https://www.mynbc5.com/article/goddard-college-closing/60442411
QuotePLAINFIELD, Vt. —
Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, will permanently close later this year, according to the school's board of trustees.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the board said it voted unanimously to shutter the 86-year-old college at the end of the current semester, citing a "significant and persistent decline in enrollment since the 1970s."
Goddard College was established in 1938 as an experimental college that leaned on a so-called radical approach to learning, according to the board. However, despite efforts over the decades to make the school economically sustainable, Goddard College has continued to struggle, officials said.
Earlier this year, Goddard announced it would shift to an all-virtual learning model due to low enrollment and a need for staff cuts.
"The decision to close Goddard College was not made easily or quickly," said Mark Jones, the chair of the board of trustees, in a prepared statement. "With declining enrollment and financial insolvency looming, the Board was left with no other option. Our hearts are broken."
The board announced that current students will have the opportunity to complete their degrees through a partnership with Prescott College at the same tuition rate.
A Goddard College Scholarship Fund will also be established to assist students with transitioning to Prescott College as well as with any other partnerships that may be announced in the future.
The Goddard College Administration is working with Prescott College to find job opportunities for current faculty and staff members, including at Cabot Creamery, which is partnered with Goddard.
"While we are closing the College with heavy hearts, this is not the end of Goddard's impact on the world," said President Dan Hocoy. "As generations of our alumnx have done before, I know today's students will carry Goddard's remarkable legacy into the world in countless ways."