By Lev D. Zilbermints
BLOOMFIELD – Bloomfield College is seeking philanthropic assistance to prevent possible closure in 2023.
Located in Bloomfield, New Jersey, the private school had 1598 students during the 2019-2020 academic year, compared to 1896 during the 2016-2017 academic year and 2,018 during the 2010-2011 academic year, according to data from the National Center for Education Studies.
A decade of decreasing enrollment, together with the coronavirus pandemic, have left the school in crisis.
School officials say that there are enough resources to complete the 2021 – 2022 academic year. It is not clear whether there are enough resources for the 2022 – 2023 academic year. In an interview with Inside Higher Education, Bloomfield College President Marcheta Evans laid bare the situation faced by the college.
According to President Evans, “the college has sufficient resources to meet all its obligations and complete the 2021 – 2022 academic year. However, without significant philanthropic assistance – or the intervention of a like-minded higher education institution — we would not be able to know with certainty that Bloomfield College can complete the 2022-2023 academic year.”
College Statistics
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 51% of the students are Black or African American; 31% are Hispanic/Latino; 8% are White; 2% are Asian; 1% are American Indian or Alaskan Native; 1% are two or more races. Eighty-seven percent of students are age 24 and under; 13% are 25 and over. Bloomfield College students are 91% full-time and 9% part-time. Student gender is 63% female and 37% male.
According to President Evans as cited by Inside Higher Education, “Our students tend to be first generation and first in their families to attend college. Seventy-one percent of our students are Pell Grant eligible, and many work one or two jobs while taking a full credit load.
History
The 2002-2003 Bloomfield College catalog states that Bloomfield College was originally founded as the German Theological Seminary of Newark, New Jersey, in 1868. The first classes were held in 1869. Three years later, the school moved to Bloomfield. The new home was the former Bloomfield Academy at Franklin and Liberty Streets. Today it is known as Seibert Hall.
By 1913, the school changed its name to Bloomfield Theological Seminary. At that time, it was serving 15 language groups. Today Bloomfield College serves 60 nationalities.
Hoping to attract support for the school, Bloomfield College President Marcheta Evans and the college leadership made the decision to make the college’s crisis public. The tactic has worked so far, with responses coming from alumni, staff, faculty, trustees, former employees, and other members of the Bloomfield College community.
Options
Bloomfield College is looking at a number of different options. According to the college website, “Bloomfield College is seeking strategic relationships with other schools (partnership, merger, affiliation, etc.) and philanthropic support from the higher education and corporate communities to enable the four-year institution to continue its vital mission – creating educational pathways that are often not otherwise available for minority and low-income students.”
One option is merging with a larger institution, such as Rutgers University. Under this hypothetical scenario, Bloomfield College would become part of a larger school. Thus, XYZ University, Bloomfield College.
Another option is finding enough philanthropic assistance to keep the school open. This would mean getting rich millionaires and alumni from the corporate, business and private sectors to help out financially.
According to Inside Higher Education, President Evans said that the ideal response to her call for support would be “two phone calls. One would be from a philanthropist who offers to meet our needs no matter what they are. And the second from a like-minded institution that says, Bloomfield College, you’re the higher ed partner we’ve been dreaming about – let’s go!”
A third option is selling some assets, such as dorms on Franklin Street, to raise money. Whether this hypothetical scenario is being considered is hard to say. However, there is precedent for this. Back in the early 1970s the school sold off some property to settle debts and raise money. However, the 1970s did not see a decrease in enrollment, a pandemic or the Internet.
Closing the school is something no one wants to do except as a very last resort. According to public statements by college officials, the community at large has been asked to help keep the college open.
Public Appeal. Response from Community
On October 19, President Evans held an Advocacy Day on campus. According to Inside Higher Education, Evans said, “I laid out the situation fully, and questions from the college community were answered by a panel that included the chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees along with several members of my executive team.”
Three days later, as word spread, Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia released the following statement.
“Bloomfield College makes up a critical part of our township DNA and we are all deeply saddened and concerned to see the recent headlines citing their financial troubles. Their 153 year-long history of academic excellence is an asset to all of us. Bloomfield is one of the most diverse colleges in the region and has helped so many students achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it increasingly difficult financially for small private colleges across the nation. I have personally reached out to President Evans to offer our support. We will do whatever we can to ensure that the college will continue to serve our community.”
On October 24, President Evans spoke at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark. Evans appealed to the public to keep Bloomfield College open. The Sunday service, which started at 9:15 a.m., was attended by at least 130 people online and many more in person. In her remarks, Dr. Evans mentioned the role of the college in the community and the state.
According to Evans, Bloomfield College is the only four-year college in New Jersey recognized as a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Minority Serving Institution (MSI).
