College of Santa Fe Deal Falls Through
Will there be a gaping hole in higher education?
By: 11/30/2008
The college is approximately $30 million debt and many considered the Laureate purchase to be the last possible route to avoid closure of the campus. Negotiations have been contractually exlusive with Laureate during an extended period of due diligence making it unlikely that CSF has other courters waiting in the wings. However, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and the Secretary of Higher Education Reed Dasenbrock are working to form a relationship with New Mexico Highlands University or University of New Mexico.
President Kirk expresses upbeat tones about the potential for a last minute state merger, but it's a hard sell to students and faculty who have been hearing optimism for months, while the situation continues to worsen.
The full text of Kirk's email is below:
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
Here is an update on the current negotiations.
It is now obvious that, because of their own financial realities,
Laureate will not be able to assume the debt required to retire our
bonds and fund the College. Over the weekend this information was given
to Governor Richardson, and he has asked the Secretary of Higher
Education to see if there is an arrangement in which the College can
become a state institution. There are two institutions involved in
discussions: UNM and Highlands. Highlands is very interested, and their
board has given preliminary approval. UNM has asked for financial
information, and we will be meeting with them next week.
We will know more about these possibilities next week. Further updates
will be made as they become available.
Sincerely,
Stuart C. Kirk
Despite Kirk's greeting being addressed to "students," as well as faculty and staff, students did not receive the notification by email until Friday, Nov. 28, well after reading about it the local news.
In a press release issued late on Nov. 26, Governor Richardson expressed his committment to resolving the crisis, saying "We need to explore every possibility to see if there is a way for it [College of Santa Fe] to continue to serve the citizens of Santa Fe and of New Mexico."
Secretary Dasenbrock was quoted as saying "We do think it is in the state’s and city’s interest that the College of Santa Fe continue to exist, and we think the state’s capital should have a four-year institution in it."
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, concerned students created a Facebook group in order to brainstorm ideas about how to support their school and contribute to a positive resolution. Kirk has promised a series of forums for staff, faculty and students, currently each scheduled for different times on Tuesday. Kirk is allowing 45 minutes to break down the situation for each group separately, presumably to address each group's specific concerns. But some are reading it as a divide and conquer move. Organizing via Facebook, students have scheduled their own strategy meeting on the night of Monday, Dec. 1 in advance of Kirk's forum. Students also spread among themselves the full contact information for the board of directors and are encouraging direct contact to express their frustration over the situation.
The administration is known to be frustrated by such student actions, but the students are determined to have their say, even as they work to satisfy end of the semester workloads in the face of an uncertain future.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Optic reports that outgoing Highlands University board of regents chairman, Javier Gonzales, claims the Las Vegas-based school is "very serious" about pursuing a takeover of CSF. Gonzales further said, in a statement that may not exactly infuse CSF students with vigor, that CSF would be similar to Highlands offshoots in Farmington and Rio Rancho.
News will be updated as it comes in.
Take a poll: What would be the worst aspect of the College of Santa Fe folding?
Comments (31)
Posted by xsfr:
I'm not terribly concerned at Vivi's identity; to out someone like this on a public dialogue is generally unproductive. As to the comments Vivi makes, certainly people did indeed hear them during this unfortunate time for CSF. To assume that the other candidates that were interviewed for president as incompetent is simply untrue. The best that can be said is that they saw the writing on the wall and pulled their application. Whatever the truth may be, the behavior of administration and the board has been less than transparent which leaves only room for speculation. In this regard, the board and previous presidents acted in a manner where I am sure the board will be more than happy to plead ignorance in lieu of secrecy. The creative writing department was (and is) a good and solid department. The comments bringing this up fall out of scope to the accusation that they bullrushed Lombardi to the post. The question to ask is it 30 million dollars good. Is the college 30 million dollars good? With due respect to the ascertations of CSF's reputation as an institution of higher learning, it needs to take a profound and perhaps painful look at itself. There are some professors that are very knowledgeable and engaged in their areas of expertise. There are some students who are creative, motivated, and dynamic. That being said, the college itself is at the kindest I can be a second or third tier college. There are also other dynamic institutions in santa fe that foster an arts education some as a four year institution. IAIA comes to mind, UNM is still in the early stages of establishing a BFA program at the community college. To assume that this artistic and creative enclave will disappear is also unrealistic. CSF's academics were never a hallmark of its reputation; I'd further that the arts weren't all they were cracked up to be either. Aside from the financial woes, CSF failed to redefine itself aside from poorly executed branding. At the curricular level, they were hopelessly stodgy and academics were generally watered down. The blame goes here too. It is the shadowy underbelly of tuition driven budgeting which is rarely successful. Another nail in the coffin? Loyalty above all else is prized there. Nothing is more valuable than that. Is it perhaps for the benefit of all involved to let this horse die? It needs to be considered. Close down, get rid of everybody and start again in a few years? Maybe build a real college. Harsh, but it may be that or some nice condos there in two years.
Posted by Hilarious:
In response to "Vivi's" long-winded post: I wonder if the person behind the message isn't the "brilliant" Jonathan Wacks? Look how the poster spells the word "favourites." Wouldn't Jonathan Wacks, the only person in the MOV department educated in the UK, spell "favourites" this way? Dead giveaway.
As a long time employee of CSF the comment about the previous administration, MOV, ART, creative writing is factually wrong. The other candidate in the search from Harvard was unqualified and pulled out of the search. The bonds referred to were negotiated by the board of trustees (not Lombardi) as all bonds for schools are and no one could have predicted the economic changes that led to changing rates. Stewart Kirk was appointed by the board of trustees since he was a member of the board not by Lombardi. The restricted accounts spoken of were borrowed against by Presidents Fries and Hanson before Lombardi became President. He inherited the impact of having to pay back those accounts.
As for Jonathan Wacks, not being in MOV I can't speak to his ability or not. I can say that over four years when CSF needed enrollment he refused to accept over 100 students admitted to the school because he didnt; want more than 12 people per class. Well, you cant run a school on only 12 people per class.
As for Creative Writing, it is the probably the best department top to bottom at the school with great faculty. Every department just can't claim that.
Posted by Vivi:
The current admin. is just a slight mutation of the Lombardi admin. which did such great damage to CSF. A little history: in a stunning example of academic politics at its worst, Mark Lombardi was bull-rushed in by his friends in the Creative Writing program who threatened to quit en mass if the favored, far more experienced candidate, a man who ran the Kennedy Center at Harvard was given the job. Had the more qualified candidate been given the job, he might have been able to avert this whole horrible thing via his experience and his connections. Once Lombardi was given the job (after also conning the brothers), a reign of terror began -- those individuals and departments (MOV, Art) who had opposed Lombardi were punished in outrageous ways, all overt, large and small, while the creative writing program was given an inordinate amount of power,both publically and behind the scenes, which is still enjoyed today. Lombardi was President for three months, did incredibly destructive things like raiding restricted accounts, taking out bonds with teaser rates that would rise to untenable rates after two years. Within three months, Lombardi parlayed his CSF position to the much more secure college in St. Louis. Before leaving, he appointed Stewart Kirk and John Allen to run the place. Both have continued to reward those who were being rewarded by Lombardi and punishing those who dared speak out against them. Nothing has changed. Both were given permanent jobs without a national search which might have found real experienced candidates to fill those jobs. They have continued to lard the administration with Lombardi favourites. Before this latest crisis Kirk and Allen had constructed a strategy to push the brilliant Jonathan Wacks out of his longtime job as the Dean of the only successful (financial and enrollment) department at CSF, MOV/Moving Image Arts. They were trying to sell this to the rest of the college as a necessary move and their reasoning with which they tried to sell this to an unbelieving faculty was insane. Those of us who observed it felt we were being browbeaten until agreeing that "white was black." If the state takes over, it will be a blessing, because just before this crisis hit, because of the actions of Kirk and Allen, most every decent faculty or staff member has spent the last few months applying for jobs elsewhere. An institution of higher learning cannot be run like the mafia.
But in the end, it is the Board who bears responsibility for this, after all they appointed on incompetent after another without doing their homework.
Posted by JC Gonzalez:
This is a creative community of highly intelligent, creative, forward-thinking youth. The future. To lose such an institution that has brought the most unique individuals from across the country for art's sake would be a tragedy for all of Santa Fe, and New Mexico.
Posted by Laurie:
To those responsible: What a "Happy Thanksgiving" As a parent of a student that has been extremely happy to have the CSF experience, it is both shameful and embarrassing to learn of the mismanagement of school funds etc. HOW COULD A HEAD OF SCHOOL LET THIS HAPPEN!!! Does he have a "golden parachute" Is he going to share it with all of the students that are so in debt with their "tuition payments"?
It is a difficult situation and there have been something like 50 schools who have faced it in the last few years and many have closed. Everybody wants to blame a person or people but as an educator you need to know that it costs a fortune to run a school these days. Tuition doesnt cover it all so schools need to raise money and trim costs. I have worked at CSF for a long time and I can tell you that a lot of people from 1985-2008 made a lot of choices they thought were good but turned out bad, like the recent athletics stuff. I read a while back that you can't keep a school open anymore with just 600 full time students and guess what that's about how many CSF has. It is difficult but I bet there are dozens of schools just like CSF out there.
Posted by Lotronik:
Laurie, The situation at CSF has been quite some time in the making. Ultimately it is the board who were asleep at the switch when it came time for the College to move decisively towards an arts centered marketing and recruitment plan. Instead they chose Presidents who were simply not a good fit for the school. There were certainly faculty members who tried to reason with the board but I am afraid these were a minority (a fairly large minority). When the current administration came in to power by appointment (no search was done) it quickly became apparent that this was to be a transition team. Despite the criticism of Dr. Kirk posted here, he basically came out of retirement to take this on. With that said, if the school is able to make the leap to become a state institution it would be imperative that a savvy leader with an arts background step in to realize the considerable potential of the school.
So I already posted a facebook link to this movie above, but for all of you without accounts, here is another link. It's for youtube. I made this in response to the news article. We all have reasons to protest, and the wrong doings by Dr. Lombardi, or who ever you want to poke a finger at, know that just because I can laugh doesn't mean I have to. What has happened is unfair to both staff and students alike. So f-it. Lets go to the Casino and gamble away our scholarship money!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq5Pfy...
or
Do your research, Hilarious. Jonathan Wacks isn't the only person at CSF that was educated, graduate, undergraduate or otherwise, that has spent some time in the UK or any of the other TON of contries that spell words differently. Pick another bone.