Enrollment numbers

[vu72]

What 2021 quote "today" are the last two posters referencing?    Was it taken down?

He cited the "follies" of facilities and endowment initiatives.  I, for one, found that puzzling or at least uninformed.  What facilities initiatives was he/she referencing?  And the endowment in critical to the life of the university.  These things certainly didn't put the university in a "precarious" position.

[crusadermoe]

Well, this continues to be a weird year. 

But end of August always brings to constants.   The U.S. News rankings and the enrollment census.   Let's hope for the best in both.  Has anyone seen either recently?

[crusadermoe]

Ok. I looked it up and the answer is pretty good in US News.  We are now in National Universities, not regional, and ranked #153
Creighton is #104 in National rank and Drake is #130.   Butler (#1)  and Bradley stayed in the Regional category. Kind of a head scratcher, but oh well.

Ranking Valpo and Drake among the major state universities seems like an apple and an orange.

[vu84v2]

#153 among national universities is impressive. I believe that is a nice increase from the prior year's rankings.

My understanding is that the factor that defines national versus regional universities is the amount of programs that award PhDs. Still, it makes no sense to have Valpo and major state schools in the same rankings.

[vu72]

#153 among national universities is impressive. I believe that is a nice increase from the prior year's rankings.

My understanding is that the factor that defines national versus regional universities is the amount of programs that award PhDs. Still, it makes no sense to have Valpo and major state schools in the same rankings.

I'm pretty sure that is the same ranking as last year.

[vusupporter]

The 2021 rankings come out September 14.

[vu72]

It will be interesting to see any changes.

When you look at last year's rankings for the Missouri Valley Conference, they look like this:

National Universities:

Loyola #98 (tie)
Drake #126 (tie)
Valpo #148 (tie)
Illinois State  #193 (tie)

Indiana State somewhere between #293-381
Missouri State somewhere between #293-381
Southern Illinois--unranked but considered a National University

Regional Universities Midwest:

Bradley  #4
Evansville  #6
Northern Iowa  #18 (tie)

[NotBryceDrew]

I noticed this a while back when professor Galloway published that "college survival list" report and someone linked it in one of the threads but I do not think this has been brought up or discussed here.

As of 2018 the NCES's IPEDS has the "Residence of first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates: Fall 2018" at 1% foreign for 2018.

https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/institutionprofile.aspx?unitId=152600

So this mean that 1% of first year students in 2018 were foreign correct?

Considering how we have discussed the heavily resilience on foreign students in the past it would seem that the school has done alright in admissions considering that drop off.

[valpotx]

Do we offer PhDs now?

[vu72]

Do we offer PhDs now?

Yes.  There are two in Nursing.  Dozens of other Masters programs in many fields.

[crusadermoe]

The other question of the month is the enrollment census.

What is the final word on that?   

Moody's and our VP seemed to be watching closely.

[crusadermoe]

Crickets on new enrollment?

[valpo95]

Near as I can tell, the following is for Fall 2020.

Undergrad Enrollment  2737   (was 3011 in Fall 2019)
Graduate Enrollment 399    (was 494 in Fall 2019)

Fall 2020 Freshman 589    (was 565 in Fall 2019)  (apples to apples freshman status comparison)
Total Fall New First Time Students  790    (was 812 in Fall 2019)  (this includes transfers, freshman and first-time students classified beyond freshman status due to completed credits; this also includes new part-time students, though only about 2% undergrads are part time)

What I take from this is that the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance. There were probably some students that deferred, yet at least the numbers this year are on par with last year.

The decline in total enrollment is a bit hard to track, mostly because the fall 2019 freshman / new enrollments was unusually low (the new first time students in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 1092, 1065 and 968). So, many of the students in the relatively larger 2016 enrollment class probably graduated in the spring of 2020, and the fall 2019 enrollments were low, which would lead to an enrollment decline even in the best case. Add to that some upper-class students likely decided to take some time off due to COVID-19, and the total enrollment numbers are down.

[vu72]

Near as I can tell, the following is for Fall 2020.

Undergrad Enrollment  2737   (was 3011 in Fall 2019)
Graduate Enrollment 399    (was 494 in Fall 2019)

Fall 2020 Freshman 589    (was 565 in Fall 2019)  (apples to apples freshman status comparison)
Total Fall New First Time Students  790    (was 812 in Fall 2019)  (this includes transfers, freshman and first-time students classified beyond freshman status due to completed credits; this also includes new part-time students, though only about 2% undergrads are part time)

What I take from this is that the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance. There were probably some students that deferred, yet at least the numbers this year are on par with last year.

The decline in total enrollment is a bit hard to track, mostly because the fall 2019 freshman / new enrollments was unusually low (the new first time students in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 1092, 1065 and 968). So, many of the students in the relatively larger 2016 enrollment class probably graduated in the spring of 2020, and the fall 2019 enrollments were low, which would lead to an enrollment decline even in the best case. Add to that some upper-class students likely decided to take some time off due to COVID-19, and the total enrollment numbers are down.

Wouldn't the decline in graduate students be in part due to the closing of the law school?

[valpopal]

Near as I can tell, the following is for Fall 2020.

Undergrad Enrollment  2737   (was 3011 in Fall 2019)
Graduate Enrollment 399    (was 494 in Fall 2019)

Fall 2020 Freshman 589    (was 565 in Fall 2019)  (apples to apples freshman status comparison)
Total Fall New First Time Students  790    (was 812 in Fall 2019)  (this includes transfers, freshman and first-time students classified beyond freshman status due to completed credits; this also includes new part-time students, though only about 2% undergrads are part time)

What I take from this is that the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance. There were probably some students that deferred, yet at least the numbers this year are on par with last year.

The decline in total enrollment is a bit hard to track, mostly because the fall 2019 freshman / new enrollments was unusually low (the new first time students in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 1092, 1065 and 968). So, many of the students in the relatively larger 2016 enrollment class probably graduated in the spring of 2020, and the fall 2019 enrollments were low, which would lead to an enrollment decline even in the best case. Add to that some upper-class students likely decided to take some time off due to COVID-19, and the total enrollment numbers are down.

I am not permitted to reveal exact numbers until publicly announced, but it is safe to say "the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance."

[vu84v2]

If these numbers are true, these are good results given the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[valpo95]

Wouldn't the decline in graduate students be in part due to the closing of the law school?

According to the numbers I have, the total grad school decline was 95 from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2020.  16 of the 95 were students in the law school. The big decline in law census occurred in the prior years.

[crusadermoe]

Even in our tech age it appears to be harder and slower to count students......

[NotBryceDrew]

 Scroggins said. "We were seeing enrollment trends in terms of deposits in March, so pre-COVID, we're tracking 15% ahead of last year so we were very encouraged by that and then COVID hit and then we saw the numbers start to decline."

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_deee3d10-01b5-11eb-9eb5-7b2e2d2fe7d3.html

[vu72]

Scroggins said. "We were seeing enrollment trends in terms of deposits in March, so pre-COVID, we're tracking 15% ahead of last year so we were very encouraged by that and then COVID hit and then we saw the numbers start to decline."

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_deee3d10-01b5-11eb-9eb5-7b2e2d2fe7d3.html

Interesting article.  My guess is that the faculty complaints are probably similar to the issues with employees at any large company.  At a University, with so many departments, it becomes so much more diverse versus an ordinary company.  I have zero idea what the issues are or if they have credence, but the article said that 99 faculty signed the letter.  My guess is that is about 25% of the total.

[crusadermoe]

I don't to divert into sports on this VU GENERAL DISCUSSION thread.  So let's keep it TIGHTLY in the realm of dicey expenses to the overall VU budget, not vague thoughts about marketing appeal.   

It's hard to imagine that a high travel and low revenue sport like baseball will remain in its current long season/high travel cost form with trips and flights to southern states.  If retained, it would be logical to play our games in driving distance.  But then the climate is an obstacle. 

COVID is a perfect excuse to try my idea of playing only a full MVC baseball season. Play it n a St. Louis bubble(one hotel) at SLU's home field over one or two weekends sure makes sense.  Playing doubleheaders could give you an 8 game four day trip twice and yield a 16-game season.

[bbtds]

I don't to divert into sports on this VU GENERAL DISCUSSION thread.  So let's keep it TIGHTLY in the realm of dicey expenses to the overall VU budget, not vague thoughts about marketing appeal.   

It's hard to imagine that a high travel and low revenue sport like baseball will remain in its current long season/high travel cost form with trips and flights to southern states.  If retained, it would be logical to play our games in driving distance.  But then the climate is an obstacle. 

COVID is a perfect excuse to try my idea of playing only a full MVC baseball season. Play it n a St. Louis bubble(one hotel) at SLU's home field over one or two weekends sure makes sense.  Playing doubleheaders could give you an 8 game four day trip twice and yield a 16-game season.

I'm pretty sure Busch Stadium is available and might be more fun for the teams. The MVC already uses the Cardinal owned Ballpark Village across the street from the stadium for Arch Madness. SLU's field, at Billiken's Sports Center is just slightly better than Em Bauer Field.




GCS Credit Union, home field of the Gateway Grizzlies, in Sauget (SAW-jhay) IL, right across the river in the flood plain of the Mississippi River would probably be the appropriate field to use for a college tournament.

https://websterathletics.com/sports/2007/12/5/Baseball%20Facilities.aspx?id=7

[wh]

Scroggins said. "We were seeing enrollment trends in terms of deposits in March, so pre-COVID, we're tracking 15% ahead of last year so we were very encouraged by that and then COVID hit and then we saw the numbers start to decline."

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_deee3d10-01b5-11eb-9eb5-7b2e2d2fe7d3.html

Interesting article.  My guess is that the faculty complaints are probably similar to the issues with employees at any large company.  At a University, with so many departments, it becomes so much more diverse versus an ordinary company.  I have zero idea what the issues are or if they have credence, but the article said that 99 faculty signed the letter.  My guess is that is about 25% of the total.

Wisely, IMO, Valpo has recognized that, while its current business model has served it well for many decades, it is not sustainable going forward.  Accordingly, the university leadership team is making a major paradigm shift, i.e., elevating STEM and establishing a major presence in the on-line market.  Any time a business reorganizes, there are winners and losers.  Good people get downsized like cargo tossed overboard in an attempt to save a sinking ship. The least valuable cargo goes first.

The time is long past to seek the thoughts of self-serving instructors with an axe to grind about past Board performance and who typically know little to nothing about strategic business planning at the survival level. Anytime you work for someone else, they do in fact hold your future in their hands.  That's life. The alternative is to run your own business, which believe me is no walk in the park.

Downsizing is nasty business, but a necessary evil in situations like Valpo finds itself in. The only thing crueler than cutting pay, benefits, and people, is not having the courage to cut pay, benefits and people - until it's too late.   

[valpotx]

I don't to divert into sports on this VU GENERAL DISCUSSION thread.  So let's keep it TIGHTLY in the realm of dicey expenses to the overall VU budget, not vague thoughts about marketing appeal.   

It's hard to imagine that a high travel and low revenue sport like baseball will remain in its current long season/high travel cost form with trips and flights to southern states.  If retained, it would be logical to play our games in driving distance.  But then the climate is an obstacle. 

COVID is a perfect excuse to try my idea of playing only a full MVC baseball season. Play it n a St. Louis bubble(one hotel) at SLU's home field over one or two weekends sure makes sense.  Playing doubleheaders could give you an 8 game four day trip twice and yield a 16-game season.

Baseball will not be eliminated.  Just this last week, we/baseball alums received an email from MLB tied to the $800k in renovations/upgrades being done to Em Bauer Field, and soliciting donations.  We would not be undertaking this effort, if plans had changed to eliminate baseball in the next few years.  Again, it is also a core MVC sport, along with Basketball & Volleyball.

[valpopal]

Near as I can tell, the following is for Fall 2020.

Undergrad Enrollment  2737   (was 3011 in Fall 2019)
Graduate Enrollment 399    (was 494 in Fall 2019)

Fall 2020 Freshman 589    (was 565 in Fall 2019)  (apples to apples freshman status comparison)
Total Fall New First Time Students  790    (was 812 in Fall 2019)  (this includes transfers, freshman and first-time students classified beyond freshman status due to completed credits; this also includes new part-time students, though only about 2% undergrads are part time)

What I take from this is that the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance. There were probably some students that deferred, yet at least the numbers this year are on par with last year.

The decline in total enrollment is a bit hard to track, mostly because the fall 2019 freshman / new enrollments was unusually low (the new first time students in 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 1092, 1065 and 968). So, many of the students in the relatively larger 2016 enrollment class probably graduated in the spring of 2020, and the fall 2019 enrollments were low, which would lead to an enrollment decline even in the best case. Add to that some upper-class students likely decided to take some time off due to COVID-19, and the total enrollment numbers are down.

I am not permitted to reveal exact numbers until publicly announced, but it is safe to say "the first year class was pretty solid given the COVID-19 circumstance."

Since our interim-president publicly released some of the numbers this week, I can now repeat them here. Undergraduate level: 637 first-year students for fall 2020, lowered from 649 in 2019, which already was a down year. The decline is because of difficulty in travel for international undergraduate students, while the number of domestic first-year undergraduate students is actually up a bit. Declines due to the absence of law students and a decrease in international graduate students brings total enrollment to about 3,100 students. She did not publicly state the "total fall new first-time students," but the number quoted above can be considered close. Unfortunately, before the virus hit in March, enrollment looked to be up significantly. By June the numbers appeared dismal. But thankfully there was a rebound during the summer.