The 156th commencement ceremony at Wells College on Saturday will serve as its final cause for celebration.
Afterward, a long and varied list of stakeholders will be eagerly awaiting word about the next steps for the college as it fades away and its Aurora properties begin to serve other purposes.
In the wake of Wells' closure announcement at the end of April, students who won't be graduating this week have been forced to rush into alternate plans to complete their degrees. Those who already paid deposits on tuition for next fall are navigating the process of receiving refunds. And 141 people who are losing their jobs will need to find new sources of income when layoffs begin on May 31.
Beyond those immediately impacted by the loss of academic programming, employment and other support, people in the village of Aurora are wondering what will become of the elementary school and health center located on the campus. It is also unknown who will take charge of the college's water plant, which has supplied the village for about a century.
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Wells has said its officials will work with the state attorney general's office to determine what will become of the college's properties.
That's probably a good thing, because the administration at Wells certainly hasn't given the public any reason to believe that it's up to the task.
Last week, reporting by 69传媒 showed that the college had likely begun planning its closure by January, precious months before it broke the news to students and staff.
An incomplete draft聽of a closure announcement was inadvertently posted聽that month on the college website, and the president of Manhattanville University said it was also in January that the university began working with Wells on the process of聽accepting transfer students through a teach-out agreement and keeping some of the college's traditions going.
We truly wish nothing but the best for the final class of Wells graduates, those who will finish their studies elsewhere, and the faculty and staff who have supported them along the way.
After this weekend, however, the focus should turn to the cooperative effort that must be made regarding the future of the school's buildings and grounds. The lakeside Wells campus represents not only a scenic piece of the village but a pretty big one, and the best interests of that small community must be the top priority in deciding what happens next.
Series: Complete coverage of Wells College closing
69传媒's complete coverage of Wells College's announcement that it will close at the end of the spring semester.聽
A group of Wells College alumni says the Aurora campus is "at risk of irreparable harm" due to actions by the college's leadership.聽
Wells College is moving forward with plans to sell its 300-acre campus and most of its non-real estate assets.聽
A nonprofit is proposing the creation of an Indigenous college on the former Wells College campus in Aurora.聽
The village of Aurora is preparing to take over the water plant, but Wells College has not signed an agreement to transfer ownership of the facility.聽
An Ithaca investment banker has pitched his idea to transform Wells College into a boarding school.聽
The village of Aurora altered one of its proposed Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects after Wells College decided to sell the property at 165 Main St.聽
An audit found Wells College lost more than $6 million over two years before it closed in June.聽
Four months since its closure announcement, here is where Wells College stands in its wind-down process.聽
AURORA聽鈥 The theme of this year's AuroraFest was an obvious choice.
A union representing former faculty members at Wells College is accusing the Aurora institution of unfair labor practices.聽
Peachtown Elementary School is taking the next steps to ensure it stays on the former Wells College campus in Aurora.聽
For more than 60 former Wells College students, they did not have to look far for a new school.聽
A former Wells College professor has stepped down from her seat on the Moravia Central School District Board of Education in order to take a t…
A Wells College alumni group is hoping to get answers to questions about the school's closure in a meeting with the institution's leadership this week.聽
Wells College is selling a house that's part of the village of Aurora's Downtown Revitalization Initiative plan.聽
Wells College failed to provide information about the closure after repeated requests, the institution's former accreditor says.聽
As you can imagine, in a small community, the closing of Wells College has been very painful.
Aurora Mayor Jim Orman and Dr. Heather MacAdam have visions for how to reuse certain Wells College properties.聽
A year before Wells College announced it would close, the Aurora institution had a net loss of $3.2 million as declining enrollment continued to take a toll.聽
The village of Aurora is urging Cayuga 69传媒's federal and state representatives to support a "one-campus" sale or transfer of Wells College.聽
Wells College has named a new president who will oversee the process of shuttering the 156-year-old Aurora institution.聽
Wells College closed Sunday after 156 years.聽
A Wells College alumni group may file a lawsuit if the school does not cooperate with its request for more information about the institution's closure.聽
For eight of its nine years, the Aurora Farmers Market has occupied space at the Wells College Boathouse. That won't change, at least for this year.聽
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education said Thursday that Wells College has not complied with requests for information about where its institutional and student records will be stored.聽
Wells College has "parted ways" with Jonathan Gibralter, who served as the institution's president since 2015.聽
Wells College alumnae have formed a group to preserve the institution's legacy in Aurora and the Finger Lakes region.聽
As the New York State Attorney General's Office begins to determine what will happen to Wells College's properties, an online petition is sugg…
An accreditor has taken action in response to Wells College's plan to close at the end of the academic year.聽
The village of Aurora and Wells College are in the early stages of planning how to keep the on-campus water treatment plant operational after the college closes this year.聽
AUBURN 鈥 The Schweinfurth Art Center usually has a friendly relationship with works of fiber art, but last month the rug was pulled out from u…
The story behind the decision to have faculty, not Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter, present degrees to graduates at the school's final commencement.聽
At the final commencement in Wells College's 156-year history, the school's president relinquished nearly all of his speaking roles and sat behind faculty and staff.聽
Wells College has reached agreements that would allow students to choose from two dozen schools to continue their education.聽
Wells College capped off its 156-year history with its final commencement Saturday.
A nonprofit organization has contacted Wells College to gauge the leadership's interest in helping the 156-year-old institution remain open.聽
From internship opportunities to a great return on investment, Manhattanville University President Frank Sanchez highlights what his institution offers to Wells College students seeking to continue their education.
69传媒 interviewed or received messages from more than 20 Wells College alumnae who shared memories and their thoughts about the college's sudden closure announcement.聽
After Wells College announced that it will close at the end of this semester, Dr. Heather MacAdam's patients at the campus medical center had higher blood pressure than normal.
In January, Wells College told 69传媒 the school had "no plans to close at the end of the semester."聽
Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter was paid more than his counterparts at similarly sized institutions and received over $300,000 in bonuses, tax filings show.聽
Wells College has notified the state Department of Labor of the job cuts due to the Aurora institution's closure after the spring semester.聽
The Aurora Farmers Market will return for its ninth season beginning Saturday, May 25, on the lawn of the Wells College boathouse on Route 90 …
One question about Wells College's closure is how it will affect Peachtown Elementary School, which has been on the Aurora institution's campus since 1992.聽
On its website, Wells College has responded to frequently asked questions about its closure.聽
AURORA聽鈥 The Wells College women's lacrosse team won its first championship in its last season.
Wells College is being criticized for not timely notifying its accreditor that it will close and not properly planning for its closure.聽
Three organizations are collaborating to inform Wells College students about their legal rights after the school announced it will close at the end of the semester.聽
Wells College notified the state Education Department of its plan to close before a public announcement Monday, but the timing highlights how quickly the decision was made.聽
"It's just important to show that we can win, and that we will win for the last lacrosse season at Wells.鈥
An Aurora church opened its doors to give Wells College employees and students a forum to express their feelings about the school's closure.聽
The United Ministry of Aurora hosted a Wells College Lament on Tuesday.
The village of Aurora and Cayuga 69传媒 lost one of the area's historic gems this week with the announcement of the closure of Wells College, …
Wells College will close at the end of the spring semester due to declining enrollment and financial struggles.聽
After 156 years, Wells College in Aurora will close at the end of the spring semester.聽
The lakeside campus of Wells College in Aurora was serene as ever Monday afternoon, with birds chirping among the spring blooms.
Cayuga 69传媒 leaders react to Wells College's announcement that it will close at the end of the spring semester.聽
Tax records show the losses Wells College incurred over the years and how it was boosted, temporarily, by donations and other aid.聽
