Law School to move to Tennessee

[FieldGoodie05]

Shocking news!  The deal is off!  Now what... 

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/education/update-tennessee-regulators-reject-valparaiso-university-law-school-s-deal/article_7d59ef08-b4fa-5c41-bf13-4a40cdb7f6a3.html#utm_source=nwitimes.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fbreaking%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=E0F70624F98C80330FDC36F64F3768B2AE53C8F2

What a cluster!  We had college educated people running things the last several years, right?


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Is it feasible option 1) transfer to TN and then option 2) close.....we're all that was on the table???  What level of education is needed with that type of nearly "no option" decision?

[crusadermoe]

Be careful what you wish for.   IU-Northwest could easily become entwined with Valpo.

At some point in VU's growing construction debts and decreasing income, the entire Valpo campus could be sold to the state and become IU-Northwest. 

[crusader05]

I think there are probably a couple of issues. 1. once you get an interested party and want to move forward it is a significant process that doesn't leave a lot of time to keep other options on the table. Also 2. By transferring it to another space you get to preserve the buildings for ourselves and our use vs potentially having to see them to another school. My guess is the idea of selling Heritage Hall to another university was pretty unpalatable.

[vu72]

There still may be hope for a relocation. I read the following from a local newspaper article which labeled the decision as a strictly political one.

"The northwest Indiana university had placed MTSU at the top of a short list of institutions to receive its law school at no cost."

But, troubling enough was this quote about whether or not MTSU would continue to pursue other law school opportunities:

"We're not going to stop," he said. "If the board and current faculty leadership believe that a law school is going to be helpful for our school, then we're going to pursue one. We'll just think of a better idea. Law schools are out there by the dozen."

[VULB#62]

I received this email this morning [my emphasis]:

Dear Valparaiso University Alumni,

I am writing to share an important update about the Valparaiso University Law School. Yesterday Valparaiso University announced its decision to continue to teach-out the current Law School students in a timely manner and cease operations.

The University will work closely with its relevant accreditors, the Higher Learning Commission and the American Bar Association (ABA), to continue with its plan to teach-out the remaining law students.

The University continues to enroll high-quality students, achieve high national rankings, and maintain graduate placement exceeding 90 percent for 25 consecutive years. Valpo continues to grow and thrive, adding undergraduate and postgraduate programs in high demand fields, building cutting-edge classroom spaces, and expanding housing to include Beacon Hall and the Sorority Complex.

The future of Valparaiso University remains strong as is its commitment to developing women and men, like yourself, who are highly sought for their knowledge, character, integrity, and wisdom. We will continue to elevate the student experience as the world needs more Valpo graduates who do great things in a world that needs them.

I want to personally express my deepest appreciation for your continued support, and engagement of Valparaiso University.

Sincerely,

Frederick G. Kraegel '70
Chairman, Board of Directors

[crusader05]

https://www.murfreesboropost.com/opinion/editorials/a-hatchet-job-indeed/article_6579596e-dc65-11e8-9343-fbe60b635a7d.html

Interesting piece from TN about how an editorial board feels about it. This coincides with what I've heard. That this last minute consultants report was   and specifically designed to spook certain votes and that it was a political ploy.

It's just devastating for lots of reasons as I believe this was the University's good faith effort to work to preserve the Valparaiso University Law Schools name in some way and they made lots of decisions to do that which caused near term financial struggles for the university to do so.

[usc4valpo]

So currently there is no suitor for Valpo's law school?

[crusader05]

I don't think there can be. The process with MTSU lasted many years and took lots of time and effort from different levels of administration plus a consulting firm. They do not have the time or money to do that process over again. My guess is the best we can hope for is maybe we can get someone to purchase our law library or some other things. But by Spring of 2020 we will no longer have a single student and therefore will not have a law school to gift or sell.

[usc4valpo]

I cannot imagine being a law student at Valpo right now, knowing that after they graduate the school will cease operations. Very sad.

[FWalum]

This news hit the Fort Wayne paper today. Valparaiso law school shuttered; costs cited

Probably not great news for local student recruitment.

[FieldGoodie05]

I cannot imagine being a law student at Valpo right now, knowing that after they graduate the school will cease operations. Very sad.

Having a law school was never a factor in my decision to attend VU.  How many on this board that are alumni actually even knew there was a law school when you were a high school senior making college decisions?

I only found out midway into my freshman year because our track assistant coach was a 2nd year law student.

[crusader05]

I agree. The law school's reputation is so regional that there is a complete disconnect from how it's viewed by it's older alumni and people in the area and people who are looking at Valpo for undergrad. I attended almost 20 years ago and it was a non-factor even then. I don't think this will make a single bit of difference when it comes to undergraduate or graduate school enrollment. In fact I often remember that, when telling older people that I was attending Valpo if they didn't mention the Drews all they could say was "oh don't they have a good law school" but that's not something my generation or those below mine knew or thought about Valpo.

[78crusader]

How anyone can think the headline "Valparaiso law school shuttered" does not negatively impact our reputation, ability to recruit new students, and our brand is beyond me.  The entire administration and board of directors is culpable for this debacle.

Paul

[FieldGoodie05]

How anyone can think the headline "Valparaiso law school shuttered" does not negatively impact our reputation, ability to recruit new students, and our brand is beyond me.  The entire administration and board of directors is culpable for this debacle.

Paul

So a potential undergraduate that has no plans to become a lawyer or politician is going to be allergic to attending a school that decided to close their law school.  Maybe it's part of the consideration, but I can tell you that only adults give a _____ about media and what's written by them.

Here's where it becomes a negative of substance....if it negatively deminishes our annual ranking by corrupt ranking systems run by fallible humans.

I respect your concern, but this means very little to our long term viability IMO.  High school seniors don't read newspapers guys!!!! They barely read, they let those sexy bots Alexa and Siri do it for them haha

[crusader05]

Also literally the only people running articles on this are local news sources and some law school sites. Valpo's law school was so off the radar that it closing doesn't mean much as universities close different programs all the time. If it didn't happen because of a large scandal at the height of it's prime then it doesn't break through

[FWalum]

How anyone can think the headline "Valparaiso law school shuttered" does not negatively impact our reputation, ability to recruit new students, and our brand is beyond me.  The entire administration and board of directors is culpable for this debacle.

Paul

So a potential undergraduate that has no plans to become a lawyer or politician is going to be allergic to attending a school that decided to close their law school.  Maybe it's part of the consideration, but I can tell you that only adults give a _____ about media and what's written by them.

Here's where it becomes a negative of substance....if it negatively deminishes our annual ranking by corrupt ranking systems run by fallible humans.

I respect your concern, but this means very little to our long term viability IMO.  High school seniors don't read newspapers guys!!!! They barely read, they let those sexy bots Alexa and Siri do it for them haha

How anyone can think the headline "Valparaiso law school shuttered" does not negatively impact our reputation, ability to recruit new students, and our brand is beyond me.  The entire administration and board of directors is culpable for this debacle.

Paul

Also literally the only people running articles on this are local news sources and some law school sites. Valpo's law school was so off the radar that it closing doesn't mean much as universities close different programs all the time. If it didn't happen because of a large scandal at the height of it's prime then it doesn't break through

I know that 78Crusader and I are from a similar era, and I understand that you seem mainly to be concerned about the optics for enrollment, thinking that high school kids don't look at this kind of thing, I am not only concerned about high school students, but also alumni and donors.  I think it will be a while before this news is moved off of the first page of a Valparaiso University Google search.  The University should be concerned about this.

[crusader05]

I do think the University is and should be concerned about it and I do think it does have repercussions and obviously is upsetting and unacceptable to alumna and other donors. I was though responding that I do not think it will effect undergrad enrollment or the overall outlook of the campus in the way other posters were referring.  I actually tend to think (and I know this might sound heartless) that the university probably saw the writing on the wall a long time ago and maybe should have ripped the bandaid off way earlier rather than this slow death we have seen but that they were worried specifically about alumna and donors. I think the slow loss of stature of the law school plus it's complete detachment from the university were both factors that were easy to see from within but hard to see from without. It wasn't financially feasible to shrink enrollment and so the strategy was to increase it and hope we could prove ourselves even if the quality of students coming in decreased. That gamble did not pay off and so we briefly lost and quickly regained our accreditation and then it was time to cut our losses and get out.

I just wonder if the blowback over the closing or gifting of the law school ten years ago would have been less or if it needed to get to this point?

[usc4valpo]

Law education demand has dropped significantly across the country. I do not think it is as bad a blemish as people think. Now if the college of engineering, sciences, business or nursingwhere there is huge national demand, gets worse, then we have a problem.