Board Of Education Holds Public Meeting To Hear Mount Ida Closing Concerns

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education heard from upset parents and students of Mount Ida College on Tuesday.

About 80 complaints have been filed since April 6 when the Newton college announced it would be closing at the end of the school year.

All physical assets of the school will be sold to the University of Massachusetts and students in good standing will be automatically accepted to UMass Dartmouth. Franklin Pierce University is also offering 20 full-tuition scholarships to Mount Ida students wishing to transfer.

"We're stuck. We don't know where to go. We're staying up with all the information that is coming our way but as soon as we go on one path, it doesn't work out," said one parent.

According to the Department on Friday, the majority of students do not have a plan in place for next year.

They said the college should consider keeping transfer advisors on the payroll until the end of the year to help students after the school's closure on May 18. A more clear presentation of how the school is communicating with students and faculty is also necessary, said the Department.

The mother of a student already signed up for a 5-year masters program at Mount Ida said, "I'm here today because after visiting other schools, my daughter clearly does not have an adequate or equal alternative path to follow her dreams that she was promised. As I've stated, Mount Ida was or is the vet-tech program of her choice."

A sophomore studying criminal justice also spoke. He said,"I would like to formally propose a teach-out of all students currently enrolled at Mount Ida. This includes all students accepted to Mount Ida from the incoming freshman class to the current juniors going into their senior year and everyone in between. There are hundreds of student now left without options at other schools due to lack of credit transfers and in more than a few cases, lack of programs entirely."