Mackenzi Huyser is living the scenario that most of us in higher ed advancement dread even thinking about: The closure of our institution. In November 2025, Trinity Christian College in Illinois announced that the 2025-26 academic year would be its last. Since then, Huyser, the college’s vice president and chief academic officer, has had to answer vexing questions: What do you say to donors, alumni, and staff in this situation? And how do you say it in a way that holds the community together rather than blowing it apart?
What she described to Ryan Catherwood in this week’s episode of Keynote is a masterclass in how, by centering clarity and empathy, you can handle the closure of a college in a way that breeds cooperation, not resentment.
“For donors, it was really important that we, as best we could, clearly stated what we were doing, why we were doing it, and what that meant for them and for our students and our mission in the coming year,” said Huyser, who is also a 1997 Trinity graduate.
“Clear communication” may sound like an obvious strategy, but institutional wind-downs are incredibly complex. Financial and regulatory challenges loomed from all directions, and Huyser’s team was tasked with marshaling donor support to help get their students to the end of the academic year.
“Certainly, there were questions: ‘Why would you possibly need money now?’ ‘You have a campus you can sell, you’re closing, what would you possibly need resources for?’” she said. “Education became a really important part of our donor engagement.”
Huyser’s team needed to get donors on board with redirecting restricted money scholarships and endowed funds to more pressing needs. Thanks to their straightforward approach, about 90% of donors agreed to help ensure current Trinity students could not only finish the year but be supported as they moved forward.
The secret? Empathy.
For each donor or alum who reached out with concerns—or even anger—Huyser offered to have a one-on-one conversation. On Keynote, she referenced one recent 45-minute conversation with an alum during which she helped explain Trinity’s financial situation and the headwinds it faced, such as the enrollment cliff.
“I think we both left really appreciating that time of understanding and sharing what happened so she could be a little more clear on what we were doing and why we were doing it,” Huyser said.
Her team’s response to this incredibly challenging issue reminded me so much of Jaime Hunt’s book, Heart Over Hype. Although the book focuses on enrollment marketing, in Chapter 7 she addresses “Responding to a Crisis with Care.” The example she shares in the book is an isolated act of on-campus violence, not something with the finality of a closing. Yet the crisis communication scaffolding she shares is directly applicable to a closure situation:
· Outline immediate actions
· Set expectations
· Provide timelines
· Commit to regular updates
· Be clear about accountability
· Listen and adjust
That last piece is the hardest, but also the most important.
“Emotions drive how people perceive and respond to a crisis. When stakeholders feel their emotions are dismissed and ignored, their fear or anger often intensifies, making it harder for your messaging to land,” Hunt wrote in Heart Over Hype. “On the other hand, when people feel understood and acknowledged, they’re more likely to engage constructively, even under challenging circumstances.”
Most of us will never have to manage the closure, but anyone in engagement and communications will face moments when we have to deliver not-so-great news to people who care deeply about our institution. Empathy isn’t a communications strategy you can automate. It’s what happens when you decide that every interaction, however difficult, is a chance to reveal who you are.
Kristin Simonetti Hanson is an award-winning editorial content strategist, writer, and editor based in Baltimore, Md.
For nearly 20 years, she’s served higher ed and nonprofit organizations with her distinctive, creative voice and sharp, strategic insight, turning complex priorities into clear, compelling narratives. In 2021—after working in-house for Johns Hopkins University, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and Elon University—she went out on her own, founding Kristin Hanson Writes, LLC.
Big Themes This Week
Institutional closure reveals what people actually value about colleges and universities: belonging, memory, relationships, and shared experience.
Clear, empathetic communication can preserve trust and cooperation even during moments of institutional crisis and uncertainty.
Higher education institutions may need to do a better job educating alumni and donors about the broader financial and demographic pressures facing the sector.
Engagement often increases during moments of urgency or loss, raising difficult questions about how institutions create meaning and affinity during normal operations.
Alumni engagement should increasingly be viewed as institutional infrastructure, not simply programming, especially as colleges face enrollment pressure, financial strain, and long-term sustainability concerns.
Team Discussion Questions
How transparent should institutions be with alumni and donors about financial and demographic pressures?
At what point should institutional leaders begin communicating urgency externally?
How should institutions balance transparency with reassurance during difficult moments?
Are our teams equipped to handle emotionally complex conversations with alumni, donors, students, and staff?
What can advancement teams learn from Trinity’s approach to one-on-one donor conversations and education?
What responsibilities do alumni have in supporting the long-term sustainability of their institutions?
How can alumni contribute beyond philanthropy during periods of institutional strain?
