What Is It Like For Your College To Close?
For Elan Katz, a lot is still unclear.

When some of our favorite restaurants closed down because of the pandemic, we were heartbroken, but in New York City it wouldn’t take much walking and taste-testing to find a new place to love to eat. However when the college you studied in and still work at closes its doors… the transition isn’t so clear. Operating in Bronxville since 1881, Concordia College New York is now shutting down and has been bought by neighboring Iona College in New Rochelle, leaving its nearly 2,000 students and faculty adrift. Elan Katz, Concordia student turned employee, was born and raised in Israel and started out in Concordia as a 21 year old freshman back in 2016 after completing three years in the Israeli Defense Forces. Luckily, although virtually, he graduated this past May. He has remained working closely with Concordia’s community, just as he did all of his four years as a member of the soccer team and being captain his last two years. Now working as a Math Specialist for Concordia, he feels just as lost as the students he tutors, and has just as many questions about Concordia’s future–and his own–as I did. 

How did you hear about Concordia from Israel?

I reached out to [soccer] coaches all around the states. Got a good offer, the location was great. [It] seemed like a nice kind of international campus as well. [Concordia] is separate institutions that don't really have anything shared in terms of operations or management but there is the Board of Regents and they're all connected to the Lutheran Church.

Were you looking into New York specifically?

I was not looking into New York specifically, but being 30-40 minutes away from the city was just, you know, a big advantage. 

Did it meet your expectations?

Yes and no… Academically, no. Academically it wasn't as challenging and wasn't at the level that I expected. There are some professors that just read from a slide and then you have professors who actually teach, but I did manage to get into some classes and connect with professors that challenged me and were good. 

Can you tell me a little more about your time at Concordia, the activities you were involved in, that kind of thing?

It was good. As a small campus you get to connect with professors and really talk to them if you are more proactive and on campus. I was staying on campus for the first two years. I worked as a tutor for everything from math, statistics, accounting, business classes, and a lot of other subjects. I was a mentor, which is a program that we have [where] students help other students who are struggling more with either like academics or just campus life.

Is religion very present in Concordia? What is it like being Jewish in Concordia?

I’m not really a very religious person in the first place. I like math, I’m a realist. There are morning reflections and you know, prayer is part of it, but it's not mandatory. It is funny because I had two classes where we prayed before class: theology class, and advanced math class. We prayed before every class which was shocking to me, but not really bothering me.

Was the idea of your college closing something that you had thought of before COVID? 

The school was struggling before that. I think the school was warned by the “accreditation institution” less than two years ago. Things turned around, I felt like there was a lot of effort to comply with all the requirements, kind of change direction a little bit. But I guess once the pandemic hit, it was inevitable.

Do you think there's a main reason for Concordia closing?

Between tuition, room and board and all the costs that are kind of included with going to college, they are just way too high for what you get. I actually had a chance to speak with the head of the computer science department and he said, “The students are not being seen as customers.” They didn't see students as [someone] you need to provide a service for. I think a lot of students did notice that their expenses are high, tuition is high but the education you're getting is not.

When and how was it announced and did you have any advance warning?

Actually, it was funny because there was a zoom link that was sent with an email Wednesday I think February 3rd? It said, “Important announcement, please join.” That's it. Us here jokingly said, “What, is it shutting down?” But you know, it wasn't like we knew that's what they're gonna say. It was just kind of a joke or half a joke. 

Do you think it came as a surprise to some students? 

Yeah, one hundred percent. Especially students who are new. I think it was a mistake... It was really irresponsible for the school to recruit–especially athletes or international students–them here this year, knowing that they're struggling. So it’s just unfair. I think that's a common thing that I've seen and I've noticed in all my years here, the lack of being clear. Because students transferred here, and now they need to figure out what they're doing. Internationals moved here. They're promised so and so and school is closed now they have to figure it out. 

So can you tell me a little bit about the general mood of the school? How frequently are you on campus? 

I'm on campus probably once a day for a few hours. Everyone's kind of, obviously, a bit upset, especially ones that started this year. People are just a little bit confused, just trying to figure out what's their next step in life. The people I'm in touch with are mainly internationals, to be honest, we are all worried. Now that the school is closing, we can't get our visas. So let's say you're a senior about to graduate, if you're an international you have another year of OPT. So it's taken away from the seniors [that are] internationals. 

Did you know anything about the school that bought Concordia, Iona College?

I was familiar with this school, it's close by...there's a McDonald's by there that we usually end up at but not much I know.

Can you tell me a little bit about what Iona's plans may look like for the school?

I think it's still a little bit in the air. I'm not sure how much is out there. I know some students might do a teach-out.

What does that mean, what does that look like? 

[The teach-out] is for students who are juniors now and will be seniors next year. I don't know if Iona is going to finance classes for students from Concordia till they graduate, and keep the staff, faculty… whoever must stay, are they going to pay for their kind of work until the students graduate? Are they going to have students enroll in the school as regular transfers? Not sure exactly. 

So for example, say a freshman or sophomore. They can't stay in Concordia, they have to choose Iona or something else?

Looks like it. Yep. Concordia is shutting down. Either Iona or transferring.

Ninety percent of Concordia students receive financial aid. Do you know other than matching the tuition, what plans both schools have for that? What can students on financial aid expect?

I'm not one hundred percent sure. But I think that academic scholarships will be matched. For athletics, I'm not sure. If you want I can actually go check with one of my roommates.

So I'm back with some answers. He said the teach-out plan is for students who have one or two semesters. So the teach-out plan is you're still a Concordia student but you will be taking classes either at Iona or a few other options. They'll accept the same tuition and your academic scholarships. But athletics, they still do not know.

Do you think other colleges will have the same fate as Concordia? 

The way things are today, with education prices constantly increasing… And you have on the other hand programs online, where you receive the same and sometimes even better education… You can kind of complete the degree for a tenth of the price, sometimes even less. Why would you pay $50,000 a year, when you can pay two, three, four thousand dollars. I think a lot of small colleges are struggling with talent in faculty and giving the value the students are paying for. 

So what are your next steps?

Good question. I've been trying to answer that. Just looking at the options: going to grad school to get my F1 visa again and stay here. [But] I don't think it's the right step. I am looking into applying for an H1B visa. I'm talking to my company who I'm working for–I'm working part time with Concordia, but I have a company who I am working full time. If they're willing to invest and go through that path, that would be pretty much the main option for me to stay here.