Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 12, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 29 e hope springing from Becker's closure V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L T he closure of Becker College in Worces- ter at the end of the spring semester re- flects the ongoing difficulties the higher education industry faces coming out of the pandemic. Long-established institu- tions with nine-figure endowments like College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University will weather the storm, but a num- ber of other Central Massachusetts universities don't have the same financial wherewithal, and Becker's endowment of $5 million was not enough to bridge the widening gap in operating costs. Yet, as the industry forecast remains gloomy, one aspect of Becker's closure does give hope: the open- ness and collaboration with other area colleges fol- lowing the announcement. Becker didn't attempt to hide its problems and has been speaking openly for years about potential pitfalls. In early March, when its options had seemingly run dry and shutting the door was looking inevitable, Becker was commu- nicating with students, faculty and staff, so they wouldn't have the rug pulled out from underneath them when the time came. While none of the area schools provided a bailout to Becker, they did step up to find homes for key programs, with the biggest move from Clark Uni- versity in Worcester. Clark is taking over the game design and esports programs – long celebrated as a shining star at Becker and among the best programs in the country – naming it the Becker School of De- sign & Technology. is move essentially preserves all students, faculty, programs, and even buildings for a period, providing significant continuity. Others have stepped up, too: WPI has offered to host the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute; nearly every college from Assumption University to Quin- sigamond Community College want to help students ease into their various programs. Worcester State University is taking on the Becker women's hockey team. Questions still remain, particularly the fate of the Becker campus in Worcester beyond Clark's short- term commitment, and the fate of Becker's other campus in Leicester. Clearly the creative reuse of these properties will be a vexing challenge. Yet they will be coming on the market when real estate has never been a hotter commodity. Ideally, Becker would have found a way to sur- vive the pandemic, and none of these moves would have been necessary; but that is not the reality of the higher education industry at the moment. A long- term downturn in high school graduates across New England remains ahead of us, putting increased pres- sure on schools who draw regionally. Atlantic Union College in Lancaster officially closed up shop in 2018 aer struggling for years. Atlantic Union's student population had atritted significantly over more than a decade, but this was not the case with Becker. Becker wasn't poorly run, nor were its leaders delusional about the realities they faced. ose realities still have to be faced by the higher education industry. While we hope for no more school closures, if Central Massachusetts is faced with the loss of another major institution, we at least see signs neighboring insti- tutions can come together, help students find a new home, and provide continuity of programs, while strengthening themselves in the process. The above Editorial is the opinion of the WBJ Editorial Board. The Viewpoint column, the A Thousand Words cartoon, and the Word from the Web commentary represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WBJ or its staff. WBJ welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Send them to bkane@wbjournal.com. H igh school students in Worcester represent the possibility of great achievement, not only for themselves but for their community. Yet the road to success is not always smooth or equal due to economic and racial disparities. e Massachusetts Early College Initiative is working to increase the opportunities for success higher edu- cation offers, along with the economic benefits for the region fueled by an educated, diverse workforce. Early college programs include classes taken during the regular high school day sequenced along specific career paths. Students initially take courses taught by accredited in- structors at their high schools before progressing to classes on college cam- puses. Students gain the confidence and skills to smoothly transition to higher education. Worcester has more students benefiting from this initiative than any other community in the state. e Commissioners of Higher Education and Elemen- tary and Secondary Education said the state must allocate $7 million to expand early college. Strengthening it is an effective tool in the recovery process from COVID-19. e pandemic spurred a decrease in college enrollment among low-income students. Early college can reverse this trend. College can serve as an equalizing factor on the path toward income security. e 2016 median wage income for full-time workers in Massachusetts age 25+ rose in direct proportion to their level of education. Workers with a high school diploma earned $41,000, while the income of those with bachelor's degrees increased to $69,000. Students from low-income families face inequity of access to college. Affordability stands out as a major barrier. Early college helps ease this burden. When participating students graduate from high school, they already have significant college credits, which reduces the time – and therefore the cost – needed to obtain a degree. Fall 2020 early college enrollment in Mass. reached 3,125 students and spring enrollment is forecast to be about 3,500. ese students are expected to earn a total of 24,000 credits, sav- ing their families $5.2 million in tuition and fees. Students taking part in Massachusetts early college programs are enrolling in college at a rate 53% higher than their peers, and they are persisting in college at higher rates, a strong indicator they will complete their degrees on time. In Worcester, only 27% of students from the high school class of 2012 have gone on to earn college degrees. e city has answered by becoming the first school district in the state to establish early college programs in all high schools. e school district and area higher education providers have stepped up. State leaders must back up those efforts by supporting an additional $7 million for the program. Timothy Murray is president and CEO at Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mary Jo Marion is assistant vice president for Urban Affairs and Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University. BY TIMOTHY MURRAY & MARY JO MARION Special to the Worcester Business Journal Timothy Murray W W A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y R A M Ó N L . S A N D O V A L Early college is a successful investment Mary Jo Marion

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