HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE ARTICLES
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Town Hall Explores Possibilities for Continuing Hampshire College’s Mission
Hampshire Next, a grassroots organization founded by members of the Hampshire community in the wake of the college’s announced closure, has recently incorporated. The group held a town hall meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, May 20, focused on organizing around the future of Hampshire College’s campus and mission following the announcement of closure and a real estate offering.
Dean Hubbard, a Hampshire Next board member and attorney, explained that the organization emerged rapidly in response to...
Dean Hubbard, a Hampshire Next board member and attorney, explained that the organization emerged rapidly in response to...
Hampshire 3.0 — Will students have a role?
I attended the community meeting in the RCC on the day of the closure announcement. After a few heartfelt speeches, it was announced that we would move to breakout rooms in FPH (as opposed to having one large Q&A in the RCC). One student interjected: “You are dividing us!”
In the breakout room I attended, there was a staff member, a couple of faculty members, and a number of students. The students asked a member of the board about two dozen questions; he had virtually no answers except to say...
In the breakout room I attended, there was a staff member, a couple of faculty members, and a number of students. The students asked a member of the board about two dozen questions; he had virtually no answers except to say...
Amherst College Helped Found Hampshire College. Will It Help with a Just Closure?
Amherst College played an outsized role in creating Hampshire College through its planning, early donors, founders, and geographic proximity. Hampshire, in turn, has had an impact on Amherst College and on higher education writ large, which was part of its mission. Now, even as Hampshire College moves toward closure, the opportunity for Amherst to positively influence Hampshire’s future has returned.
Hampshire’s founding is chronicled in “The Making of a College” and more recently in “A Radic...
Hampshire’s founding is chronicled in “The Making of a College” and more recently in “A Radic...
Was the closing foretold, and what can be done now?
In 1973, Hampshire Professor Robert Rardin wrote Liberal Corporation or Radical Collective: Two Models for a College, which I believe is a Rosetta Stone for understanding some of the most important dynamics running through Hampshire’s affairs. It turned out to be a touchstone rediscovered by generations of Hampshire students as they embarked on various Hampshire protest movements.
Shaun Trujillo 00F, a Hampshire alum and former Hampshire archivist, noticed a process of anamnesis, or remember...
Shaun Trujillo 00F, a Hampshire alum and former Hampshire archivist, noticed a process of anamnesis, or remember...
When Five Is Better Than Four: Can Hampshire College Still Be Saved?
On April 14, 2026, Hampshire College announced that it will close permanently. This surprised many people, coming just two months after a letter to The Boston Globe by the leaders of Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst stating that “It’s Not Too Late to Save Hampshire College”, and stressing the importance of the college to the Five College Consortium — and to higher education nationally.“For more than five decades, Hampshire has been a natio...
It’s Not Too Late to Save Hampshire College. Here’s Why
Hampshire College is facing problems in part because sensationalist news articles paint an erroneously hopeless picture. Unfortunately, a highly influential Boston Globe article originally titled, “Dying, Sputtering” fits into that category. Hampshire’s accreditor, The New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE), has its home office in Boston, and the Globe is a prominent publication that likely gets its attention.
NECHE has been closely monitoring Hampshire’s finances and turnaround...
NECHE has been closely monitoring Hampshire’s finances and turnaround...
An aerial view of Hampshire College in November. (Sebastian Restrepo / MassLive)
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Five Colleges should step up to save Hampshire College – and enhance their consortium
Hampshire College’s Enrollment Dilemma is a Solvable Problem
Hampshire College enrollment declined from 844 to 750 students (an 11% decrease) in Fall 2025, despite a 79% increase from 2021 to 2024. Hampshire missed its admission goal for that year by nearly half, enrolling only 168 students instead of the expected 300. What happened and why is this a solvable problem?
A recent article on Hampshire’s enrollment crisis in The Chronicle of Higher Education missed some key aspects of why enrollment suddenly declined and how it can be turned around. The Ch...
A recent article on Hampshire’s enrollment crisis in The Chronicle of Higher Education missed some key aspects of why enrollment suddenly declined and how it can be turned around. The Ch...
It's Not Too Late to Save Hampshire College
Thrive or Perish: Transforming Admissions Will Dictate Whether Hampshire College Prospers
In October, 2025, Jennifer Chrisler was appointed the 9th president of Hampshire College after serving as interim president. Her opening speech articulated some of her vision for Hampshire, including continuing its leadership role in higher education innovation. The challenges are steep. After several years of enrollment increases, Hampshire reduced admissions staffing, and enrollment is back down to approximately the 2019 level, the year it declined an incoming class.
Student recruitment is...
Student recruitment is...
Hampshire Can Thrive
Dec. 8 — One of the biggest challenges for Hampshire’s new president is increasing enrollment. Hampshire reduced admissions staffing, and enrollment is back down to approximately the 2019 level, the year it declined an incoming class. Hampshire has the power to turn things around by rebuilding staffing, developing a cutting-edge strategy, and leveraging community talent.
Hampshire had increased enrollment by 68% from Fall 2022 (500) to Fall 2024 (833) but now is back down to 750, roughly the...
Hampshire had increased enrollment by 68% from Fall 2022 (500) to Fall 2024 (833) but now is back down to 750, roughly the...
Hampshire College at a Crossroads
Last updated on November 21, 2025
Sept. 25 — Some may be aware that Hampshire College is in the midst of a presidential search. This is a high-stakes moment, full of opportunity and risk; the wrong choice now could mean the end of Hampshire College.
After the community rallied to change Hampshire’s direction following a near closure in 2019, the recovery is faltering. Hampshire needs excellent leadership and a new direction.
Hampshire can move beyond endless cost-cutting, a strategy...
Sept. 25 — Some may be aware that Hampshire College is in the midst of a presidential search. This is a high-stakes moment, full of opportunity and risk; the wrong choice now could mean the end of Hampshire College.
After the community rallied to change Hampshire’s direction following a near closure in 2019, the recovery is faltering. Hampshire needs excellent leadership and a new direction.
Hampshire can move beyond endless cost-cutting, a strategy...
Hampshire Needs to Rethink Higher Ed, Again???
Hampshire College is in the midst of a presidential search. After impressive enrollment growth since its near closure in 2019, the recovery is stalling out, as evidenced by a decrease in enrollment for this fall.
A visionary new president, governance reform, and a different model of community involvement are needed to return Hampshire to its original exceptional role in higher education.
Clarifying Hampshire’s readiness to radically innovate its business model could help attract more exc...
A visionary new president, governance reform, and a different model of community involvement are needed to return Hampshire to its original exceptional role in higher education.
Clarifying Hampshire’s readiness to radically innovate its business model could help attract more exc...
Hampshire College at a Crossroads
Some may be aware that Hampshire College is in the midst of a presidential search. This is a high-stakes moment, full of opportunity and risk; the wrong choice now could mean the end of Hampshire College.
After the community rallied to change Hampshire’s direction following a near closure in 2019, the recovery is faltering. Hampshire needs excellent leadership and a new direction.
Hampshire can move beyond endless cost-cutting, a strategy that was necessary in the short term but lacked s...
After the community rallied to change Hampshire’s direction following a near closure in 2019, the recovery is faltering. Hampshire needs excellent leadership and a new direction.
Hampshire can move beyond endless cost-cutting, a strategy that was necessary in the short term but lacked s...
Hampshire College - Debt Refinancing
Initially published at https://thereminder.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/hampshire-college-faces-another-crossroads-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
On Jan. 6 of this year, President Ed Wingenbach announced his resignation as leader of Hampshire College, having led the institution through a seemingly miraculous rebound since 2019. Behind the handshakes and smiles, a complex reality exists, and the community must rally once again to save the college. High-stakes questions about a potentially important bond issue loom large.
Under Wingenbach’s tenure, progress was made in fundraising, rebuilding enrollment, and implementing curricular chang...
On Jan. 6 of this year, President Ed Wingenbach announced his resignation as leader of Hampshire College, having led the institution through a seemingly miraculous rebound since 2019. Behind the handshakes and smiles, a complex reality exists, and the community must rally once again to save the college. High-stakes questions about a potentially important bond issue loom large.
Under Wingenbach’s tenure, progress was made in fundraising, rebuilding enrollment, and implementing curricular chang...
A Strong Hampshire College Future Requires Transparency
Hampshire College. Photo: hampshire.edu
On January 6 of this year, President Ed Wingenbach announced his resignation as leader of Hampshire College. He had led the institution through a seemingly miraculous rebound since 2019. Behind the handshakes and smiles, a complex reality exists, and the community must rally once again to save the college. High-stakes questions about a potentially important bond issue loom large.
Flashback
Rewind to January of 2019: President Mim Nelson made the bombshell announcement that Hampshire was seekin...
On January 6 of this year, President Ed Wingenbach announced his resignation as leader of Hampshire College. He had led the institution through a seemingly miraculous rebound since 2019. Behind the handshakes and smiles, a complex reality exists, and the community must rally once again to save the college. High-stakes questions about a potentially important bond issue loom large.
Flashback
Rewind to January of 2019: President Mim Nelson made the bombshell announcement that Hampshire was seekin...
Not Too Late For Transparency
A proposed apartment complex is planned for the area behind Atkins Market, which would involve the sale of land by Hampshire College. According to President Wingenbach’s comments at the Amherst Planning Commission meeting on March 19, the sale is the final part of Hampshire's financial stabilization plan, and any delays would cause significant hardship.
Is Hampshire Still Hampering Good Governance?
On January 6, President Ed Wingenbach announced his resignation as leader of Hampshire College. As leaders come and go, it’s important to understand governance matters that affect the college’s chances of survival, what problems can be fixed, and how to choose a good president.
From a Local Frog
To Succeed, Hampshire Must Get a Lot Weirder
Is Hampshire College in perpetual crisis or merely navigating a turbulent chapter? Students have witnessed firsthand the impact of painful cuts: 9% of non-academic staff laid off, a staggering 25% reduction in library personnel, retirement contributions suspended, and work-study hours slashed. This article dives deep into these pressing issues, offering a fresh perspective, thoughtful critique, and innovative solutions to help Hampshire move beyond its current state of precarity and austerity. Drawing from my experiences as an alum, activist, and journalist, along with on-the-ground and online research, I aim to shed light on Hampshire’s challenges within the historical and broader higher education context.
Sensational Hampshire College Articles Need Context
I have been unafraid to criticize Hampshire College, as shown by articles I have written in the past, but sensational accounts I have read in other publications lack grounding in Hampshire’s history, financial recovery path, and today’s higher education landscape. Recent reports have mentioned that enrollment came in under projections, and one story speculates on increased staff turnover. In actuality, it was Hampshire leadership’s decision to reduce non-faculty staffing levels and their own pay...
Don’t declare Hampshire College dead quite yet
I have been unafraid to criticize Hampshire College, my alma mater, as shown by articles I have written in the past. But I feel that a recent story lacked a grounding in Hampshire’s history, financial recovery path and place in today’s higher education landscape.
The unmaking of an IT department
Why did Hampshire College, an iconic progressive institution saved from closure in 2019, outsource information technology (IT) service to a national for-profit and lay off dedicated employees, some of whom had been there for decades? Back in 2019, the former administration declined to accept that year’s incoming class of new students to make Hampshire easier to acquire by another college. The community revolted, top leaders resigned and the board committed to fundraising to keep Hampshire indepe...
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