Becker College, mired in financial problems that could put its long-term future at risk, is moving ahead with what could be any college s biggest annual event: its spring graduation ceremony.
But the Worcester school is also making contingency plans for students potentially having to transfer elsewhere if the college were to close, including helping students transfer to other institutions, according to messages to the campus community from President Nancy Crimmin.
Crimmin has advised students to continue to take classes this semester and seek help from campus services if needed. The college said March 2 it was considering options for its future, including potentially closing, after talks with an unnamed institution fell apart in January.
State Flags Problems At Worcester s Becker College wgbh.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wgbh.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Becker College said Tuesday it is considering options for its future, including closing, amid financial uncertainty and other challenges, and after affiliation talks with another institution fell apart.
The Worcester school is unlikely to continue operations through the next academic year, the New England Commission of Higher Education, an accreditation agency, said in a joint statement with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education on Tuesday. The college said it is halting recruiting activities.
Becker s enrollment before the coronavirus pandemic hit was 1,698 undergraduate and graduate students, and its endowment is $5.1 million. By enrollment, Becker is the 10th largest school in Central Massachusetts.
Officials at the Department of Higher Education believe the school "is unlikely to sustain full operations through the next academic year" and have engaged in contingency planning in case of a closure.