announcement from president joseph, december 2022

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Dear students, faculty, and staff,

It is with profound sadness that I write today to inform you of the Board of Directors' decision to close Fenwick University for good. After two years of failed reopenings and financial hardships, the Board has decided that it is in the best interest of the University and its community to halt all functions as an academic institution and disband any and all operations as place of higher learning. As of today, Fenwick will return to its original function as a convening space for likeminded artists and scholars. Although it will still bear its illustrious title of Fenwick University, Fenwick will not operate as a university, nor will it serve any business, commercial, educational, or economic interests. As part of its closure plan, the Board has agreed to use its remaining endowment funds to honor the contracts of all faculty and staff, who will be allowed to continue to carry their titles as members of the Fenwick community. There will, however, be no new hires nor will Fenwick accept any applications or correspondences from outside parties.  All future inquiries should be directed to the Board itself.

This is a dark day in the life of Fenwick University. However, if the scriptures are to be believed, it is out of the darkness that comes the light. Perhaps (who knows?) Fenwick will fulfill its purpose and mission better tomorrow than it did yesterday and the creation of character, culture, and literature will flourish in new and unexpected ways going forward. There is no certainty in this world, but one can always hope. 

Sincerely,

Anthony Joseph, PhD

President of Fenwick University