You also get it WIU0812! You're exactly right, better incoming students = better graduate base = greater incomes = greater endowment = the ball keeps rolling...
And you're also absolutely right about the role community colleges play in the discussion, along with trade schools. If you have a 16-18 on your ACT out of high school, I'm sorry, but you don't belong on a 4 year college campus the year after you graduate from high school. You'll be much more prepared for the work force and a respectable pay check WITHOUT mounds of debt by going to a CC or trade school.
On the "video of fight?" subject, one more thing. They suspended a kid that new more about the Courier's rules than the administration did, hence why now they are in damage control. I also don't buy the new argument that "riot" was an inappropriate term. Glad to see the student is sticking by the term he used. You all can google the term "riot", watch the video, and see if Mr. Stewart was really that "inaccurate" in calling it such. I'm also including 2 articles for your viewing pleasure. I read them and come to the personal conclusion that Mr. Stewart was the most responsible person in this whole charade. He may have harmed the University in the process, but sure doesn't sound like he broke any rules. Who's fault is that, Docs Thomas and Biller?
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... /150229882
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... H/?Start=2
Program cuts
-
VoiceOfReasonFan
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:42 am
I'm sorry, one more from the McDonough County Voice on their really, really good coverage of the Stewart/video/admin saga.
Biller on Thursday reiterated the investigation of Stewart led him to believe the university's Publications Board, which manages the Courier, is "a mess" and to blame for "vague" operational policies. No members were present at Thursday's meeting, but Tri States News Director Rich Egger, who recently became the board's chairman, provided a statement to the Voice: "No one from the Western Courier Publications Board started the mid-December fight on campus, no one from the Publications Board was involved in the fight, and no one from the Publications Board was foolish enough to suggest suspending the newspaper’s editor-in-chief," the statement reads. "Yet Mr. Biller seems to suggest the board is to blame for all that went wrong. Mr. Biller should focus his energies on disciplining those who chose to fight rather than enjoy a social event and on developing a plan to prevent melees from happening again. And perhaps during his spare time Mr. Biller should read the First Amendment." - See more at: http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... n1jKh.dpuf
Biller on Thursday reiterated the investigation of Stewart led him to believe the university's Publications Board, which manages the Courier, is "a mess" and to blame for "vague" operational policies. No members were present at Thursday's meeting, but Tri States News Director Rich Egger, who recently became the board's chairman, provided a statement to the Voice: "No one from the Western Courier Publications Board started the mid-December fight on campus, no one from the Publications Board was involved in the fight, and no one from the Publications Board was foolish enough to suggest suspending the newspaper’s editor-in-chief," the statement reads. "Yet Mr. Biller seems to suggest the board is to blame for all that went wrong. Mr. Biller should focus his energies on disciplining those who chose to fight rather than enjoy a social event and on developing a plan to prevent melees from happening again. And perhaps during his spare time Mr. Biller should read the First Amendment." - See more at: http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/2 ... n1jKh.dpuf
-
sealhall74
- Posts: 5983
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:18 pm
- Location: Wherever, Windblows
Yep, like our health care system, the PRIMARY goal of our education system seems to have shifted to simply making sure enough people keep coming through the front door on a regular basis. That is the main reason we are sitting at #20 in the world right now. We have lost focus of what is really important. Very sad. On the positive side, our education system is faring ahead of our health care system (#38). Even more sad about that because we are #1 in per capita dollars spent on it.
http://worldtop20.org/
Just looked over some data on US News site about WIU (we rank #39 in Midwest). It says our 2nd most popular major is General Studies. That seems a little strange to me. I guess it is a 100% online program. That might have something to do with its popularity. Maybe someone can shed some light on that for me. Truman State seems to be doing pretty good (#9) with around 5-6K students. Their program offerings are more aligned to a traditional liberal arts college. I see things like "Fire Science" on our offering list. I know there is a need for that knowledge but four years of it has me scratching my head wondering a bit.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... rsity-1780
http://worldtop20.org/
Just looked over some data on US News site about WIU (we rank #39 in Midwest). It says our 2nd most popular major is General Studies. That seems a little strange to me. I guess it is a 100% online program. That might have something to do with its popularity. Maybe someone can shed some light on that for me. Truman State seems to be doing pretty good (#9) with around 5-6K students. Their program offerings are more aligned to a traditional liberal arts college. I see things like "Fire Science" on our offering list. I know there is a need for that knowledge but four years of it has me scratching my head wondering a bit.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... rsity-1780
Embrace the pace of the race.
Wiu is becoming a joke to high schools seniors that should actually be going to a 4-year college. The admission standards more than likely to blame as they are absolutely embarrassing. If you want to go to college, and you have a pulse, come to WIU. That leads to poor retention rates. If you ask me the solution is pretty simple. RAISE THE STANDARDS. This university needs a president that runs it like a business trying to turn profit, because the state funding is going to do nothing but go down. I feel like the problem is obvious but no one wants to say it.
#ALLIN #YOLO
Actually, admission standards have been increased, and retention has increased- a 9% increase from fall 2013 to Fall 2014. A 9% increase in retention is very significant. Declining enrollment is not unique to WIU- most of Illinois' public universities have seen their enrollment decline over the past decade. As a whole, Illinois' population is shrinking, meaning there are fewer and fewer high school graduates looking to go to college. As tuition increases due to reduced state funding, many of Illinois' students choose to further their education out of state, where tuition is often less expensive. It's a huge problem, but I think WIU is making some good moves. Cutting programs is a good start, but I think they need to be more aggressive in making the institution leaner.
Agreed, the past few years of raising the standards is helping and they ought to raise them even more. I know ISU has been seeing significant increases the last two years in enrollment I believe this last year they had an extra approx 500 students, but they are one of the few in Illinois.
-
leatherface
- Posts: 423
- Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 4:42 pm
Good discussion about a sensitive subject that a lot of folks likely do not find comfortable. 0812 and Voice of Reason are right. My wife and I went undergrad at WIU, and so have some other relatives since then. There are positives, but, nothing wrong in pointing out concerns.
Someone brought up Truman. We both have our graduate degrees from there, and watched it change from a struggling regional school to what is now- the only highly selective public college in Missouri, and designated as the state's Liberal Arts college by the Missouri legislature. Shrinking enrollment to turning away students. How did they do this? Guts to make a change. Increased admission standards drastically while holding down costs- talented students from St Louis and KC started to apply in droves. Froze enrollment at around 6,000 students. Maintained athletics at a reasonable D2 level. It took a commitment by the staff and FACULTY. They also changed their name from Northeast Missouri, to a name that didn't isolate it to one part of the state. What's amazing, is that this whole change didn't really take that long. And no, while my wife could probably still get into their grad program, I don't know if I still could!!
Kirksville is small, but has maintained it's uniqueness. Also, Kirksville has a medical school in town which adds to the culture.
Someone brought up Truman. We both have our graduate degrees from there, and watched it change from a struggling regional school to what is now- the only highly selective public college in Missouri, and designated as the state's Liberal Arts college by the Missouri legislature. Shrinking enrollment to turning away students. How did they do this? Guts to make a change. Increased admission standards drastically while holding down costs- talented students from St Louis and KC started to apply in droves. Froze enrollment at around 6,000 students. Maintained athletics at a reasonable D2 level. It took a commitment by the staff and FACULTY. They also changed their name from Northeast Missouri, to a name that didn't isolate it to one part of the state. What's amazing, is that this whole change didn't really take that long. And no, while my wife could probably still get into their grad program, I don't know if I still could!!
Kirksville is small, but has maintained it's uniqueness. Also, Kirksville has a medical school in town which adds to the culture.
-
sealhall74
- Posts: 5983
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:18 pm
- Location: Wherever, Windblows
Missouri also has another "niche" school going on with Missouri University of Science and Technology located in Rolla (pop 19,559). That state is light years ahead of Illinois and provides an excellent model to copy. Send your top notch liberal arts students and geeks like myself to Charleston and Macomb, respectively (or vice versa).
Embrace the pace of the race.
-
Tere North
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:59 pm
Honestly, more programs need to be cut. Western has added, added, and added some more, thinking they should offer what even seemingly one person wants. And even with all these additions, the TV report showed that enrollment is down 20-25% in the last several years.
Other schools jumped on the solution of cutting program long ago, and are surviving. Unfortunately, Western kept making excuses.
Now is the time to figure out what we are or want to be go at and do it, effectively a niche type approach, but a bit broader. Once you know what you stand for, then you have something to promote and recruit with. Until then, keep swinging in the wind and hope something sticks.
Other schools jumped on the solution of cutting program long ago, and are surviving. Unfortunately, Western kept making excuses.
Now is the time to figure out what we are or want to be go at and do it, effectively a niche type approach, but a bit broader. Once you know what you stand for, then you have something to promote and recruit with. Until then, keep swinging in the wind and hope something sticks.
-
sealhall74
- Posts: 5983
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:18 pm
- Location: Wherever, Windblows
It seems like Western is caught between a rock and a hard place right now trying to find a balance between overall campus diversity and plain old sustainability. Did we fall into the trap of thinking that because so much content can be delivered online these days, the cost of adding a new program is minimal? I think the diversity goal is a worthwhile one but my question is how do you measure the effectiveness of that? I took a look at the Purple Post site which is a very nice format for managing all of the campus organizations in which one would logically think this campus diversity would be represented. It seems to be a little short of event content and member lists for many organizations but that could be because it is new, competing with other social media avenues, etc.Tere North wrote:Honestly, more programs need to be cut. Western has added, added, and added some more, thinking they should offer what even seemingly one person wants. And even with all these additions, the TV report showed that enrollment is down 20-25% in the last several years.
Other schools jumped on the solution of cutting program long ago, and are surviving. Unfortunately, Western kept making excuses.
Now is the time to figure out what we are or want to be go at and do it, effectively a niche type approach, but a bit broader. Once you know what you stand for, then you have something to promote and recruit with. Until then, keep swinging in the wind and hope something sticks.
Why is this of interest to me on Leatherneck Nation you ask? I think that campus diversity may actually have a lot to do with student disinterest in attending sporting events.
Embrace the pace of the race.