University Eliminating Majors and Minors

VU2014 · November 12, 2020, 07:34:21 PM

The University is planning to phase out the following majors and minors. The University seems to focusing on the careers paths.

https://twitter.com/valpotorch/status/1326965376287174661?s=21

FWalum · November 13, 2020, 08:26:18 AM

Doesn't it seems strange that the President Emeritus would be making this announcement?

crusadermoe · November 13, 2020, 01:08:37 PM

Wow, that's a tough one. Heckler was a theatre major.

crusader05 · November 13, 2020, 03:00:18 PM

It looks like the theater major is going to be reimagined as a minor that focuses on Theater Tech and TV/Media production that will ink in the College of Communications and Engineering. I could see this meaning that little changes in regards to activities such as plays in the theater department so that is a positive for me and seems to be a creative way to reimagine something in a way that ties into other areas such as with our WVUR/VUTV organizations and even our Meteorology program.

The Classics one probably hurts the most for me because that was a program I often fulfilled my gen ed requirements through and offered the Study Abroad experience I took advantage of while in school.

valpotx · November 14, 2020, 02:38:08 AM

I am a bit surprised by the Secondary Education cut, but not by the others. I know a lot of athletes that went this route, so hopefully it does not deter folks from considering our school.

usc4valpo · November 14, 2020, 07:11:18 AM

These are difficult decisions but these have to done for sustainability. My daughter made a trip to Valpo as an elementary education major and quite honestly their program was diluted and kind of in maintenance mode. For $55k a year, how many students are going to attend Valpo for those majors? We are in a different academic world than we were 40 years ago.

VUGrad1314 · November 19, 2020, 08:22:06 AM

I'm so glad they saved my major (Chinese and Japanese Studies) I was so glad to be able to do that major there and it was a big factor that drew me to Valpo and I was able to Study Abroad in China through it. Additionally, so many of the friends I made on campus were international students from China. I would have been deeply saddened to see the program go especially as valuable programs like that are in the world today. We need people who can build bridges between East Asia and the United States now more than ever and that need will only continue to grow.

usc4valpo · November 19, 2020, 02:38:06 PM

If Valpo wants to stay ahead of the game - perhaps Indian studies should be in the portfolio - recently the US is much more engaged with India than Japan, and from my experiences the cultural differences are unique.

valpo95 · January 07, 2021, 12:42:13 PM

I don't know if this was posted elsewhere, yet Concordia University Chicago (River Forest) is eliminating several programs, including majors in chemistry, business communication, MIS, graphic arts, theatre and several other programs.

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/concordia-university-chicago-lays-off-51-closes-15-programs
https://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-23-2020/Cuts-at-Concordia-put-college-on-edge---/

Apparently, CUC had also set a record for total enrollments this fall, so even then there is going to be some cutting.

vu72 · January 07, 2021, 01:21:49 PM

Quote from: valpo95 on January 07, 2021, 12:42:13 PM
I don't know if this was posted elsewhere, yet Concordia University Chicago (River Forest) is eliminating several programs, including majors in chemistry, business communication, MIS, graphic arts, theatre and several other programs.

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/concordia-university-chicago-lays-off-51-closes-15-programs
https://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-23-2020/Cuts-at-Concordia-put-college-on-edge---/

Apparently, CUC had also set a record for total enrollments this fall, so even then there is going to be some cutting.

I would expect that many of those students are evening or online. They must be struggling to keep students or, more likely, to afford students. They are ranked #74 in the Midwest University category by US News and their listed endowment is only $24.7 million. That sure sounds like serious trouble to me. I wish them well. Both my dad and grandfather graduated from Concordia.

crusadermoe · January 07, 2021, 04:33:28 PM

In financial terms most of the Oak Park new article is fairly predictable in this COVID year. But its angle goes into the identity issue.

We also know the "identity" question looms over all faith-based colleges with VU included. VU is completely independent of any church body. It's faith identity is self-imposed or driven by its constituents. There is probably a clause in the board charter somewhere that requires some percentage of the board itself to be Lutheran, but obviously a board can change its own charter. So VU is essentially independent.

What jumped out at me for CUC was that only 5% of the students belong to the LCMS. Everyone knows those numbers are drifting downward everywhere, VU included, but that is dramatic at a place that historically existed to train church educators. Of course that was a student so the stat could be inaccurate. In the case of CUC their identity does seem to have been skewed.

bbtds · January 09, 2021, 10:14:29 AM

Quote from: crusadermoe on January 07, 2021, 04:33:28 PM
In financial terms most of the Oak Park new article is fairly predictable in this COVID year. But its angle goes into the identity issue.

We also know the "identity" question looms over all faith-based colleges with VU included. VU is completely independent of any church body. It's faith identity is self-imposed or driven by its constituents. There is probably a clause in the board charter somewhere that requires some percentage of the board itself to be Lutheran, but obviously a board can change its own charter. So VU is essentially independent.

What jumped out at me for CUC was that only 5% of the students belong to the LCMS. Everyone knows those numbers are drifting downward everywhere, VU included, but that is dramatic at a place that historically existed to train church educators. Of course that was a student so the stat could be inaccurate. In the case of CUC their identity does seem to have been skewed.

It makes me wonder what percentage of Catholics Dominican University, which is across Division Street from Concordia-Chicago, is at this time.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Concordia+University+Chicago/@41.901802,-87.8103195,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x880fcb2cc7638d35:0xc2cb12b6aee7148!8m2!3d41.899594!4d-87.809547

FWalum · January 13, 2021, 09:55:31 AM

Quote from: crusadermoe on January 07, 2021, 04:33:28 PMWhat jumped out at me for CUC was that only 5% of the students belong to the LCMS. Everyone knows those numbers are drifting downward everywhere, VU included, but that is dramatic at a place that historically existed to train church educators. Of course that was a student so the stat could be inaccurate. In the case of CUC their identity does seem to have been skewed.

My son graduated from there 4 years ago and I find that 5% number very hard to believe, the context feels like it was pulled out of thin air and is an exaggeration. It is certainly not true of the residential campus population. Maybe with the commuter and online students the number may be watered down to that 5% figure.