The Slow Death of a Small Town
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Sinks Slowly into Irrelevancy and Silence
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, according to the 2020 US census, lost almost 18% of its population. This was quite a shock to the local community. Furthermore, Isabella County, where Mt. Pleasant is located, had the 4th largest population loss amongst Michigan’s 83 counties. This news knocked the local citizenry back a bit.
Nevertheless, in a few days, this rather disturbing news barely made a ripple in the minds of the local residents. Many of the local residents believed the population figure was too low. They, of course, blamed the US census takers. Many complained that the student population of Central Michigan University (CMU) was not added to the city’s overall population total.
Unbeknownst to the majority of residents of Mt. Pleasant, this was another inconvenient fact that continued to contribute to the city’s emerging, and rude, wake-up call.
Of course, The Morning Sun, duly noted the US census numbers. Most readers just grumbled about the US government’s inability to do a proper count of the town’s people. Ironically, The Morning Sun, left Mt. Pleasant about four years ago. Again, most people never noticed. Such is the newspaper business today. And people’s innate ability to avoid any “bad” news — if possible.
Yet, for Mt. Pleasant to lose it local newspaper was like the canary in the mineshaft - calling out for help. No one heard her. Hence, the paper’s final demise, and move to Alma (a smaller town 15 miles to the south), was greeted by indifferent silence.
No. The US census takers were not wrong. A new reality was dawning for this small university town in the central region of Michigan. Many local residents did indeed witness a disturbing change occurring to the face of the city. But they chose not to mention it too loudly. Why?
Mt. Pleasant is the 21st century version of a ‘company town’.
In truth, Mt. Pleasant is run by a handful of families (and their cronies) who control or dictate the economic, political and social fortunes of the local populace. Central Michigan University is the unspoken face of Mt. Pleasant. Period.
Everything revolves around the school. Simply put, you did not criticize the university. Even if it was warranted. The school is considered a ‘sacred cow’. Being unduly harsh in one’s estimate of CMU could get you the unwarranted attention of the “locals”.
Translation: Unemployment soon followed if one did not cease and desist in expressing their derisory comments concerning CMU.
Until 2022. Then. All hell broke loose.
Point of fact, a convergence of “historic forces”, within and outside the Mt. Pleasant community, manifested themselves into creating an inescapable tidal wave of anger, dismay and shock.
What happened?
First, the local business community began to contract — dramatically. The ‘lockdown’ during the Pandemic had triggered a considerable shockwave upon the city’s two main thorough ways — Mission Street and Picard Street. But particularly for Mission Street.
In 2011, CMU had over 27,000 students attending it. But that, in retrospect, and unbeknownst to the local community, would represent the high-water mark for the university.
By 2022, there was, maybe 10,000 students attending CMU. This massive loss of students (and customers), plus the lockdown of the city in 2020, and don’t forget, the rampant fear of being infected by strangers at restaurants or stores, decimated the number of shoppers (‘foot traffic’) frequenting local businesses.
In short order, a number of local businesses collapsed. The sudden loss of revenue (and customers) could not be absorbed. A recent survey showed that one-third of Michigan small businesses are still in danger of closing their doors. The after-effects of the ‘Covid-Lockdown’ remains lethal in many Michigan communities.
Major businesses in Mt. Pleasant sank like the Titanic - Sears, K-Mart, JC Penney’s and Kroger’s. All fell by the wayside. Major restaurant chains such as Big Boy, Ruby Tuesdays, Krankers, Italian Oven, Senoritas, and Pizza Hut were a few of the best-known cuisine casualties.
Other business closed as well. Many of these closures became quite conspicuous due to their dark windows facing those who drove on Mission State.
But the news about Central Michigan University’s sudden collapse sent a massive 10.0 Richter earthquake throughout the local community. You could see fear, panic and disbelief in their eyes. The number of professors and administrators fired. The number of university staff dismissed. And the number of other university employees pushed to the sidewalk was breathtaking.
CMU sank from having the 4th most students at a Michigan university to 7th. And the prospects of sinking lower are quite real. CMU ranks last in academic standards amongst Michigan universities. CMU was known for its parties — not its academics. Unfortunately, this shallow reputation has finally caught up with the school.
The dramatic rise of costs in getting a university education; the mountains of debt that students had to incur in getting that education; plus, CMU’s terrible reputation as an institution of higher education, seriously wounded (mortally?) the school’s ability to attract students.
Plus, CMU, a decade ago, made an ill-fated and tragic decision to build a medical school. To put it bluntly, this catastrophic “decision” has bankrupted the university. The university’s best programs were seriously defunded to help pay the costs of this ‘white elephant’. CMU’s finances are in a shambles. The university is broke. Period.
In June 2021, CMU President Bob Davies announced that only (24) STEM-related programs would be fully funded. This contentious and controversial decision reflected CMU’s new academic direction and its academic priorities.
Unsurprisingly, half the CMU faculty (consisting of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences professors) completely freaked out. They demanded a vote of “NO” confidence take place. It did. The end result was that the CMU faculty had essentially fired President Davies. But the Board of Trustees remains in President Davies’ corner — for now. Hence, Davies is still in charge — no matter how tenuously.
Along with all the on-campus drama occurring at CMU, the local and state media has eaten CMU alive. A major expose on CMU’s growing difficulties was published by The Detroit News, written by award-winning education reporter, Kim Kozlowski, struck a deep nerve within the Mt. Pleasant community.
Plus, numerous T.V. news stories about CMU’s calamitous situation makes recruiting new students an almost impossible task. The CMU community was irrefutably rattled by this onslaught of bad media coverage. And there appears to be no end to it.
As of right now, Mt. Pleasant is irrevocably reeling from all these “factors” that have slammed into it over the past few months and years. What will happen?
The city of Mt. Pleasant will never be the same. Things will eventually smooth out. But a significant part of Mt. Pleasant and CMU are dead forever. Demographic forces ensure that CMU’s numbers will likely remain small. There are 8% to 9% fewer high school graduates in Michigan. Fact. The needed young people are simply not there anymore.
Will the university be closed? For now, no.
But if the enrollment numbers continue to diminish!?!
Yes, CMU could very well be a casualty within a cold-blooded and harshly reconfigured education landscape within Michigan, and throughout America.
Since 2017, approximately 600 colleges have closed. In May 2022, Lincoln College, a private college in Illinois, will close after 157 years! Others will follow suit — you can bank on it.
For now, the slow death of Mt. Pleasant remains. Without question, giant economic, educational, political and social forces are turning America upside down.
And the city of Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan University cannot escape their fates. they have no choice.
They must endure one of the most unpredictable and volatile periods in US history.
Hence, they are reaping the whirlwinds of history — with no endgame in sight!!