What I like/what I don't like

[78crusader]

I keep track of VU from a distance of 380+ miles.  I have some connections to people who work at VU but I don't try to milk my contacts for inside scoop.  Like most of us on this board I don't have a good appreciation for the difficulties in operating a small private university.  I try to follow on what's going on primarily from random comments from the VU people I still know and trust, and posts from some of the folks on this board.  What I'm saying is I have limited -- make that very limited -- information. 

Still, I have thoughts and opinions about VU.  Here is a list of what I like -- and what I don't like -- since President Heckler took over in June 2008.

What I like:

*VU had to build a new dorm (or three).  And Beacon Hall is great.

*VU seems to be increasing its commitment to practical majors -- those in which there are jobs waiting after graduation.  Science, technology, nursing, engineering, physician assistant. 

*The new buildings since 2009 seem to follow the pattern established by President Harre -- they are attractive and spacious, and not skimpy, unattractive outposts like Lankenau/Brandt/Alumni/Brown Field.

*VU has attempted, at least from what little I can see, to increase its footprint in the Valparaiso/northwest Indiana area (although it seems much work still needs to be done).

*The endowment HAD to be addressed, and the current fundraising campaign is most welcome.

*The sorority complex is pretty neat and a vast improvement over Scheele Hall. 

*President Heckler recognized VU was somewhat lacking in traditions and he has taken steps to correct that. 

What I don't like:

*VU consistently downplays its Christian heritage and has attempted to please everyone, which of course means that you wind up pleasing no one.  We are either a Christian school or not.  There is no middle ground.  Catholic schools like Creighton navigate these waters.  Why can't we? 

*VU has become much more liberal and the campus culture seems to have changed.  This I think is a reflection of the head guy. 

*VU seems to have an effort to recruit more city kids and international kids rather than be laser-focused on the kids from the traditionally strong VU areas such as the Chicago suburbs.  This has been, to my way of thinking, a big mistake and is inexplicable, really. 

*The closing of the law school is an ongoing PR disaster and is a big blow to VU's prestige.  I place blame squarely on the administration for not keeping close tabs on what was going on -- we were taking in classes that were increasing in size when just about everybody else on the legal planet was experiencing significant decreases in enrollment.  It appears no one bothered to look into this.

*One VU tradition has remained -- the underfunding of athletics, with inadequate facilities.  I'm in a minority here, I guess, but I can live with the ARC -- but Brown Field is bad, really bad.

*The goal of reaching 6,000 students was kinda silly and was bound to fail.  While I give President Heckler some credit for thinking big, his plan had to be reachable.  Perhaps this in some small way explains why the law school situation came about.

*VU's debt load has doubled.  That is never a good thing. 

Paul

[vu84v2]

*VU consistently downplays its Christian heritage and has attempted to please everyone, which of course means that you wind up pleasing no one.  We are either a Christian school or not.  There is no middle ground.  Catholic schools like Creighton navigate these waters.  Why can't we? 

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Can you elaborate on this? On one hand you say that Valpo does not market/promote its Christian heritage enough and then you state that it needs to be more like a Jesuit Catholic university who welcomes and respects all. Schools like Creighton (and Marquette) emphasize the 'good works' aspect of their religious heritage, without pushing religious doctrine on their students (though there are very good religious programs for those who desire them). This works really well...and I honestly feel that this is what Valpo also drives for.

[vu72]

I think 78 has some very fair observations.  I do however think that during President Heckler's tenure that faith and faith related efforts have been appropriate and growing.

A couple of examples:  The addition of the Helge Center (11,000 square feet) and the resulting expansion of church related programs including the Institute for Leadership and Service, the Center for Church Relations, the Church Vocations Program and the Institute for Liturgical Studies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1ZBeRpmeo

The focus on community service and outreach: Students combine to perform more than 247,000 hours of community outreach and service-learning annually.

[usc4valpo]

Like:
A great like for Valpo is its overall empathy are caring for others.
Music, Art, Theatre building is impressive
Meteorology and engineering programs.


Dislike:
I think Valpo needs more emphasis on STEM and athletics, particularly in basketball where that program has provided more results than the committment from the university.
Valpo also seems to consistently be a step or 2 behind in national trends such as online classes.

[David81]

I appreciate the fact that -- at least from a standpoint of diversity and inclusion -- VU has become a more "liberal" institution. This certainly was not the case when I was there (1977-81), and despite its strengths as a school devoted to undergraduate teaching and learning, it sometimes made for a less-than-welcoming atmosphere for those who didn't fit in.

By contrast, I spent some time on campus three years ago, and what I found was a school that was more confident and comfortable in its own skin than the institution I attended two generations ago. VU has hardly become a Berkeley, Oberlin, or Wesleyan -- and I'm fine with that. I'm not looking for Valpo to become a clone of a stereotypically liberal campus. But the VU of today has created more room for different points of view and folks from different backgrounds than it did back in the day, and it has done so without abandoning its Lutheran character. It's a more interesting and cosmopolitan place to get an education.

In 2017, I wrote up some of my reflections on that visit in an essay for The Cresset, VU's current affairs and humanities journal (David C. Yamada, "Homecoming at Middle Age"). I'm not enough of a "veteran" on this board to post external links, but if you search those terms, then you'll easily pull up the piece.

[VULB#62]

Thanks for a very nice post David. I also like the fact that Valpo is living up to Christ's teachings about inclusion (not a biblical term, but certainly appropriate today). One of the best memories I have in business over a lengthy career is my exposure to great people that represent a wealth of races, nationalities, and ethnicities. It changed my entire perspective on the world I live in. I am blessed to have had that experience. And I wish it had started sooner in my life — like at Valpo in the 60s.

Post-post Addition: after thinking about it further, I (just me and I'm not generalizing in any way) have concluded that most decisions people make about inclusivity are narrowly defined by their exposure or lack of exposure to the people we are talking about. I believe many (not all) people who are negative to inclusivity have not had the benefit of interacting with people of a different color, different ethnicity, different beliefs or are just "not like them."  As an example, I have a brother- and sister-in-law who have never worked or interacted with people other than people like themselves. They are adamant that all immigrants are evil, all non-white, non-christian people will destroy our country. Yet, they have never ever been touched personally by any negative act or any poor  financial ramification that supports that stance. And they are 2000 miles from the southern border. They display what I call semi-innocent ignorance. I say "semi" because they do have the intellectual capacity to dig further and get more information yet they choose not to.

That is why I am thankful that God gave me the opportunities I have been blessed with.

[vu84v2]

David81 - An excellent post. Indeed, that is also my feeling about the way in which Valpo has evolved.

[David81]

VULB#62 and vu84v2, thanks for your kind comments on my post! 

[vu84v2]

And VULB#62 posted some equally elegant comments about how exposure to different cultures and backgrounds makes us far more wiser. Valpo should always strive for that and having a diverse student body, in which diversity includes faiths, races, national origin, socioeconomic background, etc., will always enable our graduates to have more meaningful and effective careers and lives.