Presentation College in Aberdeen ceases enrollment, and shutting down in Aberdeen after Summer 2023

From Presentation College, the small Aberdeen based college will be shutting down operations after their summer 2023 session:

Presentation College will not enroll students for the 2023-24 academic year and will cease educational operations at the Aberdeen campus after the Spring and Summer 2023 sessions. Presentation College remains fully accredited. Read the full announcement presentation.edu/announcement and bookmark this page for information about Teach-Out plans.

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When will PC officially close?

For most programs the Spring 2023 semester will be the final semester offered by PC. The College will, however, continue the Practical Nursing program through August 2023. After that time, all PC educational operations will cease. Finally, the College will wrap up records transfer and complete state and national requirements.
Will there be a Class of 2023 Commencement? Will my degree from Presentation College be considered valid?

Absolutely! Presentation College is looking forward to hosting the Spring 2023 Commencement Exercises on May 6, 2023. Furthermore, all degrees conferred by the College at any time will always be valid because Presentation College remains fully accredited and will remain so until it ceases educational operations. Furthermore, PC is making arrangements to ensure that transcripts and other educational records will be available indefinitely to students and alumni through St. Ambrose University (SAU) as well as the National Student Clearinghouse (see below).

Can students continue to live on campus until PC closes? What will be the final date to move out of the residence halls?

Current students will be allowed to continue living in the suites until August 15, 2023, in order to complete classes, internships, or work requirements. Students will be required to pay the standard rental rate through their stay, follow all policies and guidelines outlined in the housing agreement, and complete the standard checkout procedure upon departure.

and..

What should I do if a news reporter contacts me about the College’s announcement?

You are never obligated to talk with a reporter or the media. Please direct reporters to the President’s Office, to [email protected] or 1-800-437-6060. You can also direct them to the Q&A pages on presentation.edu.

Read the Q&A about the college closing here.

A bit of a blow to the Aberdeen area job market.  And not a good thing for the students either.  Estimates have it at 800 undergraduate students, about half of Augustana University, and a little more than half of Sioux Falls College. It will be interesting to see how the students are absorbed.

Universities have been feeling the heat on enrollment since the outbreak of COVID, sliding for five consecutive semesters. It’s not a new thing, as enrollment had been on a downward trend for a number of years, but the pandemic kicked it into high hear.

It’s pretty understandable as students leave home and seek to spread their wings. My own son who was a COVID high school senior went from being cooped up in a bedroom doing school, to being cooped up in his dorm at college.. and he decided seeing the world in the Navy was a more attractive option.

Losing an entire college with all the jobs and the economic impact to the community of Aberdeen is going to sting. Thankfully, they still have Northern State, but the community is going to feel the impact and the void left by their departure.