school for locals into a four-year college with career-oriented majors. Twelve fields of study soon turned into 25. Some, such as multimedia design and e-business, were added more recently.

"We had to change our image dramatically," says Perry. Champlain now markets to targeted high schools in NJ, CT, MA, and VT. The goal: students who want a career-building four-year program--with parents who can afford to pay close to full price.--JMA