A s t r o l o g i e - Mandala

Kepler College has made tremendous progress since it opened its doors in the summer of last year.

Student evaluations of the program have been outstanding and we want to thank the astrological community for helping to make this happen.

As you may know, Kepler has received some national media exposure over the last several months, some of which was not friendly. While this has led to an increased interest in the College, it has also led to some political backlash that is affecting not only Kepler but the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HEC Board) that approved its degree- granting status.

We are pleased to announce that the Education Coordinating Board is standing firmly behind its decision to authorize the College and is willing to withstand the national criticism it has received.

Every two years, all colleges must go through a review of its authorization status. Kepler's review is scheduled to begin in January. The HEC Board agrees that the Kepler program is grounded in academic integrity and, after meeting with us recently, has expressed no concern regarding our upcoming review, with one exception.

Because tuition alone covers only about 40% of the operating costs of most new colleges, these new colleges are required to maintain a significant financial reserve to assure that they can take their students through several terms without relying on tuition.

Kepler does not have an adequate reserve at this time.

Kepler was born out of the grassroots efforts of the astrological community and is still operating on a shoestring budget. We need to raise our bank reserves by approximately $40,000.

For this reason, we need your help. Kepler must also provide evidence that it has a broad level of support from its constituency. For this reason, donations of $15, $25, $50 or more could make a significant difference.

We appreciate the support the astrological community has given Kepler College in the past and hope that we can count on your ongoing support at this critical time in our early development.

Sincerely, Joanne Wickenburg, Board of Trustees Chairperson joanne.wickenburg@kepler.edu (joanne.wickenburg@kepler.edu) Kepler College