Valpo Strategic Plan

[historyman]

How critical is it that Valpo has a significant enrollment of Lutheran students? Why not have a broad base of Christian and non-Christian students? Get the enrollment up with quality students, and not focus on the maintaining a percentage of Lutheran students!

USC, I agree with you. I'm not arguing for only focusing on Lutheran students and would very much like to see increasing enrollment of high-quality students regardless of their background.  However, the facts are that one source of VU's traditional student enrollment declined precipitously under President Heckler's presidency. Of course, it did not help that he was the first non-LCMS (and non-clergy) to be President in VU's modern history.

President Schnabel attended the Seminary but was not an ordained Lutheran clergy.

[VU2022]

If we're looking for people/parts of the organization who should shoulder the blame for where valpo is now, I think we can look no further than the former  people in charge of recruiting (falls on heckler too of course being tje president). Under their direction, enrollment not only didn't increase each year but even decreased despite other big schools seeing an increase (even during COVID and with the beginning demographic crunch). It was a massive failure on all levels. They did not adequately communicate to high schoolers the reasons to go to valpo (great STEM programs, small class sizes, small and safe city, but still a good college atmosphere with plenty of social activities). I speak from experience as a Chicagoland high school student at the time, whose classmates either didn't know what valpo was, or said things like "that's such a small school, why would anyone want to there over a school with higher rankings and that I can have fun at, like (insert big 10 school)", not realizing that rankings aren't everything and that valpo isnt BYU or Wheaton. there was no reason that valpo wasn't more well known in the Chicagoland area than it was, and there was no reason for the marketing not to emphasize that valpo, while a religious institution compared to a state school, is not a controlling, strict place like some other religious schools are. From my perspective as a former student, things definitely began to change for the better my senior year under Padilla. Bolstering athletics, the tailgating/social scene on campus, the push to renovate the dorms, and the emphasis on the opportunities available only at a school like valpo because of its small size and faculty focus on undergraduates are all things that will bolster recruiting and retention. These  are things that could have (and really should have) been done sooner. At the end of the day, if each graduating class at valpo since 2018 had just 200 more students (and that's conservative), that's 800 more students paying tuition, spreading the word about valpo to friends, family, and communities, (increasing awareness and interest!) and becoming potential future donors to the school. The situation now wouldn't look nearly as bleak if this were the case....nevertheless we cannot change the past, we can only focus on what is being done now, and the main thing that matters now is increasing enrollment by convincing the youth of today that going to valpo is a better choice for them than the competition

[vu84v2]

I do not agree with the conclusion on urgency. It could certainly be considered urgent while also needing to delay a contract with Sotheby's due to pre-requisites to resolve legal issues/approval.

I would agree with you except that Padilla made timing a point when expressing his reasoning for the art sale plan. He asserted selling the paintings was the only way he could get funds by the end of spring to begin renovation of the dorms over the summer. He said there was a tight schedule and that was why he eliminated some other alternatives. However, that urgency rationalization for the art sale by end of spring option no longer applies.

If they are starting the dorm renovations, then your arguments have some validity. If they are delaying starting the dorm renovations (which is my understanding), your arguments are not valid....its just that everything is delayed (and Valpo will continue to fall short of parity on first and second year dorms when trying to attract new students).

Exactly my point. I couldn't state it clearer myself. Thank you. If they start the dorm renovations this summer, then they obviously didn't need the urgent sale of the artwork to make that happen. If they delay the renovations, then Padilla's argument for the art sale—that they couldn't wait for alternative possible options (like a limited fundraising initiative) that might take a little longer and had no choice but to immediately sell the paintings—doesn't hold water. 

I meant to say that my understanding was that they are not starting the dorm renovations this summer...but I honestly do not know.

[valpopal]

The Attorney General sticking his nose into Valpo's affairs? More Big Government overreach.

Just a clarification for those who aren't aware of the details: the Attorney General has no choice in this matter. He is legally required to become involved. He was named in the lawsuit as a defendant (alongside Padilla and Valparaiso University), so his office must respond and take a position before any resolution is reached. The Attorney General is characterized as a defendant because he has responsibility in the state of Indiana to guarantee charitable corporations comply with legal obligations, properly manage assets, and do not violate agreements according to possible stated or implied restrictions in a donor's intent.

[crusadermoe]

VU2022 nailed it.  Enrollment was never led skillfully under Heckler and also declined under Harre, who I praise sometimes.

That is the heart of the revenue stream.  Everything else is noise and a distraction from that central point.  Moody's agrees with you, VU2022.  May 1 is the big day?

[David81]

David81:

I appreciate your response - I'm not trying to pile on, nor am I trying to be unfair.

I looked back at the calculation, and realized a quick error in Point #1 as I mixed two values in the denominator - the reports I have are not especially user-friendly. In 2009 there were 2892 undergrads, of which 325 indicated no religious affiliation. So the percentage Lutheran was 901/2892 = 31.1%, and if you exclude the numbers who indicated no affiliation the numbers are 901 / (2892-325) = 35.1%.  The 465 LCMS students would be 16.1% of the total undergrads, or 18.1% of the students who indicated an affiliation. In 2020, there were 2737 undergrads, and 427 indicated no affiliation. So the 2020 percentage Lutheran was 18.4% of all undergrads, and excluding those who indicated no affiliation it would be 21.8%. The 184 LCMS students would be 6.7% of all undergrads, or 8.0% of those who indicated an affiliation. So, yes the fraction of undergrads who indicated no affiliation increased 11.2% to 15.6% consistent with the broad trends, yet the fraction of LCMS students at VU dropped by much more than that.

To put it another way, in 2006 (before President Heckler arrived), there were 603 LCMS undergrads (which would an average incoming class of 151 if we conveniently assume constant enrollment over four years), and in 2020 when he left, there were 184 students (an average incoming class of 46 if constant over four years). Although the fraction of religiously-affiliated students is going down, the decline in enrollment of VU's traditional Lutheran students was far steeper. Those missing students would make (and would have made) a big difference in VUs budget circumstance.

As to the law school, I get that this was a difficult circumstance for many universities, and ultimately the Law School might not have survived. However, the way this was handled, especially the dramatic decline in quality and bar passage rates, was an unnecessary hit to VU's academic reputation. The President in particular (and the Board in general) should have been paying closer attention to this, and clearly they did not.

On the sticker price, I agree VU was not alone in raising prices - private tuition was and is expensive. However, VU had a reputation of being more modestly priced that some of its private university competition (at least through the mid-1990s), and that seems to have disappeared. In addition, the dramatic increase in sticker price likely covered up some of the structural deficits. In addition, there is no possibility of continuing dramatic tuition increases going forward - that may work for Harvard or Yale, yet not for VU. It also would be interesting to see the admissions rates during his tenure, yet I'm guessing that the percentage of admitted applicants also went up. 

It would be unfair to blame all of the ills facing VU on President Heckler - yes, VU faculty were underpaid for some time. However, my sense is that this got worse during his tenure, not better. 

I'm not trying to pile on, and I did not mention anything about athletics.  President Heckler had twelve years at the helm. In that sense, President Padilla has a much harder task and I'm willing to give him much more of the benefit of the doubt in having to make tough choices on a shorter timeline.

Valpo95, thank you for your responses to my comments.

Yes, others here have brought up a downturn in VU's recruiting at Lutheran high schools during Heckler's watch and has to be seen as a bad move. I know there's another thread here raising the question of how Lutheran does VU have to be in terms of student body, and even as a non-Lutheran I feel like this is part of the school's historic and substantive identity and thus should remain a priority.

On the Law School. From accounts I've read, when applications were falling, the law faculty opted to take in an entering class with very, very weak LSAT scores on average, reasoning that their personal, student-centered approach to legal education (which, compared to many other law schools, was certainly the case) could help those students overcome their academic shortcomings. However, while the LSAT is a far from perfect indicator of future academic or professional success in the legal profession, scores at a certain low level are very predictive of extreme difficulty in passing bar exam. VU's entering classes were averaging at that LSAT threshold, and at that point even the most dedicated teaching faculty in the world would not be able to bring those students over the line.

Now, if President Heckler knew about the predictive data between very low LSAT scores and very low bar exam pass rates, then yes, he must share responsibility for what happened at VU Law. But it does appear that the law faculty mistakenly believed that they could turn chaff into wheat, and by the time those classes took the bar exam, it was too late to do much about it. A good number of law schools closed or lost their American Bar Association accreditation during that long post-recession period, and of all of the casualties, I consider VU Law to be the saddest of them. The Little Engine that Could finally hit a perfect storm of circumstances that it couldn't survive, absent being a huge drain on the rest of the University.

On rising tuition: Yes, VU at one time was seen as a comparative bargain for a private university education. The fact that it kept up with the Joneses as far as consistent tuition hikes, similar to comparable institutions, meant that it lost that competitive advantages. We know it didn't translate into higher faculty salaries. I'm guessing, based on my university's similar financing challenges, that much of the extra tuition cash went into capital expenditures (new/renovated buildings) or debt service on the same.

[crusadermoe]

If you google "Bradley shrinks deficit" you will find an article of May 2021 saying they faced a $10 million budget deficit. By 2023 they ran a surplus. 

Send some administrators on a field trip? Those decisions could not have been easy.

[FWalum]

I had someone ask me yesterday if the Brauer Museum was an accredited museum our just a museum in name only, they thought it was the later. I did not know the answer and even wondered if it was a legitimate question. Can anyone give me an answer?

Is the Brauer Museum an accredited museum??

[DejaVU]

I did not follow this thread lately but I heard three more people from the same Department will not return next Fall. I really believe that compensation is the most urgent matter. In my private conversations I keep hearing that we need to increase revenue before we can do that. NOrmally I would agree but there is a fatal flaw here. The present conditions (economic crises, inflation, rapid rising costs, apparently Valparaiso is the third most expensive city in Indiana) make so that I am not certain if the measures implemented to increase revenue bear fruit quickly enough. If they bear fruit in 6-7 years, that is an eternity

It is better to go into even greater debt now in order to address the compensation NOW and then pay the debt with increased revenue. Put it this way: would you max your credit card and carry a balance in order to buy a TV? Probably and hopefully not. Would you max your credit card and carry a balance to pay for a hole in the roof? Yes because without urgent action the damage is greater than high APR credit card balance. It's called emergency for a reason.

To make matters worse, Torch the student newspaper had an extensive article on the compensation and I got to tell you I am not so sure I liked that because I don't necessarily want my students to be acutely aware of this issue. It can be humiliating...
http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_963e20b6-df94-11ed-875b-1b3c3896ae2a.html

[David81]

I did not follow this thread lately but I heard three more people from the same Department will not return next Fall. I really believe that compensation is the most urgent matter. In my private conversations I keep hearing that we need to increase revenue before we can do that. NOrmally I would agree but there is a fatal flaw here. The present conditions (economic crises, inflation, rapid rising costs, apparently Valparaiso is the third most expensive city in Indiana) make so that I am not certain if the measures implemented to increase revenue bear fruit quickly enough. If they bear fruit in 6-7 years, that is an eternity

It is better to go into even greater debt now in order to address the compensation NOW and then pay the debt with increased revenue. Put it this way: would you max your credit card and carry a balance in order to buy a TV? Probably and hopefully not. Would you max your credit card and carry a balance to pay for a hole in the roof? Yes because without urgent action the damage is greater than high APR credit card balance. It's called emergency for a reason.

To make matters worse, Torch the student newspaper had an extensive article on the compensation and I got to tell you I am not so sure I liked that because I don't necessarily want my students to be acutely aware of this issue. It can be humiliating...
http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_963e20b6-df94-11ed-875b-1b3c3896ae2a.html

When I wrote an article for The Torch documenting low faculty salaries compared to other Lutheran-affiliated schools in early 1981, I had a few faculty actually thanking me for highlighting their situation. Faculty pay has been a significant, longstanding problem at VU.

[crusadermoe]

I am sorry to hear this DejaVU.  Indeed it seems like the time horizon for morale might not bear an uptick in freshmen only. And I don't know how fast a dorm of quality is built in these days of scarce construction labor. It just sucks.

[DejaVU]

David81: don't get me wrong, it is good for people to signal the issue but there is also a psychological negative aspect when students are reminded of this issue (not that there is a secret of some sort but when it appears in Torch it is probably more in their minds for a while at least).

To put it bluntly, I don't like students to wonder how much I am underpaid and why am I still here. That kind of thing. But that's just me.

By the way, this will be a non issue at state schools where salaries are public information. Purdue Exponent (the student paper at Purdue) every year publishes all salaries. That's how I found recently their football coach makes over 5 millions and their President just under 1 million

[vu84v2]

DejaVU makes great points about the visibility of faculty pay to current and prospective students...and I agree about signaling the importance of the issue nonetheless.

To my knowledge, salaries of all employees of state universities are publicly available (you just have to find the website). These listing don't include "special pay" like grants.

My rough calculation is that Valpo is short about $4M to $5M per year on total faculty pay versus the average among peers. That is a big number that needs to be addressed...frankly, you could argue that it is of greater urgency than dorms and other infrastructure., but raising salaries is not going to attract new students. In my view (unrealistic as it may be), there should be a specific plan that ties net new student enrollment above a certain amount to immediate increases in faculty pay.

[crusadermoe]

Yes, the transparency is a good thing. 

And a student paper standing independently on first amendment principles brings good credibility for the student paper and the university for not censoring the newspaper. I admire the student research. On a net basis it seems to bring more good than harm anyway.

[usc4valpo]

Valpo needs to increase tuition by more than 4 perecent. It should be more like 8 perecent.

Also, is there too much middle management or any ways to improve efficiency?

[valpo95]

i understand heckler had tough economic conditions both at the start and end of his presidency, but what puzzles me about the early 2010s era (Board & Heckler administration) is that they let the yield rate fall so precipitously, and in fact did the opposite of fixing it by trying to expand enrollment. i'm not sure what admission yield rate Heckler inherited in 2010 from Harre, but in 2013 the IPEDS data shows the uni secured commitment from around 18% of admitted students and anectodally it seems the university still drew pretty healthily from around the nation especially with Lutherans. But the yield rate had dropped consitently every single year of his presidency so that by 2020 it was only 11 or 12% of admitted students commiting even as the distribution became more regional....

valpo22, one of the things that changed the landscape in the 2010s was the adaptation of the Common Application, the online application that lets students apply once and send the same application materials to many colleges. I don't know when VU adopted it. However, in general use of the common app has tended to increase the number of applicants, yet decrease overall yield rates of students who show up on campus. I do not work in Admissions, but the order of magnitude I have heard is that once a college adopts the common app, it might show a first year increase of 5-10% in applications, yet a 3-6% decrease in yield of admitted students. This probably varies quite a bit by institution, yet VU's admission rate (the fraction of applications admitted) is very high. Think of it this way - With the common app, more students apply to VU than in the past (which makes Admissions look good!) yet more of those students also applied to other universities and may select from a bigger set.

[crusader05]

I remember a former staff member who worked there during Heckler's Strategic Plan told me that Hecker went to the Board and other campus stakeholders and they talked about how Valpo would either need to grow to 6000 or shrink down to be sustainable and financially stable for the future and he would pursue whichever strategy was decided on and the decision from the Board was to go for 6,000.  That clearly is a big turning point. The enrollment strategy moved to a wide net one and larger classes were brought in for awhile but it also stretched university resources at the seams.

Now we are maybe being forced to shrink and do it painfully vs instead choosing a more stable path focused on building on our strongest programs

[wh]

For the resident "save our paintings" jags, try reflecting on this for a brief moment:

Regardless of what time of the day or what day of the week you are reading this, your university lost $42,000 over the previous 24 hours.

Jag
An irritating individual with no sense of a social filter and no realization of the implication of his actions; socially inept.

[David81]

Agree 100% with those observing how the Common App lowered yield rates everywhere, including mid-level and popular "safety" schools. When you hear about high school kids boasting of being admitted to dozens of schools, rest assured that most of them took a shotgun approach via the Common App and included a lot of schools at which they were competitive for admission. Some do this to play financial aid offers against each other.

Some schools have tried to "fight" the Common App yield drop by being much more judicious about extending offers, including withholding offers from students who somehow appear to be playing the field. This can include students with very strong credentials who are likely using a school as a safety. Don't know if Valpo is doing that, but it illustrates the degree to which schools are trying to manage perceptions of selectivity.

[DejaVU]

I can confirm that indeed during Heckler time there was this discussion about should we shrink or go big to 6000 students. But I remember a more laborious process whereby Heckler wasted nearly 2 years creating super-committees and sub-committees of committees in order to get the input from all constituencies on what to do etc...and then most faculty chose: sure let's keep all programs but become more sustainable by increasing the enrollment. As if the two choices were equally likely.

As a faculty member I have to stress that, as much as I distrust the administration, sometimes faculty as a whole can have a career suicide wish. Padilla at least looks like he does not have the same tendency to waste time like Heckler.

Another thing I remember, Heckler mentioned in a meeting during the Great Recession deflation with near zero interest rates, that this was great time to get more loans for strategic projects in order to secure historically low interest rates. I am saying this because I keep hearing folks talking about the problems with servicing debt during these time of big interest rates. So I don't really know one way or another, but if Heckler was true to his words we should have loans with ultra low fixed interest rates now. However if those loans were with variable interests then...party over.

[David81]

David81: don't get me wrong, it is good for people to signal the issue but there is also a psychological negative aspect when students are reminded of this issue (not that there is a secret of some sort but when it appears in Torch it is probably more in their minds for a while at least).

To put it bluntly, I don't like students to wonder how much I am underpaid and why am I still here. That kind of thing. But that's just me.

By the way, this will be a non issue at state schools where salaries are public information. Purdue Exponent (the student paper at Purdue) every year publishes all salaries. That's how I found recently their football coach makes over 5 millions and their President just under 1 million

DejaVU, points taken. Especially given the challenging academic job market, I don't think anyone should feel self-conscious about remaining at a school where they are relatively underpaid, especially if the institution offers some positive qualities. And I don't think that students look negatively upon those faculty. Rather, if they value those professors, then they, too, become educated in the sometime perverse compensation schemes of higher education. That said, your feelings about this are yours to own and must be honored.

[usc4valpo]

The football coach at Purdue making 5 million is not a shock, that's in the ballpark of the market rate.

[usc4valpo]

Kind of tacky of him but I respect his decision. At least he's upfront about it!

[wh]

My natural human tendency is to empathize with those in the education field and the seemingly unfair pay gap relative to numerous other career paths. Where higher education leaves me cold is its pervasive, non-meritocratic, Marxist influence on closing societal gaps by flattening the curve from the top down rather than the bottom up.

I'm not going to ask you to answer for your industry, but I will ask this. In establishing a resolution baseline, is your general feeling that educators are underpaid, or other career paths are overpaid?

[David81]

My natural human tendency is to empathize with those in the education field and the seemingly unfair pay gap relative to numerous other career paths. Where higher education leaves me cold is its pervasive, non-meritocratic, Marxist influence on closing societal gaps by flattening the curve from the top down rather than the bottom up.

I'm not going to ask you to answer for your industry, but I will ask this. In establishing a resolution baseline, is your general feeling that educators are underpaid, or other career paths are overpaid?

Marxist influence? You mean all the commies taking over Valpo so they can be paid $50k for what at many other universities would be considered course overloads? wh, seriously, when you stick to points grounded in reality, you bring a lot of insight to the table. But here it sounds like you're superimposing a common far right broadside over a university whose faculty is not exactly fomenting revolution.

BTW, I would agree wholeheartedly that the academy tends to lean to the left, at some places to excess from a standpoint of valuing open dialogue and genuine academic freedom. And, at times, faculties can be very demanding and entitled. But interestingly, one sees this dynamic more in elite institutions than in places where faculty don't take themselves so seriously.