One of higher ed’s most LGBTQ-inclusive colleges is shutting down

Trustees for Hampshire College voted to shutter the small liberal arts school in Amherst, Massachusetts, part of the Five College Consortium, a cooperative network that allows students to take classes and share resources across five nearby campuses.

College President Jennifer Chrisler, Trustee Chair Jose Fuentes, and Trustee Chair-elect Elle Chan announced the decision Thursday, saying it followed years of mounting financial challenges that the college could no longer overcome.

“We have long known that addressing these issues is essential to establishing a stable financial foundation, supporting long-term operations, and meeting regulatory requirements,” the letter reads. “We are faced with the clear, heartbreaking reality that progress on each of these three key factors has fallen far short of what we had hoped.”

The administration said the school has long fostered an accepting environment for LGBTQ+ students. It houses a Queer Community Alliance Center, overseen by the school’s Queer Services division, which is part of its broader progressive mission. The school recently offered streamlined enrollment for students leaving colleges enforcing anti-LGBTQ+ policies, including welcoming transfers from New College of Florida, which had been seen as a haven for LGBTQ+ students before a conservative overhaul under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The college also hosted the Five College Queer Gender & Sexuality Conference in February, which aimed to increase tolerance in higher education.

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But the Amherst school has continued to see enrollment declines and funding shortages, with its degree-seeking student population dropping below 750 this year.

“We want to assure you that Hampshire’s board made its decision only after exploring every possible alternative. Nearly every trustee is an alum, and we share in the community’s heartbreak. Yet we know that you will come together, as you always do, to support each other and take much-deserved pride in what makes this college unlike any other,” the letter from college leaders states.

“Since its founding in 1965, Hampshire College has been home to a group of deeply curious, creative people who have radically reimagined the liberal arts, using a singular, distinctive model designed to change and respond to the most pressing issues facing society," they wrote. "We remain unwavering in our belief that the experience a Hampshire College education provides is exactly what the world needs."

The commencement for students graduating this year will proceed as planned on May 16, and a second ceremony will be held for those who expect to complete their degree in the fall. Housing will also remain available throughout the year, according to the school.

The school is offering a number of other pathways for students who either aim to complete a degree expeditiously at Hampshire or to pursue a transfer with a number of partner institutions, including Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and University of Massachusetts Amherst, as well as Bennington College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts, and Prescott College.