Daniel Webster College

Last updated
Daniel Webster College
DWC DanielWebsterHall.jpg
Motto"Veritas Humanitatis Dignitas"
Type Private college (non-profit) (1965–2009)
Private college (for-profit) (2009–2017) [1]
Active1965–2017
Location
Nashua, New Hampshire
,
U.S.

42°46′37″N071°30′52″W / 42.77694°N 71.51444°W / 42.77694; -71.51444
CampusSuburban, 54 acres (22 ha)
Colors    Blue and red
Nickname Eagles

Daniel Webster College (DWC) was a private college in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. It operated from 1965 through 2017 and had a strong aeronautics focus during much of its history. It was a nonprofit college until 2009, when ITT Educational Services, Inc. bought it and converted it to a for-profit model. [1] ITT declared bankruptcy in September 2016. [2] It was operated through the 2016–17 academic year by Southern New Hampshire University, [3] after which the college was closed.

Contents

Chinese businessman Sui Liu, doing business as Xinhua Education Consulting Services, acquired the remainder of the campus and buildings for close to $12 million in mid-2018. [4] [5] As of early 2022, the campus was unoccupied.

History

The college was established in 1965 as the New England Aeronautical Institute and was associated with Boire Field, now Nashua Airport. In 1978, it merged with its Daniel Webster Junior College division to become Daniel Webster College. [6]

By the mid-2000s, the college was having financial problems and failing to meet "financial responsibility standards" of the United States Department of Education, a measure of economic viability. In 2009, it received a score of 0.5 out of 3 on that scale, with 1.5 considered passing. [7] Faced with the loss of educational accreditation and federal funding, which would have forced it to close, [7] [8] it was acquired by ITT Educational Services, Inc., the parent company of the ITT Technical Institutes, [9] in June 2009 for US$29.3 million. [7] [8] [10] The new owner converted the college to a for-profit institution. [11]

In 2010, ITT Educational Services phased out the flight program and stopped accepting new flight students, [12] while allowing students currently enrolled in the program to complete their education. The last of these graduated in 2013. [13] Following the suspension of the flight program, undergraduate enrollment declined from 900 to approximately 650. [14]

In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Education prohibited ITT Educational Services from enrolling new students who used federal financial aid, because accreditor ACICS threatened to revoke accreditation for the 130 other schools that it ran. The school suspended new enrollment, then on September 6, ceased operations. [15] The 2016–17 academic year at Daniel Webster was not threatened because it used a different accreditor, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). [16] However, the NEASC said the Department of Education's "extraordinary demands" implied that the college did not meet its standards either, and required the college to show why its NEASC accreditation should not be withdrawn as well. Daniel Webster agreed to submit such a report, [17] but by September 9, the federal government refused to release financial aid for Daniel Webster students. [3] Daniel Webster College, Inc. and the parent corporation filed for bankruptcy on September 16. [2]

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), a non-profit college in Manchester, New Hampshire, hired 87 of DWC's faculty and staff to let the 2016–17 academic year proceed in Nashua. Seniors could graduate from Daniel Webster, while underclassmen had the option of continuing their subsequent years at SNHU. [3]

Campus

The main campus was located on 54 acres (22 ha) next to Nashua Airport, comprising three academic buildings, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Residences included four traditional dormitories and 15 townhouse-style residences. [18]

Academics

The school offered 17 campus-based B.S. degree programs, and 9 online degree programs including the M.B.A. The school was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. [9] Daniel Webster's aeronautical engineering and mechanical engineering programs were accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Athletics

Initially, a limited athletics program competed in NEIA basketball. Later, Daniel Webster enjoyed some success in baseball and men's soccer; the soccer program won the Greater Boston Small College Conference championship in 1980 and 1981.

The college joined the NCAA as an independent in 1993. It became a charter member of both the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 1996 and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 2007. That year, Daniel Webster was declared the NECC's top overall athletics program, finishing first among all men's programs and second among women's programs. The program was a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

At its height in the NECC, the Daniel Webster Eagles comprised 17 NCAA Division III varsity athletic teams. Programs for men included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. Women's programs included basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball. The college had sponsored men's tennis, which played on an on-campus court in the 1990s, and also briefly sponsored both wrestling and women's ice hockey.

Indoor sports were played at the Mario Vagge Gymnasium, named in honor of the former Nashua mayor who served from 1958 to 1965 and was a college benefactor. The campus had fields for baseball, softball, and soccer/lacrosse. Ice hockey, which was sponsored as a club program for over two decades before joining the NCAA in 2015, was played at Tully Forum in Billerica, Massachusetts, as well as Skate 3 in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, then at Conway Arena in Nashua in its final years.

The athletics programs had limited success during their time in the GNAC, winning just one championship (baseball in 1996). However, in the NECC with its smaller colleges, Daniel Webster won championships in baseball, men's cross country, field hockey, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's soccer. It also saw a significant increase in both all-conference and major conference award winners.

SNHU did not acquire the Daniel Webster athletic programs.

Disposition

SNHU tried to buy the Nashua campus, [19] but its bids were rejected and SNHU instead opted to build a new engineering building of its own by 2019. [20] [21] SNHU purchased DWC's flight center, tower building, and hangar at Nashua Airport for $400,000. [4]

After Xinhua Education Consulting Services acquired the remainder of the campus and buildings in 2018, the company petitioned the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission to continue using the Daniel Webster name, but the Commission rejected two petitions, citing dispute over the ownership of the name. As of early 2022, there were no signs of any development of the property. [22] In mid-2019, the mayor of Nashua said the owners thought they were buying an operating campus and not just real estate. [23]

In 2019, Rivier University got Liu's permission to make the overgrown baseball field playable again and opened its baseball season there. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashua, New Hampshire</span> City in New Hampshire, United States

Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester. It is one of two county seats of New Hampshire's most populous county, Hillsborough; the other being Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITT Technical Institute</span> Former for-profit technical institute

ITT Technical Institute was a private for-profit technical institute with its headquarters in Carmel, Indiana and many campuses throughout the United States. Founded in 1969 and growing to 130 campuses in 38 states of the United States, ITT Tech was one of the largest for-profit educators in the US before it closed in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Vermont College</span> Private college near Bennington, Vermont, US (1926–2019)

Southern Vermont College was a private college on the 371-acre (1.50 km2) former Edward Everett Estate near Bennington, Vermont. The college closed in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webster University</span> Private university in Webster Groves, Missouri

Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. In 2023, Webster enrolled 13,448 students. The university has an alumni network of around 170,000 graduates worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Pierce University</span> Private university in Rindge, New Hampshire, US

Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded as Franklin Pierce College in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional preparation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Essex Community College</span> Public community college in Essex County, Massachusetts, US

Northern Essex Community College (NECC) is a public community college in Essex County, Massachusetts. The college serves residents of the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. It has campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence. The college is part of the Massachusetts Higher Education system. More than 6,600 students are enrolled in 70 credit associate degree and certificate programs and another 3,400 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. The school's athletic teams are known as the Knights. Northern Essex Community College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivier University</span> Private university in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States

Rivier University is a private Catholic university in Nashua, New Hampshire. Rivier is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England College</span> Private college in Henniker, New Hampshire, US

New England College (NEC) is a private liberal arts college in Henniker, New Hampshire. As of Fall 2020 New England College's enrollment was 4,327 students. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colby–Sawyer College</span> Private college in New London, New Hampshire, US

Colby–Sawyer College is a private college in New London, New Hampshire. It was founded as a coeducational academy in 1837 and sits on a 200-acre (0.81 km2) campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern New Hampshire University</span> Private university near Manchester, New Hampshire, US

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with national accreditation for some hospitality, health, education and business degrees. SNHU is one of the fastest-growing universities nationwide with 135,000 online students and 3,000 on campus.

Notre Dame College was a Roman Catholic college located in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States, and affiliated with the Sisters of Holy Cross of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. After more than 50 years of operation, it closed in May 2002, due to "difficult enrollment and financial issues."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashua High School South</span> Public high school in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States

Nashua High School South, formerly known as Nashua Senior High School, is a public high school located in Nashua, New Hampshire. The school's current location was erected in 1975 with its first class graduating in June 1976. The school was remodeled between 2002 and 2004 when a second school, Nashua High School North, was built. The existing high school building was renamed Nashua High School South. The school serves approximately 1800 students, making it the largest public high school in New Hampshire, and the second largest high school overall, after the private Pinkerton Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichols College</span> Private college in Dudley, Massachusetts, US

Nichols College is a private business college in Dudley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1931 as Nichols Junior College, Nichols College offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas More College of Liberal Arts</span> Liberal arts college in New Hampshire

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Merrimack, New Hampshire. It emphasizes classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is named after Saint Thomas More. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashua Airport</span> Airport

Nashua Airport at Boire Field is a public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district of Nashua, a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. Owned by the Nashua Airport Authority, It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a national reliever airport facility.

Trinity Catholic High School was a Roman Catholic high school in Newton, Massachusetts. It was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The school was a co-educational and college preparatory school founded in 1894. The school shut down in 2012, at which point the building that housed its functions was taken over by Cambridge Education Group and established as CATS Academy, a private non-religious school, catering mostly to international students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England Collegiate Conference</span> NCAA Division III athletic conference since 2007

The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) is an NCAA Division III men's volleyball and esports college athletic conference based in the Northeastern United States. The NECC was formerly an all-sports conference from 2008 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Washington College</span> For-profit college in Manchester, New Hampshire (1900–2016)

Mount Washington College was a for-profit college in Manchster, New Hampshire, United States. It opened in 1900 and was known as Hesser College until 2013. It was owned by Kaplan, Inc., and offered associate and bachelor's degrees focused in business and information technology, and claimed a flexible class scheduling system tailored to a diverse group of students. It was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts</span> Catholic college in Warner, New Hampshire, United States

Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts was a private Catholic liberal arts college in Warner, New Hampshire. The college opened in 1973. Enrollment never exceeded 90 students and it closed in May 2024.

The Academy for Science and Design (ASD) is a Blue-ribbon public charter school located in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. It has been consistently ranked as among the top high schools in the United States, as well as the #1 school in the state of New Hampshire. ASD concentrates on providing a STEM-based education. The academy is tuition-free for New Hampshire residents. However, the limited space available for new students makes a lottery system necessary. All applicants who are eligible for the lottery are drawn and this order is used to create the waiting list each year. The school is physically located in Nashua, but is a New Hampshire public school and all New Hampshire students are eligible to apply for enrollment. Nashua students are not given priority over students from any other New Hampshire towns.

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Stephanie (August 7, 2009). "Turnover at the Top". InsideHigherEd. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 ESI notice of bankruptcy filing (EDGAR)
  3. 1 2 3 Hayward, Mark (September 13, 2016). "SNHU to 'rescue' Daniel Webster College". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Fisher, Damien (July 17, 2018). "A puzzling purchase: Sold college campus remains virtually untouched". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Prospect of Chinese university in Nashua". Union-Leader. October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  6. ↑ "New Hampshire Aviation Event Timeline". New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 "College officials cited finances, accreditation in court petition". Nashua Telegraph.
  8. 1 2 "N.H. College: Without sale, accreditation would go". SeacoastOnline.com. May 4, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Blumenstyk, Goldie (April 23, 2009). "Parent of ITT Technical Institutes Buys Nonprofit Daniel Webster College". Chronicle.com. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  10. ↑ Jan, Tracy (July 3, 2009). "Financial Pressure Forces Reinvention at Small Colleges". Boston.com.
  11. ↑ "Daniel Webster College President Fired". Aero News Network. August 7, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  12. ↑ Brindley, Michael (March 25, 2010). "ITT grounds DWC flight program". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  13. ↑ Curtis, Danielle (May 12, 2013). "Nashua's Daniel Webster College graduates last members of flight operations program". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Daniel Webster College". CollegeData.
  15. ↑ Nasiripour, Shahien (September 6, 2016). "ITT Technical Institutes shuts down, leaving a hefty bill". Bloomberg.
  16. ↑ Forbes, Tina (August 31, 2016). "Despite ban on parent ITT, DWC students can use federal aid". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Regulation FD Disclosure". Daniel Webster College. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Quick Facts". Daniel Webster College. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  19. ↑ Houghton, Kimberly (September 19, 2016). "SNHU offers to buy Daniel Webster College campus". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  20. ↑ Carley, Shane (January 17, 2017). "SNHU Welcomes Daniel Webster Students (and Programs) to Campus". Southern New Hampshire University. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  21. ↑ Swanson, Cassidy (July 30, 2017). "SNHU will not buy former Daniel Webster College campus, university rep says" . Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  22. ↑ Shalhoup, Dean (February 5, 2019). "DW College still shrouded in mystery". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  23. ↑ Houghton, Kimberly (July 16, 2019). "New owner of former Daniel Webster College site thought he was purchasing operating college, says mayor". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  24. ↑ King, Tom (April 1, 2019). "A warm welcome back to Harvey Woods Field". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.