Report to the Faculty, Students, Administration and Trustees of Bennington College Bennington Vermont by An Evaluation Team Representing The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Date
1983-12
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Abstract
"One might therefore conclude that Bennington College is managing quite well in
spite of what both the 1977 and the 1983 Team perceive as weaknesses, and that there is
no real need for change. Indeed this is the prevalent attitude among the faculty, who
feel that they and the institution have weathered many storms, and that many well
intended visitors - as well as Presidents - have come and gone while Bennington has
survived with little change. The cry of "wolf" has been heard too often to be taken
seriously. Unfortunately, it is our considered opinion that this time the wolf is indeed at the
door, and that Bennington College is facing nothing less than a crisis requiring the
attention as well as the involvement of all constituencies: trustees, administration,
faculty and students. The situation now differs from past circumstances because of two
concurrent and interrelated factors:
l) substantial budget deficits, which can be eliminated only by a combination
of developing a substantial endowment and, at the same time, maintaining adequate
enrollment;
2) a sharp drop in the applicant pool and a resulting decrease in enrollment
which further aggravates the financial situation.
As a result of both of these conditions, Bennington College finds itself in a much more
serious situation than in the past. The institution cannot continue to rely only on an
intensification of recruitment and fund raising by the President and his staff, with all
other components of the Bennington community continuing business as usual. The
situation demands drastic attitudinal changes."
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Keywords
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, NEASC