This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

Gary Stocker
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Welcome to the podcast. We call it TWICV. It is our effort to provide a fast-paced, entertaining, and alternative voice to the propaganda and hype flowing out of colleges in America today. This week in College Viability is a proud affilate of The EdUP Experience podcast network.

  1. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) with Beth Wilner College Counselor

    1d ago

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) with Beth Wilner College Counselor

    This episode of This Week in College Viability features a conversation between Gary Stocker and college admissions consultant Beth Wilner, founder of Rose Cliff College Consulting, about how families can make more informed college decisions in an increasingly uncertain higher education environment. Wilner explains that her consulting process centers on three questions: What matters to the student and family? What information do they need to gather? And how should they respond? She emphasizes that successful college planning isn't about gaming admissions but about identifying a student's priorities, gathering meaningful information, and making decisions that align with both personal goals and long-term outcomes. Throughout the discussion, she argues that colleges are living, evolving organizations rather than static institutions, making it essential for families to look beyond brochures, rankings, and campus appearances when evaluating schools.  A major focus of the interview is the growing importance of college financial health as part of the admissions process. Stocker and Wilner discuss warning signs such as declining enrollment, deferred campus maintenance, aggressive tuition discounting, and heavy marketing campaigns that may indicate institutional financial stress.  They encourage parents to ask more probing questions during campus visits, including what has changed most dramatically at the college over the past year, while recognizing that many first-generation families may need guidance navigating those conversations. The interview also examines the confusion surrounding financial aid offers, the limitations of college rankings, and the idea that families should evaluate a college's financial stability before considering other factors.  Wilner concludes by encouraging families to focus first on what truly matters to them, recognize that colleges are businesses operating in a changing market, and seek information that helps them choose a college that will remain financially healthy throughout a student's education

    27 min
  2. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 29, 2026

    3d ago

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 29, 2026

    This week on ‘This week’.  + Johns Hopkins University laying off 110 workers + Massachusetts higher education is a mess.  Same story different year. + Someone new to the College Viability party:  Today’s college search requires a new kind of due diligence  James Birge pres at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts + Brooke Hauser at Boston Globe:  Back-to-back college closures prompt demand for stronger consumer protection Show links and notes:College Viability Inspection ReportJohns Hopkins University laying off 110 workers as it deals with loss of federal fundingUnpaid stipends, missing state scholarships: Questions mount as Anna Maria College closesNAU developing 2027 budget to respond to big decreases in enrollment and revenueLa Salle eyes largest capital campaign yet after record fundraising year Today’s college search requires a new kind of due diligence Back-to-back college closures prompt demand for stronger consumer protection How Bad Is American Higher Education?

    23 min
  3. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 22, 2026

    Jun 22

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 22, 2026

    This Week: A small college all but closes What’s the matter with chemistry degrees? Wheeling U sends out board chair to spin Another college complains about its Forbes grade Show notes and links: College Viability Inspection Report Podcast:  Kitchen Table College Chat Podcast:  Beyond the College Brochure

    17 min
  4. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 15, 2026

    Jun 15

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 15, 2026

    This week:  + University of Denver to close departments, merge schools as part of academic restructuring.  (This is a good story.  I will tell you why.) + A Regional College Laid Off All Its Librarians in 2024. Now It Has to Hire Them Back. + A couple of colleges in today’s show are whining about their Forbes grades.  One sent two trustees out to respond.   + Mass. passed a law to stop abrupt college closures. It’s not working. I will tell you what will work Show notes and links: Kitchen Table College Chats podcastBeyond the College Brochure podcastUniversity of Denver to close departments, merge schools as part of academic restructuring(Syracuse) U chancellor: School won't meet enrollment target for next fiscal yearA Regional College Laid Off All Its Librarians in 2024. Now It Has to Hire Them Back.Iowa colleges say Forbes report misses full storyDr. Joe Pizzorno Outlines What’s Next for Bastyr University and ClinicsFaculty group lashes out at University of Denver’s major restructuring Columbia College’s finances raise red flags for higher education experts Voices: We’re the trustees of Westminster University. Here’s the real story of the school’s financial health. Mass. passed a law to stop abrupt college closures. So why are two schools shutting down?

    30 min
  5. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 8, 2026

    Jun 8

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 8, 2026

    In this episode of This Week in College Viability, He highlights a growing wave of layoffs, academic cuts, hiring freezes, and financial distress across higher education, arguing that these developments confirm the industry is in long-term decline. Gary cites recent budget reductions and workforce cuts at institutions including Kent State, Colorado State, Portland State, the University of Oregon, and the University of Maryland. He also chats about some colleges that publicly challenge poor financial ratings from the new Forbes college financial grades. Stocker focuses heavily on Westminster University and La Salle University, arguing that their public reassurances conflict with enrollment declines, shrinking revenues, and reduced endowment values shown in federal and audited financial data. Throughout the podcast, he stresses that graduation rates and accreditation alone are not reliable indicators of institutional stability, especially when colleges face persistent enrollment losses and financial strain. Stocker introduces his related podcasts, Kitchen Table College Chat and Beyond the College Brochure, both aimed at challenging traditional college marketing narratives and encouraging greater transparency. In the final segment, he discusses a Forbes article by Ryan Craig about “healthcare donut degrees,” criticizing colleges that offer healthcare-related majors without guaranteed clinical placements required for graduation and licensure. Using his own medical laboratory science background as an example, Stocker argues that too many institutions create revenue-generating degree programs without providing the full educational pathway students need to complete them successfully. He closes by urging families to seek independent financial and academic data rather than relying solely on college marketing materials or sponsored college-ranking websites. Show Notes:+ College Viability Inspection Report+ 2026 College Majors Completion App+  Kitchen Table College Chat podcast+  Beyond the College Brochure podcast Story links: ‘It’s Just Been Agony’: Facing a Big Deficit, the New School Begins LayoffsKent State, Colorado State and other universities turn to budget cutsWestminster University (UT) disputes Forbes' assessment after receiving failing financial gradePa. college’s (Albright) touted $10M surplus was less than half that: audit La Salle University’s accreditation reaffirmed by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Despite Headwinds, College Enrollment Increases Nationwide Once Again Universities Are Selling Healthcare Donut Degrees

    29 min
  6. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) Special with Greg Chick from NILnomics.com

    Jun 7

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) Special with Greg Chick from NILnomics.com

    In this special episode of This Week in College Viability, Gary Stocker interviews NILnomics  founder Greg Chick about the rapidly changing financial landscape of college athletics. Greg explains how difficult it is to obtain transparent financial data from college athletic departments, despite many schools being public institutions. He argues that one of the biggest misconceptions about college sports finances is that paying athletes is causing financial instability, when in reality enormous portions of athletic budgets already go toward coaches, administrators, and support staff.  The conversation also explores the widening financial gap between major Power Four athletic programs and smaller colleges, the growing “pay-to-play” culture in youth and college sports, and the future of Olympic and non-revenue sports programs. Greg predicts that some sports cuts may occur but does not believe widespread elimination of Olympic sports is likely because athletics are deeply embedded in American culture and college enrollment strategies. The discussion also covers NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), congressional efforts to reshape NCAA rules, collective bargaining for athletes, and how financially challenged colleges increasingly use athletics as an enrollment tool. Overall, the episode presents college athletics as a massive business ecosystem where financial transparency, institutional priorities, and athlete compensation are becoming impossible to ignore.

    27 min
  7. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 1, 2026

    Jun 1

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for June 1, 2026

    "We are #3. We are #3.  Feedspot has 'This Week in College Viability' as the #3 podcast for college students and families. College Viability, LLC continues to develop more and better content and apps for students, families, and other college stakeholders. This week we hit on college sports cutbacks and focus our attention on the need for private, independent sources to monitor and report on the financial health and viability of colleges. Product links:College Viability Inspection ReportPDS Private College Financial CompassStory links:+ Loyola University Maryland eliminates 66 jobs amid $20 million deficit + Santa Monica College’s College Board erupts over layoffs as financial crisis deepens+ Forbes:  'Going to college' is worth it. + Students surprised to see Simpson sports teams slashed + 18 years ago, Coloradans started having fewer babies. Now it’s a higher education problem + New financial grades raise concerns about colleges' long-term stability

    22 min
  8. This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for Memorial Day 2026

    May 25

    This Week In College Viability (TWICV) for Memorial Day 2026

    While I published a podcast episode today, the day is in honor of those who gave their last full measure of devotion in service to you, me and this country. As the higher education industry struggles through enormous challenges, let us never forget those whose struggles end their life on this earth. Show notes and links. Baldwin Wallace Announces Another Round of Program and Budget CutsSimpson College cuts sports programs to address budget deficitBoulder’s Naropa University (CO) announces significant faculty layoffs amid budget crisis Cleveland State projects tuition revenue shortfall as Kent State adopts smaller budgetUniversity of Oregon faces $65M budget gap as out of state enrollment drops Budget Deficits Threaten More Flagship Universities College Viability Inspection Report for Bethany College (WV) Financial Report Card: The Weakest And Strongest Private Colleges In America The Crisis in College Accreditation and Why It Matters Get access to the College Viability Inspection ReportGet access to the 2026 College Majors Completion App

    18 min
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About

Welcome to the podcast. We call it TWICV. It is our effort to provide a fast-paced, entertaining, and alternative voice to the propaganda and hype flowing out of colleges in America today. This week in College Viability is a proud affilate of The EdUP Experience podcast network.

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