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The revelation is in one of the documents filed by Wells College as it seeks approval of a legacy agreement with Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.

Among the exhibits is a resolution approved by Wells College's board of trustees in September 2024 to pursue the legacy agreement with Hobart and William Smith. The text references an earlier resolution, approved on Sept. 29, 2023, that established teams consisting of college leaders and trustees to "consider options for Wells College."

One of the teams focused on contingency planning and was tasked with developing a plan "in the event that the circumstances of Wells College do not change and it is determined that its educational operations are no longer viable." The planning included identifying a potential legacy partner if the board decided to close the college.

According to the resolution, the team "engaged in an iterative process" with three institutions — Hobart and William Smith, Le Moyne College in Syracuse and Manhattanville University in Purchase. When the board voted to close Wells, it selected Manhattanville as the college's legacy partner.

The resolution is not the only example of the college's months-long preparations. One of the other exhibits is a teach-out agreement between Wells and Hobart and William Smith that was signed in December 2023, four months before the closure announcement.

The teach-out agreement states, in part, that it "provides for the equitable treatment of current Wells College students and a reasonable opportunity for these students to complete their program of study."

As the board of trustees privately prepared for closure, the college's public communications did not reflect what was happening behind the scenes. In news releases and social media posts, the college promoted events for admitted students and announced an agreement with the American Musical and Dramatic Academy's College of Performing Arts.

Former Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter posted monthly updates. In February 2024, he said applications were "maybe even a little bit ahead" of the 2023 total. He also highlighted the increased campus visits and retention, the latter of which he described as "stronger than it's been in several years."

Although there was optimism, Wells College's financial struggles were well documented. A year before it closed, it had a $3 million loss. The college nearly closed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

When board chair Marie Chapman Carroll and Gibralter announced the closure, they said a review found the college "does not have adequate financial resources to continue." They added that revenues "are not projected to be sufficient for Wells' long-term financial stability." 

The board has not explained why it waited until April 2024 to make its decision and the subsequent announcement that Wells would close.

After the closure announcement, the college's board of trustees formed a "legacy team" to succeed the contingency planning team. The team was tasked with engaging in discussions with Manhattanville to finalize the legacy agreement.

However, the resolution notes that "despite intensive work in May, June and July, Wells and Manhattanville were unable to complete the terms of the definitive agreement."

Wells contacted Hobart and William Smith Colleges, according to the resolution, to gauge the institution's interest in serving as its legacy partner. The board approved the resolution in September 2024 that directed its legacy team to develop a relationship with Hobart and William Smith as its legacy partner.

In January, the board approved the legacy agreement between the institutions. The college will transfer its $27.8 million endowment, historical materials and records to Hobart and William Smith. Hobart and William Smith will honor Wells by naming the lawn of its Houghton House arts campus as the Wells Green and will incorporate the book arts center into the school.

The legacy agreement will be reviewed by Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone.