ITHACA, N.Y.—Wells College will close its doors permanently in May after 156 years, according to a statement released Monday morning. The college, which has just over 350 enrolled students, is by far the largest employer in the village of Aurora.
In a statement, university officials said the college’s trustees had reviewed the institution’s finances and determined that it “does not have adequate financial resources to continue.”
“As you may be aware, many small colleges like Wells have faced enormous financial challenges,” the statement reads. “These challenges have been exacerbated by a global pandemic, a shrinking pool of undergraduate students nationwide, inflationary pressures, and an overall negative sentiment towards higher education.”
The decision to close is one that officials at Wells College have been mulling for years.
The closure announcement was released at 7:00 a.m. on Monday. During a contentious assembly late Monday morning, college officials said they made the final determination late last week, but waited until Monday to make the announcement.
“Everyone’s freaking out,” freshman class vice president SadieLyn Combs said. “You can hear people crying all throughout the buildings.”
Combs said the announcement came as a surprise to students, faculty and many staff.
Wells had already sent admissions letters to a would-be incoming first year class, leaving little time for those students to make alternative arrangements for the upcoming school year. The closure announcement comes just one day ahead of May 1, the date many American colleges set as the deadline to accept an offer of admission.
Combs, who is a member of the school’s field hockey team, said there are a number of recruited student athletes who had already committed to attend Wells next year.
“I had to text some of the new field hockey recruits, ‘I’m sorry to tell you this, but you know, Wells is closing, you’re gonna have to look for other schools,’” Combs said.
Combs said many students — particularly those in the first year cohort — feel daunted at the prospect of repeating the process of college admissions and selection. She said there is additional pressure on many international and out-of-state students who are now scrambling to sort out visa requirements, lodging and travel arrangements.
College officials said students will be able to complete their current course of study at one of several designated “teach-out” institutions: Manhattanville College, Excelsior University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Keuka College, Le Moyne College, Mercy University and SUNY Brockport.
Most institutions are required by their accrediting commissions to have “teach-out” plans to allow students to complete their course of study should the college face a sudden closure.
At an institution-wide assembly Monday, college leadership assured students they would pay the same tuition and receive the same financial aid they would have had they remained at Wells, provided they transfer to one of the designated teach-out institutions.
In a video of the assembly obtained by The Ithaca Voice, students appeared distraught and at times angry as college officials addressed questions from a stage.
Students at the assembly expressed fear that the teach-out institutions, some of which are also smaller liberal arts schools, could soon face the same fate as Wells.
News of the closure has spread quickly beyond the campus boundaries. Matt Bianconi, longtime resident and a member of the Village of Aurora’s board of trustees, said the loss of the college will have a significant impact on the future and character of the small village.
“We’re such a small community here, where, as far as the population of the village goes, the students outnumber year round residents in the village of Aurora,” Bianconi said. “That loss of people — young people, particularly — will be greatly missed.”
Bianconi said the village relies on the college to provide some medical, educational and recreational facilities.
“We have a medical center at Wells College on the campus, Peachtown School is on the campus down there, there’s a nine hole golf course,” Bianconi said. “So there’s a lot of community activity happening on the campus beyond just the school itself.”
It’s unclear whether or not the village will lose those facilities as the college begins to liquidate its assets.
“Wells has always been a huge part of this community,” Bianconi said. “It feels like a death.”
If you appreciate our coverage, please consider becoming a monthly donor to show your commitment to reliable local journalism.