Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

[sealhall74]

Talk about patience, I waited 62 years to get my first motorcycle. I passed the safety course a couple of weeks ago and instructor said I have lots of practicing to do. Bought a Kaw Versys 650 on Thurs and I was on her for about an hour early today before the heat set in. Had a great ride around the local streets and middle school parking lot. Lot of nervous energy to burn after that ride so you are the benefactor of my latest Google sheet regarding the state of our signature programs. "Enr" is total enrollments. "Deg" is BACHELOR degrees awarded. Could not get the overall data for Teacher Education. Also could not differentiate Sports Broadcasting from just plain ol' Broadcasting. Nationally speaking and in general, about 60% of freshman typically go on to earn a degree. Are we there now? Should we expect to be there for signature programs?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... er/pubhtml

Update: I also have started adding data for non-signature programs (e.g. math, music, etc.). If you want me to add some for you, let me know. It is just a quick copy and paste effort. ST, what is up with the drop in B.A music majors? Is this the route teachers to be usually go?

[rocki]

Talk about patience, I waited 62 years to get my first motorcycle. I passed the safety course a couple of weeks ago and instructor said I have lots of practicing to do. Bought a Kaw Versys 650 on Thurs and I was on her for about an hour early today before the heat set in. Had a great ride around the local streets and middle school parking lot. Lot of nervous energy to burn after that ride so you are the benefactor of my latest Google sheet regarding the state of our signature programs. "Enr" is total enrollments. "Deg" is BACHELOR degrees awarded. Could not get the overall data for Teacher Education. Also could not differentiate Sports Broadcasting from just plain ol' Broadcasting. Nationally speaking and in general, about 60% of freshman typically go on to earn a degree. Are we there now? Should we expect to be there for signature programs?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... er/pubhtml

Update: I also have started adding data for non-signature programs (e.g. math, music, etc.). If you want me to add some for you, let me know. It is just a quick copy and paste effort. ST, what is up with the drop in B.A music majors? Is this the route teachers to be usually go?

Well, with what our recruitment focus has been on the last few years, I'm wondering what percentage of freshmen even made it to their sophomore and junior years? I didn't appear that we were recruiting kids who really wanted to be in school for the most part. (But I'm not on the inside, so my vision could be skewed I will admit)

[Tere North]

Well, with what our recruitment focus has been on the last few years, I'm wondering what percentage of freshmen even made it to their sophomore and junior years? I didn't appear that we were recruiting kids who really wanted to be in school for the most part. (But I'm not on the inside, so my vision could be skewed I will admit)

It sure doesn't help that freshman are put in Bay-Hen-Tanner that only serves dinner, Sun-Thurs, no breakfast or lunch. Kids have to walk to Thompson or Corbin-Olson, the only 2 dining centers serving food. Otherwise, it's waste your 40% reduced for overhead to pay retail that is marked up at the C-stores or the Union.

So, sure, maybe some kids come who didn't really want to, but gee, were sure don't try very hard to make them feel welcome when they get here. The 1st 6-weeks of college are key for making connections and feeling like you belong. We are throwing that out of the window. If Thompson is where the food is (or Cobin-Olson), that is where the freshmen should be housed since we require all but commuting freshmen and sophomores to live on campus.

[rocki]

Well, with what our recruitment focus has been on the last few years, I'm wondering what percentage of freshmen even made it to their sophomore and junior years? I didn't appear that we were recruiting kids who really wanted to be in school for the most part. (But I'm not on the inside, so my vision could be skewed I will admit)

It sure doesn't help that freshman are put in Bay-Hen-Tanner that only serves dinner, Sun-Thurs, no breakfast or lunch. Kids have to walk to Thompson or Corbin-Olson, the only 2 dining centers serving food. Otherwise, it's waste your 40% reduced for overhead to pay retail that is marked up at the C-stores or the Union.

So, sure, maybe some kids come who didn't really want to, but gee, were sure don't try very hard to make them feel welcome when they get here. The 1st 6-weeks of college are key for making connections and feeling like you belong. We are throwing that out of the window. If Thompson is where the food is (or Cobin-Olson), that is where the freshmen should be housed since we require all but commuting freshmen and sophomores to live on campus.

Point taken.

[Western_101]

Probably dated. but what our elected officials did with no budget for 2 years crippled a lot of institutions and services.

EIU:
https://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/l ... /476675889.


Also, I believe EIU's freshman class last year was less than 640 students

Apparently EIU thinks that will be up 20%, which would still make it less than our projected freshman class.

SIU is predicting a freshman class of less than 1000.

People, from other States don't comprehend how comprehensive and qualified our Community College System is. My wife has gotten feedback that the Math Dept. At Illinois Central College is superior to Bradley University. More than half have Phds and most have 15 years experience. Simply put, Illinois Community colleges steal kids that would otherwise go off to a four year university. Some Illinois Community colleges are in my opinion better than what a student would find at a four year institution for the lower division course work.

It's hard to go away to college unless one has a scholarship or a grant or are wealthy. Kids are opting out completely or doing their first two years at Juco, or are being lured away by lower tuition and promises of greatness in our neighboring states.

[Neckfansince71]

Redneck, COD which is just a few blocks away from my house has unbelievable facilities for science. Also, percent increase can be used many different ways to represent many sides of a debate. Like you said, our freshmen class is still going to be larger than EIU even though their percentage went up and WIU's went down.

I thought this statement was really timely!

According to Al Bowman, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), Western Illinois University's initiatives for future growth align with the IBHE's statewide strategic plan for higher education.

"We are pleased to see that Western Illinois University, under the leadership of President Jack Thomas, continues to exercise mission-driven strategic planning, while remaining good fiscal stewards," added IBHE Chair Tom Cross. "The decisions announced today are necessary to meet the state's fiscal reality and will help Western as it continues to ensure its resources are in line with program demand and enrollment. The IBHE appreciates Western's due diligence and commitment to ensuring a successful and viable future for public higher education."


I am anxious to see exactly what the BOT's have cooked up for WIU! But the state feels like WIU is headed in the right direction. jc

[wiu712]

I believe EIU's freshman class last year was less than 640 students.

For Fall 2017, EIU had 950 full-time freshmen and 632 part-time freshmen. Total = 1,582.
Source: https://www.eiu.edu/ir/fa2017.pdf

It sure doesn't help that freshman are put in Bay-Hen-Tanner that only serves dinner, Sun-Thurs, no breakfast or lunch.

As a parent, that would be very troubling. The lack of available food service for freshmen would make me look at other colleges.

Perhaps it's time for the university to explore other options for food service. Years ago, Saga Food Service was on campus. And they operated many dining centers. In recent years, Sodexo has closed the dining center at Lincoln-Washington and has reduced the operating hours at Bayliss-Henninger.

[Western_101]

I tire.

#712, Seriously why do I always have to refer to you in inmate form?

I tire, Yeah, I know you are smarter than the rest of us.

I tire, Of all of the time you being the Harbinger of doom.

Maybe I need to get a life. I feel that is fair for debate. However, You as a doctor, is the best activity you can find to do with your time to make the most negative statements about the university and then delight with glee if someone should come to it's defense?

You are a regular but the definition of a troll.

https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/ei ... -increases

Thanks for putting out numbers that the EIU put out.

I know that I agitate and incite from time to time. But, for Fu*ks sake can you stop your compulsion to deride WIU> Your shtick has worn out it's welcome, in my humble opinion.

[Western_101]

ICC does HUGE amount of high school kids. They aren't counted as a body they are counted as an amount of credit hour.

A body according to ICCs calculation is all hours by all students divided by 12.
Whether that is right or wrong.

EIU had 630 Full time Freshman students and whatever superfluous quantifiable that was convenient to add for sake of saving face and to allow the University to not look like a complete piece of garbage was done.

Christ, this isn't that hard to see through.

[sealhall74]

When it comes to dining options, every college does it differently, IMHO it is not necessarily location that would matter to me. When I was in Seal, we had no dining facility so we could eat anywhere on campus. Usually it was Corbin-Olson. What would have mattered more to me back then (I was skinny as a rail} would be having to pay for each and every item (i.e. ala carte) that I wanted to eat. I know they are trying to cut down on waste this way but if I were at the top of the food decision-making chain, this would be a change I would make.