Green Mountain College (GMC) recently announced that it would cease operations at the end of this academic year, and Marlboro College has expressed a desire to support its students. While GMC established an agreement with Arizona-based Prescott College as a preferred teach-out partner, Marlboro is one of three Vermont colleges that also has a teach-out agreement with GMC.
“We would warmly welcome GMC students who came to Vermont to study in the unique natural backdrop that the Green Mountain State provides,” said Kevin Quigley, Marlboro College president. “Our state offers an optimal experiential learning atmosphere, where students can explore and conduct research in pristine outdoor environments and benefit from a diverse array of academic opportunities. ”
The teach-out agreement with Marlboro College includes a waiver of admission application fees, the acceptance of academic credits, and a financial aid package that creates equivalent or lower tuition expenses for GMC students. Areas of study that can be continued at Marlboro include anthropology, art, biology, English, environmental studies, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and writing, as well as self-designed or interdisciplinary studies.
While Marlboro has experienced a recent decline in enrollment, it also has several strengths that differentiate it from other small, liberal arts colleges in the region. Among these are a tradition of frugality and shared governance, a $38 million endowment (or an impressive endowment-per-student amount of $250,000), and a renewed partnership with the Marlboro Music School and Festival that will result in the construction of two new buildings on campus.
“Being a small college in this day and age is certainly challenging, but it’s not all bad, and we at Marlboro see many opportunities and room for optimism,” said Fumio Sugihara, dean of admissions and financial aid at Marlboro. “We are realistic about the future of small colleges in the United States, and feel like we have an important role in that future.”
