Clearwater Christian College closing

Didn’t see this coming…

I know some recent graduates.

This is very sad to see but I saw this coming. They have been declining in enrollment since I was there from ‘02-‘05.

Unless they have accumulated a dizzy amount of debt all should end well financially at least. The campus has to be worth gazillions.

I’m sad to see this as well, though I never went there. My sister graduated from Clearwater.

One thing this should do, though, is remind people that Christian colleges aren’t closing simply because of a shift away from previous stands. The college economic environment is tough these days, and Christian colleges particularly need to think about possible (gasp!) consolidation as well as rethinking the traditional “stay on campus full-time for 4 years” model of education. The days when there could be multiple smaller institutions claiming small differences but vying for mostly the same pool of students are long gone.

The land CCC is on its not going to be worth a lot to most people. It floods easily and often. Unless another school purchased it then all or most of the buildings would have to be demolished or undergo major renovations to be usable. That’s assuming that if someone bought it they did not have to raise the land up. If they do raise the land up then the buildings would have to go for sure.

I came there in ‘02 which was Youstra’s last, and Stratton’s first, year as president. CCC was at the height of its enrollment with over 700 students (I think?). To no fault of his own, Stratton was the turning point in the enrollment drop. The word around campus was that CCC was going to become “BJ by the Bay”. Most students there did not want that. (In fact, that was pretty much a direct question Stratton answered at the student body Q&A we had with Stratton his first week there. The room was dead silent and I am pretty sure everyone was sweating bullets.) BJU was their own school and CCC its own, and each respected the other for that. Though CCC never became that, and though Stratton was not going to make it that, the perception quickly took root.

As a former student I really think that was the turning point for the school. I think CCC hired a good guy (Stratton) but from the wrong school (BJU). It was something that, unbeknownst to them, (or anyone else for that matter), would be the beginning of the end for CCC. The students are probably a schools greatest recruitment asset and if they lose confidence in their school then it is just a matter of time.

I have to admit that I was not a fan of Stratton in the beginning. Over time I likened up to him. I think if he had been from a different school or just came from the business world, and had graduated from BJU, then it might have been a different story.

Again, I don’t blame Stratton. It was a perception thing.

This is just one students opinion.

With all the CC closings who’s left behind?

Cedarville is now conservative evangelical. Summit University (formerly BBC Clark Summit) is doing okay. BJU seems to be weathering the latest scandal. PCC is still doing well. Of course, both BJU and PCC have a cash cow to keep them well funded.

What other legit, Christian education choices are there for the discerning Christian high school graduate?

Here’s a map of the area. I don’t think they can sell it for much because there is nothing else on that peninsula except for regular patterns that may be what’s left of failed attempts at subdivisions there. I would guess somebody made an environmental/practical argument that the peninsula it inhabits ought not be developed, and they’re the lone holdout/grandfathered property/highest ground there.

According to CCC’s 2013 Form 990 filed with the IRS in 2014, their total liabilities were $11.2 million — mostly due to tax exempt bonds issued in November 2011 (did they construct new buildings then?).

[Jim]

PCC has the publishing arm which I perceive to be strong

Doesn’t BJU Press provide some capital to the university? Similar to Abeka?