It is difficult to imagine the shock and heartbreak of those closest to Dana College. For most, its abrupt closing was unexpected. Dana was more than 125 years old and has served as a place for excellence in higher education. Why this wrenching experience for all concerned, a catastrophe for many.

Dana College, for a number of reasons, was in major debt, said to be in the 11 figure category. Private colleges are having a rough time. Students and families are having difficulty paying for private education. Education has become increasingly "job preparation" instead of "life preparation." Finally, to save the college, Dana was sold in March, 2010 to a for-profit organization to provide the necessary financing.

However, in late June the Higher Learning Commission’s (Board HCL) voted to deny the request to transfer ownership to the Dana Education Corporation, the for-profit organization. The HLC board claimed it did not believe such a transfer would maintain the college’s mission and programs, that the institution’s educational integrity would not be protected, that the school could not recruit enough students and the buyer had no previous experience in higher education. The Dana College news release strongly disagreed with the HCL’s rationale, but the College’s Board of Regents was forced to close the college since Dana College would not be recognized as an accredited institution.

Why didn’t the HLC give Dana a chance?  Wasn’t it worth trying?   What was behind all this? Think of the students, the faculty and staff jobs, the people in Blair, the alumni, the donors. Think of the Danish archives closely linked to the Dana campus, which planned to (and still may) continue under a separate not-for-profit organization. Think of all the people who have grown "in wisdom and strength" there, who have fallen in love at Dana or with Dana, who consider it their home college. Think of the estimated 27 million dollar annual impact on the community. Wasn’t it worth taking a chance to see if it will work? I think so. But the HLC saw it differently.

 The HLC took such a dim look at the transfer because of their new policy (2009) regarding transferring accreditation to a for- profit corporation. HLC president Sylvia Manning explained in an Inside Education article that "Accreditation shopping is something we are very much opposed to. Accreditation is not like a liquor license." The closing of Dana occurred just as the US Senate began hearings on the rapid growth of for-profit education.(1)

I know very little about higher education accreditation, but I know something about hospital accreditation; it requires a huge amount of staff time and money to obtain and maintain high standards. Not-for-profit hospitals sold to for-profit institutions have sometimes had disastrous results for patients—not always, but with sufficient frequency to be a problem.

This strikes another familiar note. Following my two years at Grand View, I graduated from Shimer College which this past year underwent an attempt by a new president to stack the board and significantly change the mission and curriculum of the college. Thankfully, by a narrow vote of the board and through a major effort by students and alumni, the president was fired. His motivation? Some suspected it was a move to take over the college and transform it into a right wing college "at which point the new owners would come into possession of Shimer’s accreditation. It turns out that the latter alone is worth several million dollars, because obtaining accreditation from scratch is a long and costly process.(2)

This is not to say that Dana College, under the leadership of the Dana Education Corp, would have significantly changed the mission of the college. I know of no reason to think that Raj Kaji and partners were anything but sincere in their efforts. It is only to say that the HLC had reasons to be concerned. Dana might have been successful under new leadership. Even if indeed there was the intent to promote it as an on-line college, as some feared, a balance might have been worked out. During graduate school I taught in a correspondence high school and served students who would not otherwise have received an education. Again, if it were up to me, I would have given it a chance.

As in the end of any life, including the life of a great institution like Dana College, there is much to mourn and much to celebrate. When the excruciating pain has passed, wonderful memories will remain. All the good that has been accomplished by the professors, staff, students, alumni, and donors will never die. For that we give thanks.

Tragically, the Danish American Archive and Library in the wake of the college’s demise lost its entire $300,000 endowment and operating funds. It is now seeking funds to pay for space, salary of a part time employee and storage while it puts together its own 501-c3 status. Meanwhile, according to Dr. John Mark Nielsen, executive director, the Danish Immigrant Museum has been authorized by Dana College’s Board of Regents to hold certain artifacts and archival materials. The museum staff and volunteers moved a number of artifacts, including furniture and paintings, and the entire Lauritz Melchior collection to the museum. The museum is collecting gifts for "archive preservation" on behalf of the Danish American Archive and Library, "retaining 10% to defray our costs of receiving, tracking and receipting gifts."

Danish-Americans need to make sure that the superb Danish American Archive and Library continues to flourish. A long range plan is needed to preserve Danish-American history and culture in the best way possible. Let’s go!

ji