Cardinal Stritch closing as of May 2023

[vu84v2]

Unfortunately, another small private mostly liberal arts college is closing...

Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee will be closing, effective on May 22. The university's president, Dan Scholz, made the announcement in a video posted on the school's YouTube page. Cardinal Stritch is a private Catholic university founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the video, Scholz said, "We are all devastated by this development, but after examining all options, this decision was necessary. I wish there was a different path we could pursue. However, the fiscal realities, downward enrollment trends, the pandemic, the need for more resources is and the mounting operational and facility challenges presented a no-win situation. I am profoundly sad for the students."

[vu72]

Unfortunately, another small private mostly liberal arts college is closing...

Cardinal Stretch University in Milwaukee will be closing, effective on May 22. The university's president, Dan Schulz, made the announcement in a video posted on the school's YouTube page. Cardinal Stritch is a private Catholic university founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the video, Schulz said, "We are all devastated by this development, but after examining all options, this decision was necessary. I wish there was a different path we could pursue. However, the fiscal realities, downward enrollment trends, the pandemic, the need for more resources is and the mounting operational and facility challenges presented a knowing situation. I am profoundly sad for the students."

Both Cardinal Strich and Iowa Wesleyan have endowments under $20 million.

[historyman]

Cardinal Stritch Wolves


Iowa Wesleyan Tigers


It's a good thing Valpo didn't go for another animal nickname.


Such as Dunehawks?         

[VULB#62]

Yet another example of post pandemic distress — Lakeland University.

Sheboygan, WI. Private (United Church of Christ). Liberal Arts institution.  Founded 1862.  Pre-covid enrollment: ~2,500. Current enrollment figure: ~1,500. Endowment: $17.5 million. NCAA D-III.

In order to respond to the downturn, the president has just eliminated 7 upper management/administrative positions, recognizing that administrative cost falls into the overhead category.  Appears that instructional positions still holding strong.  No plans to close at this time. 

[valpotx]

Most D-3 and NAIA schools will close first.  Unless these schools have some other kind of name recognition, it is much safer to be a D-1 school in such troubled times.

[valpo95]

Saw this over the weekend, where DePaul University is facing a $56M budget gap, with deep cuts to faculty and programs. Most of this seems to be caused by declining student enrollments and the after-effects of COVID.

https://depauliaonline.com/63903/news/depauls-budget-gap-what-is-known-and-what-remains-unclear/

DePaul and Valpo have more in common than I thought. DePaul has a much larger endowment of $825M, yet recently had about 20,000 students. So, the endowment per student is about $41K, which is about half of the endowment per student at Valparaiso. DePaul also is the largest Catholic university by enrollment (just ahead of Georgetown).

[vu72]

Very interesting article and reflective of conversations on this board concerning cuts at Valpo.  I found this section of the article most interesting however:

"Phase one is just you're going to see fewer people. That might be your beloved faculty member who happens to be an adjunct and they're not here anymore," Mellow said. "Then in the next couple of years, maybe some programs that you like won't be here."

Protesters also aimed their rhetoric at the athletics department, as an area in which they believe the budget should be reconsidered.

"They need to figure out their finances and give them the resources that are actually making an impact on students' lives," Ramon-Ibarra said.

Another concern on stakeholders' minds is the presence of administrative bloat.

President Robert Manuel conceded that DePaul "probably" has administrative bloat to a "certain extent" in a conversation with student media on April 10.

"Why are we looking for change in the couch cushions when the big money's upstairs?" Mellow said.

[wh]

My oldest granddaughter is a senior at DePaul. Frankly, I just don't see the attraction. The campus is downright ugly, it's ungodly expensive, and someone in the family said that crime in and around the campus has risen every year since she's been there.

[vu84v2]

One issue with DePaul versus other universities in heavily urban areas is that they have not created their own police department with sworn officers, patrol vehicles, etc. It is costly, but universities in heavily urban areas need to take control of the safety of their students - not rely on the city.

[historyman]

One issue with DePaul versus other universities in heavily urban areas is that they have not created their own police department with sworn officers, patrol vehicles, etc. It is costly, but universities in heavily urban areas need to take control of the safety of their students - not rely on the city.

UIC & especially Univ of Chicago have their own police departments. There are nearly the same amount of U of Chicago police officers in Hyde Park as there are Chicago police officers in all the neighborhoods combined around Hyde Park. U of Chicago security personnel stand on every corner on the campus mainly to deter & witness crime (one of the hardest things is to get someone to testify against the criminal gang members & other criminals). The stand and look very serious all night and still crime does happen on the Univ of Chicago campus.

[crusadermoe]

Things will improve if we continue to defund the police.   

[vu84v2]

One issue with DePaul versus other universities in heavily urban areas is that they have not created their own police department with sworn officers, patrol vehicles, etc. It is costly, but universities in heavily urban areas need to take control of the safety of their students - not rely on the city.

UIC & especially Univ of Chicago have their own police departments. There are nearly the same amount of U of Chicago police officers in Hyde Park as there are Chicago police officers in all the neighborhoods combined around Hyde Park. U of Chicago security personnel stand on every corner on the campus mainly to deter & witness crime (one of the hardest things is to get someone to testify against the criminal gang members & other criminals). The stand and look very serious all night and still crime does happen on the Univ of Chicago campus.

Not sure whether the security personnel at U of C that you mention are sworn officers or just security people. While you cannot fully eliminate crime on an urban campus, sworn officers make a big difference since they can investigate and arrest people for any crime on campus and in the surrounding area.

[historyman]

One issue with DePaul versus other universities in heavily urban areas is that they have not created their own police department with sworn officers, patrol vehicles, etc. It is costly, but universities in heavily urban areas need to take control of the safety of their students - not rely on the city.

UIC & especially Univ of Chicago have their own police departments. There are nearly the same amount of U of Chicago police officers in Hyde Park as there are Chicago police officers in all the neighborhoods combined around Hyde Park. U of Chicago security personnel stand on every corner on the campus mainly to deter & witness crime (one of the hardest things is to get someone to testify against the criminal gang members & other criminals). The stand and look very serious all night and still crime does happen on the Univ of Chicago campus.

Not sure whether the security personnel at U of C that you mention are sworn officers or just security people. While you cannot fully eliminate crime on an urban campus, sworn officers make a big difference since they can investigate and arrest people for any crime on campus and in the surrounding area.

This page of this website has a pic of the security personnel that stand on corners on the U of C campus

https://safety-security.uchicago.edu/about/campus-safety-division


They are not the sworn officers that are in these pics on this page of the website.

https://safety-security.uchicago.edu/en/about/police




The Safety Ambassador Program provides additional safety to the campus by having contracted security authorities posted throughout the campus area. Campus Safety Ambassadors are trained Campus Security Authorities who are assigned to exterior locations throughout the campus area. The Campus Safety Ambassadors wear high-visibility uniforms to easily identify them as members of the Campus Safety team. Campus Safety Ambassadors are on post every day from 3:30 p.m. through 8:30 a.m. They do not conduct enforcement activities and do not have the authority to make arrests, but if they witness a crime, they will act immediately by contacting UCPD. Campus Safety Ambassadors provide the following services:[/size]Safety escortsDirections and campus informationQuickly contacting the UCPD and other Department of Safety & Security services if needed

[vu84v2]

To my knowledge, and from looking at DePaul's website, I do not believe that DePaul has sworn officers. If a university in a major city does not have its own sworn officers then it has to contend with other public safety priorities for the city. Thus, it has longer response times, less patrol, etc...leading to more crime.

This, however, was not an issue for Cardinal Stritch as they were in an area with lesser crime. Additionally, their land and buildings are being bought for $24M by a group that runs religiously-oriented private high schools for underserved students in Milwaukee (they already have a high school on the south side).

[VULB#62]

Another one bites the dust. Alderson-Broaddus University in West Virginia.

150+ years of history. NCAA D-II (18 sports including FB, sprint FB, lacrosse, men's and women's wrestling). Under 1,000 students. Financial troubles - net income under $1,000,000, significant debt.  Small endowment ($18.7 million).

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2023/08/students-lives-thrown-into-disarray-after-west-virginias-alderson-broaddus-university-announces-plans-to-close/

Sadly, A-BU fits the prevailing mold for closing colleges:  smaller, private, insufficient endowment/resources, debt challenged.

[vu84v2]

It's not just private schools having challenges:

https://www.wbay.com/2023/08/03/uw-oshkosh-facing-dire-financial-straits-layoffs/

I had a discussion last week with an advancement representative at a state school (not in Indiana or Wisconsin) of which I was previously affiliated. He said that the state covered 80% of costs associated with delivering all education programs (undergraduate, graduate, medical school, etc.) in 2000. As of 2018, the state covered 17% of the costs - with reductions driven by a Republican governor and Republican legislature. While the contribution from that state is a bit higher now, their non-flagship state schools are in real trouble. While following a little different path, Eastern and Western Illinois have also really struggled because enrollment and the level of state funding is not sustainable.

[VULB#62]

Ummmm, that's a little closer to home here.

While not making recent headlines, it is also pretty well known in these parts that UWGB is also fighting financial battles and budget cuts. But that is not a recent development. GB has always been waging this battle. UW-Madison is the perennial beneficiary of the legislature's largesse (it practically abuts the state capitol) to the detriment of schools like GB and Oshkosh.

[valpotx]

Another one bites the dust. Alderson-Broaddus University in West Virginia.

150+ years of history. NCAA D-II (18 sports including FB, sprint FB, lacrosse, men's and women's wrestling). Under 1,000 students. Financial troubles - net income under $1,000,000, significant debt.  Small endowment ($18.7 million).

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2023/08/students-lives-thrown-into-disarray-after-west-virginias-alderson-broaddus-university-announces-plans-to-close/

Sadly, A-BU fits the prevailing mold for closing colleges:  smaller, private, insufficient endowment/resources, debt challenged.

It's ridiculous that they are taking this action a few weeks before school was to start.  Talk about leaving your students out to dry

[wh]

America's higher education business model has completely failed us. Universities are collapsing despite charging exorbitant rates for tuition and fees, despite state governments throwing good money after bad to keep failing universities in an endless death spiral, and despite alums under constant pressure to "give back" to the same institutions that charged them Rolex prices for a Fossil watch degree. Speaking of which, my heart goes out to the untold millions of adults and their families who are saddled with decades of undeserved college debt. I can't think of anything in American life in greater need of a complete overhaul.

[historyman]

It's ridiculous that they are taking this action a few weeks before school was to start.  Talk about leaving your students out to dry

It appears it was the state of West Virginia that for practical purposes has shut the school down. Although it should be looked at what actions the A-BU board did to suddenly cause this situation for the WV HEPC to take this action in August just before the semester was to begin.

"Earlier Monday, the Higher Education Policy Commission voted to prohibit Alderson Broaddus from awarding degrees starting Dec. 31. The commission also authorized its chancellor to enter an order directing the school's next steps, which include not accepting new students or allowing returning students to come back, except for seniors scheduled to graduate at the end of the fall semester."

[valpotx]

Right, whether it is the state commission or university, they weren't respectful to the students in waiting until August to make this decision.

[crusadermoe]

Dang.

Alderson Broadus?  Gustavus Adolphus? Caesar Augustus? Yukon Cornelius?

[covufan]

Another one bites the dust. Alderson-Broaddus University in West Virginia.

150+ years of history. NCAA D-II (18 sports including FB, sprint FB, lacrosse, men's and women's wrestling). Under 1,000 students. Financial troubles - net income under $1,000,000, significant debt.  Small endowment ($18.7 million).

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2023/08/students-lives-thrown-into-disarray-after-west-virginias-alderson-broaddus-university-announces-plans-to-close/

Sadly, A-BU fits the prevailing mold for closing colleges:  smaller, private, insufficient endowment/resources, debt challenged.

It's ridiculous that they are taking this action a few weeks before school was to start.  Talk about leaving your students out to dry

Sounds like an opportunity for a school with dorm room available to transfer students...


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[covufan]

Dang.

Alderson Broadus?  Gustavus Adolphus? Caesar Augustus? Yukon Cornelius?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/a9/be/04a9bee3baaab8643082ff3266be56c5.jpg


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