Why Is Indiana Tech Closing the Law School?
Indiana Tech Law School
Q&A on Closing
Why is Indiana Tech closing the law school?
This was an extremely difficult decision. Over the course of time it has become apparent that the significant decline in law school applicants nationwide represents a long term shift in the legal education field, not a short term one. Specific to Indiana Tech, our assessment is that for the foreseeable future the law school will not be able to attract students in sufficient numbers for the school to remain viable.
Indiana Tech previously stated that it was committed to staying the course with the law school for the long term. What changed?
Starting a new law school was always going to be a challenge. Our initial assessment of demand for legal education proved incorrect. Yet it was still our view that with certain key factors in place, such as earning ABA accreditation, the potential for a rebound in the demand for law degrees, and the offering of an innovative, career-oriented curriculum, the law school would grow. While we have had many very positive achievements, and we have grown, we are not seeing enough of a corresponding increase in demand. This fact does not appear likely to change.
To date Indiana Tech has incurred a loss of nearly $20 million in operating the law school. With the enrollment environment unlikely to change, we projected this deficit would only continue to grow, rather than shrink. That is not a sustainable path.
What is the timing of the closure?
The law school will remain open through this academic year, and close after our current third-year students graduate in May 2017. The last official day of operation will be June 30, 2017.
What will happen to current students?
Our first concern is the impact on our students. Our third year students will be able to complete the program and graduate on schedule in May 2017.
First and second year students will have the option to complete the year here and then transfer elsewhere to complete their legal education. Our team is working with each of them individually to help with the transfer and degree completion process, and will do so throughout the remainder of this year. Some may choose to seek a transfer for the start of the January 2017 semester, and we will help them pursue this option if so.
How was this decision made?
Our university Board of Trustees is the ultimate decision maker on matters such as this. The Board and administration regularly review the status and operations of each area of our university. With the full agreement of the university’s administration, the Board voted unanimously to discontinue operation of the law school effective June 30, 2017, the end of our fiscal year.
How does this impact other students and areas of study at Indiana Tech?
Indiana Tech’s traditional undergraduate students, College of Professional Studies students, and Ph.D students will not be affected. Our university continues to thrive and attract steadily growing numbers of students in virtually every program and location. We are in excellent financial shape. Our programs help students pursue meaningful and in-demand careers, in an affordable way. We have nearly 10,000 students enrolled in the other areas of study at our university. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to student success. All of this remains unchanged.
Was this decision driven by the recent poor performance of Indiana Tech students on the bar exam?
It was one among many factors that were under review in considering the future of the law school. In the end, low demand for legal degrees, much higher levels of competition for students, and the associated impact on the number of students we projected to attract over the coming years drove this decision.
Did the American Bar Association and the accreditation process drive this decision?
No. We have informed the ABA of our plans, but there were no concerns about accreditation that drove this decision.
Reduced demand for law degrees is something other schools are weathering without closing. Did Indiana Tech consider options that would have allowed the law school to remain open?
Each school will have its own particular set of circumstances. A number of law schools have reduced the size of their faculty and staff, and attempted to reduce their costs in other ways to account for the decline in their enrollments. Many of them have greatly lowered tuition and/or greatly increased scholarship offers to attract students. In examining all of the options in an attempt to keep operating, we came to the conclusion that the options available would have a significant, negative impact on our ability to provide a quality education to our students. We were not willing to let that be the case. For a new law school like ours, limited potential enrollments for the foreseeable future left us without a truly viable future.
Indiana Tech alumni, faculty and staff, the Fort Wayne legal community and the community at large have been supportive of Indiana Tech’s efforts in starting the law school. What would you say to these supporters now?
First, everyone at Indiana Tech is deeply appreciative of that support. It helped make the very idea of the law school possible to begin with. Beyond the law school, Indiana Tech as a whole has established many effective partnerships with our City, region, area companies and area citizens that have not only benefitted our students, but our community as a whole. None of that will change – we are committed to providing an excellent education for our students, and working with the entire region to keep our best and brightest here, and grow our economy.
Second, we would ask for understanding. This is a painful and difficult decision to make, but we feel as a university that it is the correct one. Continuing on in an extremely challenging environment would ultimately lead us to a place where the student experience and the quality of instruction would be compromised. It would also potentially lead to negative impacts on the university as a whole. Neither of these situations would be compatible with our mission of providing the best education possible to our students.
Indiana Tech is in the midst of a search for a new president. How will this affect that process?
The process is continuing as planned. We received nearly 70 applications and our search committee continues working through interviews with candidates to identify our final selection. We expect the new president to begin their duties as planned on July 1, 2017.
What will become of the law school building?
With the growth in enrollments in every other area of the university, and the corresponding growth in our faculty and staff, we have classroom and office space needs that can be met by the law school building. We took care to make the building an outstanding, top-flight learning facility for our students and the community, too. It will remain a vital facility for us, repurposed for new uses.
Indiana Tech
1600 E. Washington Blvd. | Fort Wayne, IN 46803 | 800.937.2448 | www.IndianaTech.edu