Shepherd College is ‘rightsizing’

West Virginia College just isn’t the one larger training establishment within the state going by means of a difficult “rightsizing.” Shepherd College in Shepherdstown can be attempting to determine tips on how to take care of a pending finances deficit, whereas concurrently assembly the wants of its college students and rising enrollment.

Shepherd has lengthy been a well-liked regional campus within the state’s jap panhandle, simply minutes away from fast-growing Berkeley County and a brief drive from Maryland and Virginia. Nonetheless, like many faculties, it has been hit laborious by the demographic cliff and the pandemic.

This fall’s enrollment is about 3,200 college students, up barely from the final two years, however down about 1,000 college students during the last 10 years. In the meantime, prices proceed to rise. Shepherd is dealing with a $6 million deficit over the following two years. The college has already recognized $3.8 million in price reductions, however extra must be carried out, in accordance with President Mary Hendrix.

“Shepherd College is present process an educational program prioritization evaluation based mostly on HEPC (Increased Schooling Coverage Fee) tips,” Hendrix instructed me in an electronic mail. “We’re ‘rightsizing’ our enterprise to satisfy the wants of our present scholar inhabitants.”

Which means cuts. Forty-four employees positions, 16 school slots and 4 administration positions are being eradicated, largely by means of attrition, retirement or the cancelation of open positions.

The college has already introduced the closure of its Martinsburg campus to avoid wasting $300,000, and extra reductions are coming by means of an “tutorial prioritization” course of. The college describes that as “a strategic examination of all tutorial packages.” Consequently, packages will proceed at their present stage, proceed however with modifications, or function at a decreased stage or discontinued with a teach-out plan.

Hendrix burdened that Shepherd just isn’t alone. “Educational establishments throughout the nation are present process related assessments.”

Increased training leaders might have thought, or no less than hoped, there would at all times be extra college students, however as Nathan Grawe defined in his e-book “The Agile Faculty: How Establishments Efficiently Navigate Demographic Adjustments,” the numbers don’t lie, and better ed should adapt.

“As demographic forces promise to reshape the scale and composition of future cohorts of college-going college students, many establishments acknowledge the necessity to take proactive measures that guarantee their sustainability and effectiveness for the long run,” he wrote.

Nonetheless, the long run isn’t just about “rightsizing,” though that may be a important first step to offset deficits. Grawe writes that larger training leaders should rethink how they ship the product in methods which can be extra engaging and appropriate with the scholars of as we speak to extend enrollment and enhance retention.

Grawe believes school leaders who’re prepared to interrupt the outdated molds shall be higher off. “It’s potential to think about considerate establishments coming by means of the trials of the following decade extra vibrant and efficient variations of themselves,” he wrote.

Hendrix desires her college to be amongst these. “Business performs these kind of strategic evaluations on a continuing foundation — if their objective is to attain success,” she stated.

That is the brand new actuality in larger training, and as Professor Grawe stated in a current interview, faculties should adapt.

“All college students are experiencing a elementary change in how they interact with studying. By upending frequent apply, the pandemic has invited a whole cohort of scholars to rethink what types of training work finest for them,” Grawe stated.

Frankly, the “rightsizing” is, in some methods, the straightforward half. The actual problem is for larger ed to determine tips on how to meet college students the place they’re slightly than rigidly dictating to them what a school training should be.

Hoppy Kercheval is a MetroNews anchor and the longtime host of “Talkline.” Contact him at [email protected].