Leatherneck Nation

Enrollment at UIUC, UIC, and EIU increases while other state schools struggle to stop declines.

From the Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-m ... ft02a-1li3

wiu712 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:23 pm Enrollment at UIUC, UIC, and EIU increases while other state schools struggle to stop declines.

From the Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-m ... ft02a-1li3

VP Student Services Ron Williams says, "Western’s immediate goal is to stabilize enrollment. Some strategies officials are deploying include increased financial aid, freezing rates for fees and room and board, eliminating application fees and increasing community outreach."

Excuse me, but Western already guarantees 4 years no-increase Room & Board, along with no-increase Student Fees, unlike the other 11 state public universities that only follow the state-mandated 4-year, no-increase tuition; largely already eliminates application fees that were added several years back as a way to make money; and have guaranteed anyone with a high school 3.0 GPA as 20+ ACT a $3K/year scholarship, $6K/year if that ACT is 25+, and $10K/year if that ACT is 30+.
http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php ... e_id=15741

How about trying to understand why students do/don't come and do/don't stay rather than throwing ideas against the wall and hoping something will stick.

I liked Macomb to a large extent because it wasn't ISU that was a 15 mintue drive from my hometown. I already knew Bloomington Normal completely. I had hung out there and done recreational activities.

I just wanted to get away from home and be my own person. Different generation though, so I don't know.

I suspect that Western has a hard time trying to compete with the amenities that Bloomington/Normal offers.

UIS enrollment drops 7.7 percent compared to last year.

From the Springfield State Journal-Register:
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180912/uis-e ... -last-year

RedNeck wrote: ↑Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:58 pm I liked Macomb to a large extent because it wasn't ISU that was a 15 mintue drive from my hometown. I already knew Bloomington Normal completely. I had hung out there and done recreational activities.

I just wanted to get away from home and be my own person. Different generation though, so I don't know.

I suspect that Western has a hard time trying to compete with the amenities that Bloomington/Normal offers.

Yeah, there's much higher population in most places that have universities. Out of all FCS teams, for example, there's only 5 teams that have fewer people living within a 20 mile radius of campus. Alcorn State, South Dakota, Southern Utah, South Dakota State, and Northwestern State (in that order)...then WIU.

Winners and Losers As Illinois Universities Report Fall Enrollment

Also, a chart that shows enrollment increases/decreases as well as new freshmen increases/decreases: https://infogram.com/public-university- ... wd6nr?live

ST_Lawson wrote: ↑Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:27 pm Winners and Losers As Illinois Universities Report Fall Enrollment

Also, a chart that shows enrollment increases/decreases as well as new freshmen increases/decreases: https://infogram.com/public-university- ... wd6nr?live

Sad, very sad. Yet, still no leadership to understand the problem, just excuses combined with satisfaction that SIUC is worse off than we are.

WIU President Jack Thomas announces annual Presidential Initiatives plan to the SGA.

From Friday's McDonough County Voice:
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/2018 ... -announced

We've been doing such a great job with strategic planning for our future someone seems to have gotten a promotion out of it.

In an article about upcoming Founder's Day celebration, it appears Joe Rives is now "Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Planning ." Of course, after Kathy Neuman remains Interim Provost - a position she's held since April 2015.

http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php ... e_id=15800

Some of the titles they come up with cracks me up. I don’t know why fast food joints don’t do the same. “Senior Vice President assistant director of strategic and effective patty placement provost”

Every time I read one I think “cool, but what do you do?”.

It’s just silly.