College for Sale...the Nasson College campus

 

There is an admittedly small group of people who spend a lot of time thinking about colleges that have closed....and it sometimes seems like too much time passes between relevant new books or dissertations.  Fortunately this past week has almost seemed like Christmas with three "new" books arriving via the U.S. Postal Service.

I just finished reading the first one...College for Sale: The Fall and Rise of a Closed College Campus  written by Richard E. Schneider and highly recommend it to anyone interested in:  issues surrounding the closing of a small college, efforts to find other uses for a college campus, or maintaining an alumni group after an institution closes.  

Schneider is an alum of Nasson College that was located in Springvale, Maine and his book reflects an intimate knowledge of events leading to closure thirty years ago and the involvement of alumni and community members since that time to build both a vibrant alumni organization and revitalize the campus.  The unfolding story that led to these successful outcomes is amazing and Schneider does a masterful job of portraying the conflicts and drama while weaving details into a book that will keep your interest.