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| Home / College Guide / Kimzey Opinion: Small colleges are the fabric of the town |
| Posted on Sunday, October 20 @ 00:00:15 PDT |
Small liberal arts colleges such as Iowa Wesleyan University and Monmouth College can often be acquainted to the heartbeat of a town. This is very much the cases for towns such as Mount Pleasant and Monmouth, Illinois, who rely on the influx in population during the academic year to fuel local business and the towns’ economies.
But one must ask what happens to towns when such accredited places of higher learning close? Why are small liberal arts colleges closing? And how has attending a small liberal arts college like Monmouth impacted me? Theses are questions I would like to address.
When an institution closes, it leads to a massive power vacuum within the town and surrounding area. In a recent article posted by Lisa Rathke from The Associated Press, she states some business lose upwards of 30 percent of their revenue when schools close. They also lose out on graduates who remain in these towns, thus adding to a greater loss of revenue and jobs. Not to mention as well, the heart and identity of the town is lost when schools close, often leaving members of the community wondering what they will do, leaving them struggling to survive.
As small institutions across the nation shut their doors, they often cite there are not enough college aged students who enroll, numerous financial problems, and lack of interest.
Personally, a reason I believe they are facing hard times is because small liberal arts colleges and the towns that house them can’t compete with cities that hold larger universities. One area I think there is a massive problem is nightlife and eating and shopping establishments. This is a case for going out on a Friday or Saturday night in the smaller communities.
Now for my two cents — attending a small institution of high learning like Monmouth College has given me a lifetime of memories. The attention given to me by my professors is invaluable. They have treated me like a person and not a number or another part of their paycheck. At Monmouth College I have been able to pursue a major and double minor, and have professors monitor my progress every step of the way. I’ve even been invited over to a couple of my professors homes for breakfast and dinner. You don’t get that level of attention at public universities. The class sizes are far superior to that of a public university, being able to sit in class and enjoy the lesson instead of having weird shenanigans go on.
I believe keeping small liberal arts colleges alive is critical to local business and towns since they are the very fabric that binds the community.
I can personally advocate for attending small liberal arts colleges.
Aaron Kimzey is a fifth-year senior at Monmouth College and comes from Mount Pleasant. He majors in Classics with a Double Minor in History and 19th-Century Studies. He is also an avid bagpiper and current Pipe Sergeant with the Monmouth College Pipe Band. Never miss a story
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