Closing a University, Saving a Special Program (opinion)

"Higher education finds itself, once again, in an era of turmoil and change. The enrollment cliff, dreaded for the past decade, has finally arrived and with it the closing of almost 100 universities since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic-a number projected to grow in the coming years. In this fraught period, it is good to remind ourselves of the wisdom of Seneca (popularized by Semisonic): "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.""

"This founding mission became an integral part of the fabric of Fontbonne University. From its St. Louis campus, Fontbonne offered bachelor's and master's programs similar to those of other institutions-save for the one that grew from that 1836 mission, a graduate program that trained teachers to work with the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). The program was not only unique to the region but also graduated approximately 25 percent of master's-credentialed teachers of the DHH in the U.S. For more than 60 years,"

Higher education faces turmoil as the enrollment cliff has arrived, and almost 100 universities have closed since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic with more closures projected. Fontbonne University closed in August 2025 because of declining enrollments and financial challenges. Fontbonne traces its origins to 1836 when six Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet sailed from Lyon to New Orleans, then to the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis, where they built a log cabin and began teaching and serving the deaf community. In 1837 additional sisters opened the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. Fontbonne offered bachelor's and master's degrees and sustained a graduate program that trained teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing, producing roughly 25 percent of master's-credentialed DHH teachers in the United States.

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