Gibbs colleges closing..........

Yesterday, it was made known to all students and faculty who did not already know: All Katherine Gibbs colleges will be closing. For good. Next year. Here in New York it didn't really make headlines, but the bad news has been out there since last Friday. Here is an e-mail I received from Gibbs New York:

Dear Student:
Katharine Gibbs School in New York takes our educational commitment to you very seriously. We are honored that you chose our school to be your educational partner and to support you in achieving your career dreams.

We announced today that the decision has been made to begin a gradual process of discontinuing operations at the school—what’s called a “teach-out.” We want to assure you that our teach-out process will allow you to complete your program. Effective immediately however, no new students will be enrolled at Gibbs-New York.

In November of 2006, a decision was made by Career Education Corporation, the parent company of Katharine Gibbs, to sell certain schools, including the Gibbs-New York campus. CEC has been working hard with interested buyers to finalize a transaction that made sense for both parties.Despite the company’s best efforts, it could not find a suitable arrangement that would be acceptable to the purchaser and also appropriate for our students, faculty and staff. We considered the decision to undertake a teach-out very carefully, looked at all of the alternatives and took additional time to do so, in order to ensure an outcome that takes into account everyone’s best interests.We are committed to fulfilling our promise to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in your chosen career. Student services, including externships, career services and financial aid will continue to be available to you through the teach-out. Your classes will continue to be offered on campus. Our graduates also will continue to receive all necessary services. Upon closure, records and other support will move to one central location accessible via the Internet, except as otherwise necessary for them to remain local. Graduates will be appropriately notified of final arrangements.

We understand that news of this decision will likely be met with some level of discomfort and uncertainty. With that in mind, we have attached a student FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to provide you with some additional detail that we hope will address some of your questions or concerns.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and any disruption to your educational experience. We will keep you informed throughout the process and pledge all of our efforts to helping you complete your education.

Very truly yours,
Wynn Blanton,
President
Katharine Gibbs School, New York

Although this shouldnt affect my expected graduation from Gibbs, the student population will unfortunately dwindle by each passing semester. However, I truly feel bad for the professors here that could be unemployed in the near future. There may be very bright and very well-known and well-spoken professors that under normal circumstances I would meet in a classroom could very well be on an unemployment line very soon. Hopefully Gibbs students won't get lost in the shuffle while this "teach-out" is going on.