2018--19 Team Requiem

[VULB#62]

I've not posted before, but I wanted to see what people really mean by the perceived lack of institutional support for MBB here at Valpo. From what I can tell (I only have data publicly available DOE data, I've never had conversations with anyone on the board or anything like that), the support from the institution for the program has been consistently high for years (DOE data on the internet only goes back to 2003, so I don't know about 1999), increasing from $1,300,000 in 2003 to more than $2,600,000 in 2017 (the most recent data available). Right now Valpo is in the 12 percentile for school size in D-I, but 56 percentile for MBB spending. Of the smallest 20% of D-I schools, Valpo ranked 20th of 68 schools in MBB spending in 2017. That makes me curious about what all of you think about this. It appears to me that the school has been spending all it can through regular channels on MBB, and really needs to find large donors to make a great leap in the future.

All of that said, if Valpo wants to consistently be in the NCAA tournament, and competitive when it gets there, we probably need to spend at least another $1,500,000 per year on top of the huge budget increases the program has already seen over the last 14-16 years. Where does money like that come from, especially at a school with fewer than 4000 students, and no 7 figure athletics donors in sight?

The significant bump in the Valpo line from about 2012-2015, represents, if I am guessing correctly, one form of program commitment:  increases in Bryce's salary. Note the drop off afterward. The gradual increase afterward  I would guess includes the upgrades to media required by the MVC and an increase in travel expenses due to longer distances. To me these things fall into the "mandated to maintain" category, not significant investment. But, then again, capital improvements to facililities (i.e., the ARC) wouldn't necessarily come out of the MBB budget.

[vu72]

the needlessly extravagant visitors center and the new Chapel wing.

A little harsh.  I personally don't think the Visitor Center is extravagant in that it is the very first impression one gets when visiting the University.  As for the Chapel addition, it was funded by two former students, now Lutheran Pastors, who met at the Chapel.  Somehow new seating in the Chapel was just slightly a head of new seating in the ARC in their minds.

[wh]

the needlessly extravagant visitors center and the new Chapel wing.

A little harsh.  I personally don't think the Visitor Center is extravagant in that it is the very first impression one gets when visiting the University.  As for the Chapel addition, it was funded by two former students, now Lutheran Pastors, who met at the Chapel.  Somehow new seating in the Chapel was just slightly a head of new seating in the ARC in their minds.

The Visitor's Center is beautiful and has amazing curb appeal.  I like it.  I might even love it.  That said, the law of diminishing returns comes into play at some point in glamour strategy where the cost begins to exceed the benefits. IMO the Visitors Center is a diminishing returns poster child. 

[NativeCheesehead]

By and large I don't have a problem with most of the construction projects recently. But yeah the welcome center seems....interesting. How much was it and what function does it serve? Honest question, I've never set foot in it.

[FWalum]

By and large I don't have a problem with most of the construction projects recently. But yeah the welcome center seems....interesting. How much was it and what function does it serve? Honest question, I've never set foot in it.

The Welcome Center is home to Admissions, Enrollment and Educational Recruiting as well as meeting and presentation spaces and I believe was completely donated by the Duesenburg family. I don't know that the cost was publicly announced, but I can't imagine that it isn't out there somewhere.  The building, while being very aesthetically pleasing, functions as office space for the above mentioned departments.

[crusader05]

Some further information.

Our admissions program used to be housed in the Administrative building, Kretzmann which is probably one of the ugliest buildings on campus. It was hard to find and depressing to walk into and became very crowded and overall unpleasing as a first experience with the university.

The admissions building was fully donated and has been a great asset and a lovely first face for everyone coming in.

I would also say the chapel addition is far from frivolous as well. It's one of the most active areas on campus, coincided with the development of the institute of leadership and service and their expanding programs which includes the very successful CAP fellowships and the bridgework conference.


I think we can criticize the amount of energy spent towards cultivating or pushing large donors towards athletics but I feel those two maybe are not the best examples.

[VULB#62]

By and large I don't have a problem with most of the construction projects recently. But yeah the welcome center seems....interesting. How much was it and what function does it serve? Honest question, I've never set foot in it.

I seem to remember a figure of around $5 million as the family's gift for for the Duesenberg Welcome Center. I can't find any final figure that reflects the university's additional funding.

https://www.valpo.edu/welcomecenter/

From this site:  The long history of commitment to Valparaiso University by Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg was carried forward Saturday, April 28, when the University announced that the Duesenbergs had made a $5 million gift toward the construction of the Duesenberg Welcome Center..

I infer from toward that it means other funds were also used.

[crusader05]

I thought it was fully funded by the Dusenberg. It's a very pretty space but it's not very big and since it's mostly meeting rooms I can't imagine it had a large price Tag.

If you haven't been in it I recommend it. There's a very lovely mural lots of windows, the kissing bridge has been relocated there and there are other aspects of Valpo history around.

[bbtds]

Don't usually post on this side of the board but will give my two cents.

1) Transfers could be due to a lack of student life. VU making kids live in their dorms for 3 years (2 and a half if you qaulify) has become severely outdated and laughable. When I am 21 I don't want to be forced into a 8x10 with another guy, told what hours are visitation hours, and have to receive jboard meetings if I have a beer. Laugh if you want but many 21 year olds are probably in the same boat.

2) Bryce was extremely good at gaining an extra edge by recruiting Europe and Canada. This has stopped essentially and bringing in local high school kids works, but there is competition throughout the midwest and with Valpo's declining options for graduate schools, dorm policies, level of competition, and overall amount of student body there are other alternatives.

3) Lottich came in after the school lost arguably its best senior class in recent memory, hard enough as it is to bounce back from that. The school was moved into a higher competition conference.

Lack of student life, recruiting edges, and higher competition don't usually equal success.

Like I said 2 cents, take it or leave it

I know for certain that Javon Freeman was already allowed to live off campus. I assume this was the same for the other MBB players.