One of the less frequently mentioned consequences of the Great Recession was a sharp decline in children being born. As we approach 2026, 18 years after the recession began, the number of high school graduates choosing to attend college will peak and subsequently begin a downward spiral.
Higher education as a whole will struggle, but the large public universities have hundreds of thousands of applications every year and will probably still attract those students. Therefore, most of the impact will be felt by the small private — and much more expensive — colleges, forcing many to close or merge.
It is no secret that Wooster is struggling; even before President Anne McCall made this clear in her State of the College address — the bare minimum — there were plenty of red flags. Wooster sucks at recruiting in-state students. Its curriculum is too niche for most prospective students. Relations between the College and the city of Wooster continue to get worse. There’s a budget deficit of over $5 million. All members of the presidential cabinet from five years ago have left. Bats. The real problem is that this is not a good time for any college to have problems, especially for a liberal arts college in Ohio that brands itself as an elite institution but, by most metrics, is not.
Students — you are the most important part of this college. Keep making your voices heard. With that being said, remain somewhat patient with those who can make changes. Give them a chance to fix the mess they’ve made.
To the administration — the importance of your leadership during the next few years cannot be overstated. Your students are rapidly losing confidence in you. Find the very best candidates you can find for your three open VP positions in student-facing roles — that’s too many. But most of all, listen to your students and don’t underestimate the power they hold.
My Wooster diploma and harvested brick from Beall Avenue sit on the window ledge of my office because they mean that much to me. I would very much prefer them not to outlive the school they came from.
Andrew Seifert ‘23
afseife@clemson.edu
