HAMPSHIRE ARTICLES 2019-PRESENT
Articles by Jonathon Podolsky (2019–present) on the crisis, governance, future, and reinvention of Hampshire College. Published in outlets including the The Boston Globe, MassLive / The Republican, The Reminder, Amherst Indy, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Hampshire Leapfrog, and The Omen. (Additional higher education articles available at Podolsky.cc.)
Post-Closure Announcement & Hampshire’s Future
Town Hall Explores Possibilities for Continuing Hampshire College’s Mission
Coverage and analysis of Hampshire Next’s town hall meeting and competing visions for the college’s future.
Hampshire 3.0 — Will students have a role?
An examination of student participation and governance in the aftermath of Hampshire’s chaotic 2019 closure announcement.
Was the closing foretold, and what can be done now?
Professor Rardin and two forces that help decode Hampshire history.
The Five College Consortium
Five Colleges should step up to save Hampshire College – and enhance their consortium
A proposal arguing that deeper consortium collaboration could both preserve Hampshire and enhance the broader Five College model.
Amherst College Helped Found Hampshire College. Will It Help with a Just Closure?
A case for institutional responsibility toward Hampshire students, faculty, and staff during the crisis.
When Five Is Better Than Four: Can Hampshire College Still Be Saved?
A vision for Hampshire as an incubator for higher education innovation, science in the public interest, and socially responsible enterprise.
It's Not Too Late to Save Hampshire College
Published alongside a letter from four college presidents in the Boston Globe, this piece argues that meaningful intervention remained possible.
It’s Not Too Late to Save Hampshire College. Here’s Why
Specific emergency measures that could have stabilized Hampshire during the height of the crisis.
Enrollment & Admissions
Hampshire College’s Enrollment Dilemma is a Solvable Problem
An analysis of how the failed rollout of direct admissions worsened enrollment challenges.
Thrive or Perish: Transforming Admissions Will Dictate Whether Hampshire College Prospers
A critique of strategic decisions that weakened enrollment, including shrinking admissions capacity while attempting institutional transformation.
Why rebuilding admissions staffing and mobilizing students and alumni are essential to long-term sustainability.
To Succeed, Hampshire Must Get a Lot Weirder
An argument for simpler, bolder, and more polarizing branding that embraces Hampshire’s unconventional identity.
Business Model, Debt & Technology
Hampshire Needs to Rethink Higher Ed, Again???
A critique of higher education’s failing economic model and the need for institutional reinvention.
Hampshire College - Debt Refinancing
Ideas for refinancing Hampshire’s bonds and improving institutional transparency.
A Strong Hampshire College Future Requires Transparency
Why community engagement and transparency are necessary for sustainable decision-making.
Not Too Late For Transparency
A call for openness and stakeholder involvement regarding the stalled sale of the Atkins parcel.
The Unmaking of an IT Department: A Cautionary Tale
How outsourcing Hampshire’s IT department eroded institutional knowledge and weakened innovation capacity in the emerging age of AI. (Also published in The Reminder.).
Community, Governance & Culture
Rethinking Hampshire Community
A proposal for better integration and collaboration among Hampshire stakeholder groups.
From a Local Frog
A proposal for bringing together New College transfer students, Hampshire students, and alumni communities.
Sensational Hampshire College Articles Need Context
A response to misleading or incomplete media narratives surrounding Hampshire’s crisis.
Don’t Declare Hampshire College Dead Quite Yet
An argument against premature narratives of institutional collapse.
Hampshire College at a Crossroads (Amherst Indy version).
A critique of the presidential search process and recommendations for reform.
Is Hampshire Still Hampering Good Governance?
An examination of board governance, transparency, accountability, and inclusion.
Reassessing the 2019 Crisis
Hampshire College Defies the Odds: A Critical Reappraisal of ‘The Unmaking of a College'
A critique arguing that key lessons about stakeholder interdependence and institutional sustainability were overlooked in retrospective narratives about Hampshire’s crisis.
Hampshire’s Leaders Need to Soul-Search
One of the few articles calling on President Mim Nelson and other leaders to consider resigning during the 2019 crisis. Following sustained community pressure, leadership changes ultimately helped create a path for Hampshire’s continuation through 2026.
Post a comment