Northland College faculty, campus mobilize to prevent closure
The faculty, staff, and students of Northland College, an environmental liberal arts college in Ashland, have announced an “All Hands on Deck” campaign to prevent College closure at the end of the current academic year. The College community is actively developing new financially sustainable business models and fundraising efforts following the sudden announcement of an emergency fundraising campaign.
On Monday, March 11, College leadership including President Chad Dayton and Ted Bristol, chair of the Northland College Board of Trustees, announced the College will likely close at the end of the academic year unless it raises $12 million by April 3. Following the announcement, College constituents formed working groups to improve communication, bolster fundraising, design new college business models and visions, and offer campus care networks.
College faculty believe that the combination of a community- generated sustainable business plan and Northland’s hands-on, interdisciplinary curriculum uniquely positions the institution for the future. Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Justice, emphasized, “What sets Northland apart from other institutions that are struggling is that we have a mission that has never been more relevant, a campus positioned to serve our region, and a community of supporters who refuse to let us fail. We have fresh ideas rooted in our history that will keep Northland alive for the next 100 years.”
In 1974, Northland became the first college in the United States to adopt an environmental focus across its liberal arts curriculum and mission. Dave Ullman, Associate Professor of Geoscience and member of a newly formed Faculty Coordinating Group, stressed that the College’s focus and innovative legacy is crucial during difficult times.
“Northland has always been nimble and creative during times of adversity. From the pandemic to expanding social and environmental challenges, the Northland faculty have always been ready to respond with compassion and intentionality to meet the needs of our local community. We are not just another small, rural liberal arts college. Everything we do is woven into the fabric of our region, and we are poised to reinvent ourselves yet again to create a model of higher education that is truly built around our strengths. This moment revealed what’s at the heart of our college: ingenuity, passion, a commitment to create real sustainable ideas and actions for the future.”
