Over a month after announcing the Amherst, Massachusetts, school would close following fall semester, Hampshire's leadership now says the college "does not have enough" funding for the final stretch it had planned.
In a recent letter to the campus community, Hampshire College President Jennifer Chrisler said, based on the school's current "financial modeling," there does not appear to be enough funding to cover expenses tied to Hampshire's teach-out plans.
The college previously said it would support students on the verge of graduating by keeping enough faculty for the fall, allowing them to finish their time at Hampshire later in the year.
After that, the school established in 1965 would close its doors after a decade of financial and enrollment struggles.
However, in her letter, Chrisler said "expected expenses" and other factors, like "up-front payment" demanded by vendors working with the college, have put Hampshire in another financial bind.
Apologizing to students who have been weighing whether to transfer to other schools or take part in the teach-out, Chrisler said Hampshire is "exploring options to secure the necessary financial resources in time for the teach-out” and remains “optimistic.”
Simultaneously, Chrisler says the school has also reached a tentative agreement to have the school’s final Div III cohorts "created with a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio.”
She added that more updates on the college's summer and fall plans will be released in the days ahead.
