“What happens to a dream deferred?” asks the speaker in Langston Hughes’s famous poem “Harlem.” After this powerful first line, the poem goes on to invoke the implications of denying people a chance to fulfill their dreams. For students in Antioch University’s PhD in Leadership and Change (PhDLC) Completion Pathway, Hughes’ poignant question can be rephrased: “What happens to a dream undeferred?”
The PhDLC Completion Pathway is designed for people who left a doctoral program before earning their degree. Research shows that attrition is high among doctoral programs. Students pause their studies, often indefinitely, for many reasons: illness affecting themselves or a loved one, a major job promotion requiring a full-time commitment, or an institution’s or program’s closure or loss of accreditation. Whatever the cause, setting aside the goal of earning a doctorate can be deeply disappointing. At Antioch, we recognize the significant time, effort, and money such students have already invested in their dream. This programmatic pathway gives them an opportunity to complete that journey and bring the dream of earning a PhD to fruition.
The Pathway was the brainchild of Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Professional Studies (SIPS). Her idea was based in part on the success of the Union Cohort, which was formed through a teach-out agreement in 2024 when Antioch University agreed to accept 87 PhD students from Union Institute & University. Union had closed and left its students to give up their own dream of completing their doctorates or to face the difficult challenge of finding other viable programs. Thanks to Antioch, the Union Cohort did not have to accept defeat. Within a year of their enrollment, a quarter of its students successfully defended their dissertations and graduated from Antioch in 2025. This record was followed by about the same number graduating in 2026. Following this success and under Amy’s leadership, the PhDLC Completion Pathway was born. With my commitment to social justice and educational opportunity, I was delighted to accept the role of Pathway Coordinator for this program.
So, what does happen to a dream undeferred? As the thirteen current Pathway students have discovered, that dream comes back to life, revitalized with new energy and purpose within the rigorous and highly supportive environment this program provides.
Toward the end of the July 2026 PhDLC residency in Westerville, Ohio, Pathway student Kimberly O’Neil reflected: “Antioch University Graduate School of Leadership and Change Residency Week poured something back into my soul that was missing from my prior doctoral experience.” Meg Sexton, who entered the Pathway in March 2026, shared that her prior doctoral program at another university “was going to have me start the PhD program completely over after I took 39 credits and accrued 60k in student debt. I am so grateful for Antioch,” Meg added, “and haven’t felt so seen and supported in higher education in a long time.” For Alicia Betha being admitted to this program reminded her that ”scholarship is not a solitary act… it is a shared journey of courage.”
With Pathway enrollment still open with start dates of November 2026, March 2027, and beyond, we invite you to learn more and share this journey of courage, resilience, and success with others.
Diane Richard-Allerdyce, PhD
Diane Richard-Allerdyce, PhD, comes to Antioch University from the PhD program in Interdisciplinary Studies at Union Institute & University, where she taught from 2008 through 2023 and served as Associate Dean and Chair of Humanities & Culture. She brings to the table a multi-leveled teaching practice, a rich research and creative writing agenda, and extensive administrative experience. Diane was thrilled to join the PhD in Leadership and Change (PhDLC) program at Antioch. With a commitment to social justice and educational opportunity, and having served as Union Cohort Director since joining the PhDLC program in 2024, she happily accepted the role of Pathway Coordinator for this program.
