By Joseph Pratt
It was recently announced that Daymar College would be teaching out the remainder of its students in the New Boston location, and would then close its doors. Local administration said they can make no comment at this time, but representatives of the college were able to shine more light on the closing.
Vice Chancellor Lance Garrison spoke with the Daily Times on Wednesday and explained that the reason the New Boston branch is closing is due to a drop in enrollment.
“We are moving into a teach out phase, because of the decline in enrollment that has been trending in the past few years,” Garrison said.
New Boston Daymar currently has 48 students enrolled in classes, and has promised to get them through their programs and give them any guidance they need before officially closing it doors. The enrollment is a major drop from the 200 to 300 students Garrison said the building once taught, which is the reason for shutting the location down and ceasing operations.
“We were always interested in sustaining that [New Boston] campus. We believed it provided more for the community through great educational opportunities, but it is a complicated higher education system right now that has attributed to the decline of enrollment. We would have loved to have done better and stay in the community.”
Mike Payton, Daymar adjunct professor and member of New Boston Village Council, explained that the news of the school’s closing was a surprise to the entire village.
“The group with Lance Garrison and Dan Peterson did not notify the village of the decision to close,” Payton said. “We didn’t know about the closing until the press release came out. We were sort of blindsided by it.”
Payton said that the college had once considered closing, but the New Boston Village Council was able to assist in keeping the doors open. He said that this is something they would have wished to work on again, but council was never given the opportunity.
“We were able to keep the college open and it thrived until now, or so we had been told,” Payton said. “The people who decided to close the college did not try to work with us like past administrators had. From the village point of view, we didn’t know they wanted to close, but we would have done everything capable to help them stay there, if they wanted to stay.”
Payton also believes the decision to close the school had nothing to do with local issues.
“Our leadership in both New Boston and Daymar wanted it to stay. I don’t think anyone is happy about it closing. I’ve enjoyed working with Daymar as an adjunct and as a member of council, and I hope everyone who sought employment there finds something to do.”
Payton said that the village will move forward and try to get another industry or institution in the building.
“I’d like to see another college come in and I am going to personally shop around to see if anyone is interested. I think a career college is good and not every traditional school is for everyone,” Payton said. “We are going to be extremely interested in working with any group, a school or business, in doing something with the building. We would have worked with Daymar, if given the opportunity.”
Reach Joseph Pratt at 740-353-3101, ext. 1932, or by Twitter @JosephPratt03.
