I could use a hand here: a quantitative examination of institutional closure profiles among U.S. postsecondary institutions--ten years in review

Abstract

Colleges are beginning to close in America. As time advances, the risk of further college closures or mergers in American higher education seems to be rising. But why? Why in a country where education is extolled as the foundation of the American Dream can institutions of higher education be at risk of going out of business? This study offers a quantitative analysis of what type of American higher education institutions may be most vulnerable to shifting market conditions resulting in closure or merger.A retrospective, exploratory, open-matched quantitative design will use descriptive, predictive, and time-series analyses to characterize a sample of postsecondary institutions that have closed or merged in hopes of identifying an institutional profile of those that exhibit the highest risk of failure. By comparing target institutions to matched controls, this study aims to identify trends, strategies, or mechanisms associated with viability, resilience, and transformation.The larger purpose of this study serves as an attempt to provide institutions of higher education reliable "warning signs" that can be addressed strategically and proactively. A possible outcome of this study may be a predictive model that can alert institutions to possible trends and patterns, or "red flags," and to stimulate strategic, data-driven decisions about how to move forward, averting closure or merger by: 1. Identifying possible threats to viability.2. Creating a response in the form of crafting safeguards to avoid closing/merger.3. Implementing developed safeguards to stem the tides of rising financial pressures.