The Small College Imperative: Models for Sustainable Futures

With costs rising, traditional college student populations shrinking, and pundits predicting that huge numbers of colleges will close in the next few decades, small colleges cannot afford to pretend that business-as-usual can sustain them. This book offers five emerging models for how small colleges can hope to survive and thrive in these very challenging times: Traditional; Integrative; Distinctive Program; Expansion, and Distributed. In addition to offering practical guidance for colleges trying to decide which model is for them, the book includes brief institutional profiles of colleges pursuing each model. The book also addresses the evolving role of consortia and partnerships as an avenue to provide additional innovative ways to manage cost and develop new opportunities and programs while maintaining fidelity to mission and strategic vision.

Mary B. Marcy is President of Dominican University ofCalifornia.

Theninth President of Dominican University of California, serving since 2011, MaryB. Marcy’s nationally recognized research focuses on small college innovationand transformation. As demographic, financial and policy shifts make the futureespecially unpredictable for small colleges across the country, Marcy haspublished and presented extensively on issues of leadership and strategy inhigher education.

AtDominican, Marcy has established innovative programs and partnerships toposition students for success in the 21^st century. Guided byher leadership, Dominican has developed a comprehensive framework for studentlearning and success known as The Dominican Experience. Thissignature program has led to dramatic increases in both graduation andretention rates at a time when the percentage of Dominican University studentsidentifying as ethnically diverse has increased by nearly 30 percent.

Priorto joining Dominican, Marcy served as provost of Bard College at Simon’s Rockand vice president of Bard College. Born and raised in western Nebraska, Marcyreceived her Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University ofNebraska. She earned her doctorate and master's degrees in politics fromthe University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.