{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"This Week In College Viability (TWICV)","title":"This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for October 5, 2026","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1606,"description":"In this episode of This Week in College Viability News and Commentary, Gary Stocker examines several signs of growing financial pressure across higher education. He discusses additional faculty cuts at Bowie State despite substantial unrestricted gifts, the University of Utah’s proposed “modernization” effort that could eliminate hundreds of staff positions, and Alverno College’s attempt to rebound after years of enrollment declines, operating losses, and shrinking student revenue. \nHe also questions the rapid expansion of direct admissions programs, arguing that they may be another sign of colleges becoming increasingly desperate to attract students in a declining and highly competitive market. Stocker also warns that financially stressed colleges increasingly treating endowments like “piggy banks” could become another important warning sign for students, families, and the public.\nStocker concludes with an extended discussion of the troubled Antioch-Otterbein affiliation and argues that one unsuccessful merger should not be used as evidence that college consolidation cannot work. Instead, he believes the problems demonstrate the importance of clearly defined governance, financial responsibility, realistic assumptions, transparency, and sufficient scale.\n Rather than relying on traditional two-college “mom-and-pop” mergers, Stocker argues that the future may require much larger combinations—potentially 10 or more institutions operating under a holding-company model. With too many colleges competing for too few students, he predicts that closures, mergers, and consolidation are inevitable and that institutions willing to move early may have the best opportunity to help design the next higher education business model.\nShow notes:\nBowie State University to Lay Off 20 Faculty Members\n\nUniversity of Utah announces “modernization effort,” may lay off hundreds of staff after input from national consulting agencies\n\nAlverno shores up rebound after major recruitment...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Y44uKI07PW5rI-Utwk_2d2xPoEZ__BovfyNuhcSMuKo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ1MzUzLzE2OTU5/MjE2NDgtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}