Members of the Hampshire College community in Amherst, Massachusetts, are considering two new models for the school's academic program.
Hampshire trustees, students, faculty and alumni weighed in on two concepts at a meeting Friday.
One would focus the educational experience not on student-designed majors, but around key questions they want to answer through their studies.
The other would organize the curriculum around confronting major issues like human migration and artificial intelligence.
Hampshire President Ed Wingenbach said he hopes the restructuring will not only attract more students but help the financially challenged institution with fundraising.
"Nobody wants to give money to you if you say, 'Well, we're just in trouble, help us out,'" he said. "What I've heard over and over again from people who have the capacity to support the college is, 'Bring us a plan that is innovative, that expresses Hampshire's mission in the best possible way.'"
Maddie Am, a second-year student from Chicago, said she didn't have time to attend meetings on the proposals, but she supports the process.
"I think what draws people to this campus is the amount of say that the students have in their educational model," she said. "I know that was definitely one of the big draws for me. And now that the school is changing so radically, I think it's really important that the students are involved in this conversation."
Wingenbach said he expects the school's board will choose a model next weekend. That will be presented to the New England Commission of Higher Education, which will decide if Hampshire gets to keep its accreditation.
