UMass Dartmouth likely to ‘perish,’ according to new analysis

Jul 28, 2020

An analysis by a New York University professor has UMass Dartmouth listed as one of five Massachusetts colleges that are likely to “perish.”

In a blog post, Prof. Scott Galloway built a quadrant-style breakdown of more than 400 U.S. colleges and universities, comparing their tuition, endowment, percentage of international students, and other data from the U.S. Department of Education, US News & World Report and Niche.com’s Student Life Scores.

Other Massachusetts colleges Galloway said are likely to perish include Clark University, Mount Holyoke College, Simmons University and Brandeis University.

His post goes on to warn that schools with low endowments and dependence on international students’ tuition and fees — especially if students decide to wait a semester or year before returning even if their schools reopen for in-person learning this fall — are at the greatest risk of perishing.

Despite the warning, university spokesperson Ryan Merrill said the school is not worried about Galloway’s analysis.

“UMass Dartmouth isn’t going anywhere,” he said.

According to Galloway’s dataset, which is not peer reviewed, while only one percent of UMass Dartmouth’s students are international, the school got a high vulnerability score because it sees an average endowment of $8,398 per full-time student. Meanwhile, UMass Amherst — which the dataset said would “survive” — has an average endowment of $13,830. 

Galloway has criticized many schools’ reopening plans as coronavirus cases continue to rise in many states.

“Small college towns across the country are being set up for disaster,” the professor wrote. “Distancing, plexiglass, quaranteams, reconfigured dorms, A/B class shifts … all efforts taken in good faith, doubtlessly endorsed by medical advisors. But on-campus measures will only be effective with adherence to off-campus measures. It’s delusional to think students will keep 6 feet apart.”

At UMass Dartmouth, the school will be welcoming students to live on campus again as well as offering a combination of face-to-face and remote classes this fall.

“Everyone at UMass Dartmouth recognizes how interactions with peers, robust classroom discussions with world-class faculty, and rewarding extracurricular activities create a powerful college experience,” outgoing Chancellor Robert Johnson said in a statement on July 6. “Even during these uncertain times, we are committed to safely offering as many of these experiences as we possibly can.”