THERE WILL BE CONSOLIDATION AND CLOSINGS.
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UPDATE (10/2019)- Baker College's (Flint, MI-based) proposed consolidation in Ferndale, MI, has collapsed as a result of opposition from the citizens and City Council of Ferndale, MI. Several citizens presented data on the high student debt, predatory recruiting practices, abysmal graduation/completion rate (9% of students graduate, 91% don't graduate), targeting of lower-income, financial aid eligible prospective students, etc. Downsizing continues, and virtually all staff of the Flint campus have been dismissed and the campus is being remotely overseen by its Owosso, MI, campus that is 30 miles away until the Flint campus closes in 2020, even though Flint has more students than the Owosso campus (the former System VP for Academics moved back to her hometown of Owosso, so this campus is being preserved for her benefit until she retires). The inner-circle of administrators continues to mis-manage the institution while continuing to receive their high six figure salaries, company cars, deferred compensation, and bonuses while hundreds of employees are discharged (federal student financial aid dollars at work!). The Clinton Twp and Allen Park campuses will be consolidated into the existing Auburn Hills campus due to the failure of the Ferndale consolidation. Total enrollment has collapsed from 43,000 in 2011 to 3,900 in Fall 2019, a 91% collapse. Apparently the academic fraud has become well known. A true case study in mismanagement which is ironic considering Baker College was founded as a business college.
Baker college, as with many other educational institutions, took advantage of the flood of unemployed in 2008. This "downturn" is nothing more than things returning to normal. They didn't thank the gods for the windfall, bank their good fortunes and pay the bills. Oh, no. They spent the money on an 80 grand waterfeature for the lobby in Flint. Pay raises for the top management, new vinyl wall coverings, a clock tower... In short, they squandered their good fortune. They were short sighted, wasteful. I have two degrees from Baker. I taught there for years, too. All that will be left is yet another eyesore in a city with way too many eyesores. They abandoned Flint, just like General Motors did.
Baker College's Flint, Auburn Hills, Clinton Township and Allen Park, MI, campuses to close in August 2020 due to declining enrollment. Baker College is consolidating operations in a new construction location in downtown Ferndale, MI. The Jackson, Muskegon and Cadillac, MI, campuses remain open for now, although also experiencing significant enrollment declines. Cass City, Freemont and Port Huron campuses have already been closed due to enrollment declines. Baker total enrollment has collapsed from 43,000 students as recently as 2011 to less than 10,000 in 2019. Flint campus enrollment declined from a high of 7,000 in 2011, to approximately 800 in 2019. Some employees from the closing campus locations are being relocated to other campuses, but most are receiving layoff notifications. Baker is posting positions internally for the new Ferndale location, and current Baker employees from the closing campuses are competing against each other for these few new positions, but most displaced employees will be looking for other employment.