Valpo Strategic Plan

[David81]

Yes, maybe the 'two kingdoms' thing has legs on it. It sounds super European and medieval, but it could raise interesting discussions about contemporary issues of religion- state-society relations.

Maybe Athens&Jerusalem can indeed be updated and expanded as D81 says, but my impression is that it is pretty stuck in the Lutheran world on the Genesis/evolution issue. Valpo lutherans explained to me that the Lutheran world basically split these last 2 decades into camps going totally different directions... Post 2000, one wing basically started becoming fundamentalist baptist in starting to insist on 7 day creationism and stuff, and the other wing becoming mostly social justice activism and BLM/LGTBTQ stuff. So the faith & reason conversations are embattled and gojng nowhere because they aren't even talking about the same stuff. 

The lutheran 'two kingdoms' notion could be maybe more viable and interesting to get at the questions of value and public life. i know in Core they used to teach a book 'The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down' about a Hmong epileptic girl and the family's navigation of the Western/Christian medical system. I read it to understand what they were doing in core, and that book was actually an interesting puzzle of the Hmong religious beliefs vs social worker values, medical intervention vs parental rights, and government regulation vs the religious sacrifice practices of the immigrant population. It would have been interesting to discuss it in a two kingdoms frame, and maybe also in reverse the case study to also interrogate the utility of the 'two kingdoms' notion

True, the extremes seem to be getting a lot of the attention right now, but they don't speak for the vast majority of people. What is particularly damaging, however, is the cancel culture dynamic, which comes from both left and right extremes and affects us all. (OK, there are differences: The far left extremists often prefer to be performative, e.g., shouting down speakers, whereas the far right extremists often prefer to be policy driven, e.g., instituting book bans. However, they come together, tactically speaking, when it comes to calling for the instant job termination of individuals who say something that offends their sensibilities, even for relatively mild or moderate transgressions.)

Universities that take a non-ideological stand for freedom of expression and embrace values of respect, understanding, character, individual dignity, and trying to give each other the benefit of the doubt can help to fashion a norm that we badly need right now.

[David81]

Haha, i asked chatgpt AI to make a strategic plan for Valpo that would prioritize intellectual freedom, financial stability and fair compensation, and commitment to Christian values. Whadda ya think? It only took it about 20 seconds to pop this out:

Strategic Plan for Valparaiso University (2023-2028) (CHAT GPT)

Mission Statement:
Valparaiso University is a comprehensive, independent Lutheran institution rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. Guided by our commitment to academic freedom, free thinking, and Christian faith, we strive to inspire personal growth, develop critical thinking skills, and promote academic excellence, social responsibility, and service to others. Through our dedication to fostering an environment of intellectual inquiry, financial stability, fair wages, and Christian values, we aim to prepare students to lead and serve in a diverse and changing world.

Vision Statement:
Valparaiso University aspires to be a globally recognized institution of higher learning, renowned for its transformative education, innovative research, and commitment to community engagement. We envision a future where our graduates are equipped with the intellectual tools, ethical grounding, and Christian faith to make positive contributions in their professions, communities, and the world at large. We strive to be an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community that values academic freedom, financial stability, fair wages, and the exploration of diverse perspectives.

Core Values:

Academic Freedom and Free Thinking: We foster an environment that encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge, while respecting diverse viewpoints and the principles of academic freedom.
Financial Stability: We prioritize responsible financial management to ensure the long-term stability and sustainability of the university, enabling us to deliver high-quality education and support services.
Fair Wages and Merit Performance: We recognize and reward the contributions of our employees based on their merit, providing fair wages that reflect performance and achievement.
Christian Faith: Grounded in our Lutheran heritage, we promote a Christian community that embraces compassion, forgiveness, social justice, and respect for all individuals.
Commitment to Excellence: We strive for academic rigor, innovation, and continuous improvement in all aspects of university life, including teaching, research, and service.
Strategic Goals:

Goal 1: Academic Excellence and Intellectual Inquiry
Objective 1: Promote academic freedom, free thinking, and open dialogue as foundational principles of the university, encouraging the exploration of diverse perspectives and ideas.
Objective 2: Enhance and expand undergraduate and graduate programs, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches and emerging fields of study.
Objective 3: Invest in faculty development and research opportunities to foster a culture of scholarly inquiry and innovative teaching practices.
Objective 4: Support and encourage student research, creative endeavors, and experiential learning opportunities that deepen their understanding and application of knowledge.

Goal 2: Financial Stability and Responsible Resource Management
Objective 1: Develop and implement long-term financial plans that prioritize fiscal responsibility, sustainable growth, and prudent resource allocation.
Objective 2: Strengthen partnerships and collaborations with external stakeholders, including alumni, donors, and community partners, to diversify and expand revenue streams.
Objective 3: Optimize operational efficiency and streamline administrative processes to ensure effective resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
Objective 4: Continuously monitor and assess financial performance to identify potential risks and opportunities for strategic investments.

Goal 3: Fair Wages and Merit-Based Compensation
Objective 1: Conduct regular evaluations and assessments to ensure that employee compensation is fair, competitive, and based on merit, performance, and contributions.
Objective 2: Implement transparent and equitable policies and processes for evaluating employee performance, providing opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
Objective 3: Enhance employee benefits and support programs that promote overall well-being, work-life balance, and professional development.
Objective 4: Foster a culture of recognition and appreciation that values and rewards the achievements and contributions of all employees.

Goal 4: Integration of Christian Faith and Values
Objective 1: Integrate Christian faith and values throughout the curriculum, ensuring that students have opportunities to explore and deepen their spiritual lives.
Objective 2: Foster a campus environment that supports worship, prayer, and religious dialogue, promoting understanding and respect for diverse faith traditions.
Objective 3: Provide ongoing opportunities for faculty and staff to deepen their understanding of Christian faith and its relevance to their roles within the university.
Objective 4: Engage in service-learning and community engagement initiatives that exemplify our commitment to Christian values and care.

By prioritizing academic freedom, free thinking, financial stability, fair wages reflecting merit performance, and commitment to Christian faith, Valparaiso University will continue to excel in providing a transformative education that prepares students to make positive contributions in their communities and the world.

Very interesting...a fun inquiry...for what it says and doesn't say.

It gets the values/faith/liberal arts part. In that sense, you could save folks a lot of time spent in dreary strategic planning meetings and just cut & paste this into your Word file.

It largely misses on the "other" side of the comprehensive university model, the professional and vocational part. Is it because ChatGPT didn't recognize that comprehensive university is a higher ed term of art, typically referring to more regionally oriented universities that offer instruction and programs in both the liberal arts and the professions?

[crusadermoe]

Love your idea of just skipping through the whole "generative" exercises with faculty by using the Chat draft. 

And yes, per your point I did get a bit snarky on the Luther treatment of the "wokesters.  I really don't conflate the reasonable democrats with the hard left woke folk. I just find fewer and fewer of the Truman, Scoop Jackson, blue dog types like you as I scan the congress names.  I think that is somewhat like your concession that conservative faculty (dodo birds) do engage you as a moderate more readily that the liberals.   

I know I am biased, but I find the right wings irritating. But I don't think they are irrationale like several of the squad type of blue state nut jobs. MTG does embarrass the right though. Congressional districts have been gerrymandered so much that 80-90% of the U.S. House districts are safe red or safe blue, meaning they have no incentive to moderate.

Unfortunately the Senate now is divided almost fully into into 2-blue or 2-red states.  There are fewer than 10 states that have one red and one blue Senator.  So the Senate is now polarized.  The problems with the Senate was sewn in the early  20th century when they changed the Senate elections to direct elections rather than the state's U.S.  If Representatives picked the Senators rather than out-of-state campaign money. you could avoid the John Fettermans, a Dr. Oz, or a Herschel Walkers being nominated for a six-year term that approves supreme court appointments and cabinet picks. That needs to roll back to the old process.

[David81]

Love your idea of just skipping through the whole "generative" exercises with faculty by using the Chat draft. 

And yes, per your point I did get a bit snarky on the Luther treatment of the "wokesters.  I really don't conflate the reasonable democrats with the hard left woke folk. I just find fewer and fewer of the Truman, Scoop Jackson, blue dog types like you as I scan the congress names.  I think that is somewhat like your concession that conservative faculty (dodo birds) do engage you as a moderate more readily that the liberals.   

I know I am biased, but I find the right wings irritating. But I don't think they are irrationale like several of the squad type of blue state nut jobs. MTG does embarrass the right though. Congressional districts have been gerrymandered so much that 80-90% of the U.S. House districts are safe red or safe blue, meaning they have no incentive to moderate.

Unfortunately the Senate now is divided almost fully into into 2-blue or 2-red states.  There are fewer than 10 states that have one red and one blue Senator.  So the Senate is now polarized.  The problems with the Senate was sewn in the early  20th century when they changed the Senate elections to direct elections rather than the state's U.S.  If Representatives picked the Senators rather than out-of-state campaign money. you could avoid the John Fettermans, a Dr. Oz, or a Herschel Walkers being nominated for a six-year term that approves supreme court appointments and cabinet picks. That needs to roll back to the old process.

The weirdness of certain academic circles is such that by most standards, I'm a traditional liberal Democrat (somewhere between the blue dogs and The Squad), including a strong commitment to civil rights. But because I'm not primarily immersed in identity politics, I'm looked at as suspect by some on the far left of academe. Interestingly, years ago I did manage to win the respect of some of the old boy conservatives at my school (which used to be the dominant group), because I was willing to wage some lonely battles on diversity issues that were quite alarming when I started there in the mid-90s. (And just to point out, these old conservatives would be regarded as too liberal for today's far right.)

My apologies for so blatantly using political labels, which I know can be button-pushing and understandably wearying for folks, but I do think this is relevant to the future of academe and to schools like VU, which hopefully can play a role in softening some of that polarization.

[vu72]

but I find the right wings irritating. But I don't think they are irrationale like several of the squad type of blue state nut jobs. MTG does embarrass the right though.

Paul Gosar, Lauren Boebert, Chip Roy, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Louie Gohmert, Tommy Tuberville, should I go on??

[vu84v2]

Let me offer the suggestion that we don't let this discussion evolve into a political debate. Let's try to keep it relevant to Valpo or at least universities overall.

[David81]

Let me offer the suggestion that we don't let this discussion evolve into a political debate. Let's try to keep it relevant to Valpo or at least universities overall.

Yes, good reminder, and I plead guilty for straying in that direction. I'm not sure how to acknowledge the impact of our current civic environment on universities without getting at least mildly specific about political views, but I also know there's a point at which it becomes a discussion about politics and not higher ed.

[usc4valpo]

How many students at Valpo major in creative writing?

[valpopal]

How many students at Valpo major in creative writing?

According to most recent data, there are 50 declared undergraduate majors or minors in English, 12 majors and 6 minors specify creative writing as the primary concentration for their degrees. The most recent survey of graduating students at Valparaiso University (2021) showed creative writing as tied with economics as the 27th most popular major (out of 63 listed), while English literature was 20th, tied with both communication and criminology. Nursing was way ahead as the #1 major, and each nursing student was required to take an English course taught by the department's writing faculty: Writing in the Health Sciences.

[vu84v2]

Creative writing (or English) is a great example of how liberal arts can be complementary to the professional disciplines. For instance, think about how valuable creative writing would be with marketing.

One of the things that universities could do better - which points to a possible opportunity for Valpo - is to provide clearer paths for double majors across colleges. Double majoring can be relatively easy within a college, since core courses within the college apply to both majors. But doing something like marketing/English ends up requiring a lot more courses to meet the core requirements for each college (most of which are independent from university core requirements). There are reasons for this (especially accreditation requirements for each college), but a university could develop an advantage if they could develop cross-college double major requirements that still allow a good student to finish in four years.

[crusader05]

Is it really hard to do this anymore? even when I was in school a large portion of my friends were double majoring with the exception of Nursing and Engineering and even they had minors available.  I knew people who had two majors and a minor. I think it definitely could always be easier but flexibility can often be hampered less by the structure of gen eds and more by students changing majors late or not realizing until later they want a minor. One other piece though is that just because it doesn't say it on your diploma you still get to keep the knowledge and skills learned in those courses and apply them in ways that are beneficial

[vu84v2]

Admittedly, I do not know Valpo's curriculum in detail, though I know the curriculum at my university really well (I am on the curriculum planning committee) and have a fair degree of familiarity with accreditation for my college. Students who double major across colleges need to meet the core requirements for both colleges - which are not the same. All business majors, for instance, must take something like 54 credit hours from core business courses (e.g., all take accounting, all take economics, all take intro courses into each business discipline). When you add on the required courses for the specific discipline, required business electives, and the university core requirements, there is not a lot of room left. The end result is that students who want to do a double major (a business discipline and a foreign language is common) will need to take 5-10 classes beyond what a traditional four-year student would take. My guess is that Valpo has a similar challenge, since it is the college's associated accreditation board that drives these requirements (Valpo's accreditation is at the same high level for most or all colleges as the university where I work).

Students who do cross-college majors in four years almost always entered college with credit for at least three classes (via AP or classes with dual credit for high school and college).

[VULB#62]

Before I recently retired, I was an IT Project Manager for a Fortune 200 company.  My biggest frustration was most young people (many of whom were extremely talented and quite bright) coming into the business with terrible writing skills. Like .... no clue on basic punctuation or grammar rules, inability to cogently present a logical thought progression in written words, throwing texting abbreviations into formal writing or corporate-wide emails, and on and on. So many talented young people get off-ramped because they poorly communicate at the next level.

I grew up on the Valpo Paragraph in freshman English. It required discipline and forethought. I both loved and hated the class. But it forced me to be a good writer. Thank you, Valpo.

My point: A distinguishing characteristic of every Valpo graduate going into the business world, medicine, social work, engineering (especially engineering), etc. should must be the ability to clearly express thought via the written word. If it is not already, this has to be a major pillar of a Valpo education.

[usc4valpo]

62, you nailed it!

[crusader05]

This made me curious about if Valpo was doing anything regarding the issue with writing and I Found this:https://www.valpo.edu/university-writing-program/

Looks like a lot of it was funded through the last endowment drive so that's good to see as it means it's funding is most likely protected.

[wh]

• A religious-affiliated university that tries to become all things to all people becomes nothing to anyone.

Perhaps you should check out most of the Jesuit universities, whose model is extremely similar to Valpo's. They do just fine by offering a quality religiously-oriented program to those who desire it, while also avoiding dogma and expected adherence that would turn off other students. These universities align by values that are inspired by faith (cura personalis), but do not require or expect adherence to any faith.

I took your advice and took a look at how effective Jesuit universities have been in balancing their religious values and priorities in an increasingly more secularized world. Following is an article written by Charles C. Camosy, a professor at (Jesuit) Creighton University. I think you'll find it interesting. To your point, the "balancing act" is very similar for Valpo and Jesuit schools. To the professor's point, Jesuit schools are doing anything but "just fine" handling it.

Will Catholic universities survive the upheaval in higher education? The next 10 years will tell.
Charles C. Camosy is a professor of medical humanities at the Creighton University School of Medicine and holds the Monsignor Curran Fellowship in Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary in New York. He is the author of seven books, including, most recently, Bioethics for Nurses.

"For decades, many Catholic institutions of higher education have been slouching gradually toward the least common denominator in U.S. higher education and in the process following Princeton's path toward losing their identity as religious institutions. But if Catholic higher education is going to compete in the medium and longer term, the marketplace over the next 10 years will push us to embrace what makes us distinctive. For what makes us distinctive will be in demand."

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2022/01/19/catholic-college-future-culture-war-242214

I think the good professor would agree with my assertion above that " a religious-affiliated university that tries to become all things to all people becomes nothing to anyone."  In fact, it could be argued that it is indeed the premise of his article.

[David81]

Before I recently retired, I was an IT Project Manager for a Fortune 200 company.  My biggest frustration was most young people (many of whom were extremely talented and quite bright) coming into the business with terrible writing skills. Like .... no clue on basic punctuation or grammar rules, inability to cogently present a logical thought progression in written words, throwing texting abbreviations into formal writing or corporate-wide emails, and on and on. So many talented young people get off-ramped because they poorly communicate at the next level.

I grew up on the Valpo Paragraph in freshman English. It required discipline and forethought. I both loved and hated the class. But it forced me to be a good writer. Thank you, Valpo.

My point: A distinguishing characteristic of every Valpo graduate going into the business world, medicine, social work, engineering (especially engineering), etc. should must be the ability to clearly express thought via the written word. If it is not already, this has to be a major pillar of a Valpo education.

Let me chime in on the importance of insisting that students learn how to write clearly in college, regardless of major or future career intentions.

At my law school, most students did at least respectably in college (with many earning undergraduate honors) and on the LSAT. Some, especially in our evening division, have mind-blowing academic credentials and are seeking a law degree to support their current career path. The differences in writing abilities are all over the place. The weaker law students have real difficulty expressing themselves in a logical, organized, and grammatically correct way.

I appreciate more and more that much of my VU education was about writing. Papers, research projects, written exams, and so forth. And then there was The Torch student newspaper. If you want to learn how to write clean, well-organized, easy-to-follow prose, then working on the student newspaper + taking an intro news writing course is a great teaching combo. Work on The Torch involved both writing articles and -- as a department editor -- editing the work of others. Invaluable experience.

[vu84v2]

• A religious-affiliated university that tries to become all things to all people becomes nothing to anyone.

Perhaps you should check out most of the Jesuit universities, whose model is extremely similar to Valpo's. They do just fine by offering a quality religiously-oriented program to those who desire it, while also avoiding dogma and expected adherence that would turn off other students. These universities align by values that are inspired by faith (cura personalis), but do not require or expect adherence to any faith.

I took your advice and took a look at how effective Jesuit universities have been in balancing their religious values and priorities in an increasingly more secularized world. Following is an article written by Charles C. Camosy, a professor at (Jesuit) Creighton University. I think you'll find it interesting. To your point, the "balancing act" is very similar for Valpo and Jesuit schools. To the professor's point, Jesuit schools are doing anything but "just fine" handling it.

Will Catholic universities survive the upheaval in higher education? The next 10 years will tell.
Charles C. Camosy is a professor of medical humanities at the Creighton University School of Medicine and holds the Monsignor Curran Fellowship in Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary in New York. He is the author of seven books, including, most recently, Bioethics for Nurses.

"For decades, many Catholic institutions of higher education have been slouching gradually toward the least common denominator in U.S. higher education and in the process following Princeton's path toward losing their identity as religious institutions. But if Catholic higher education is going to compete in the medium and longer term, the marketplace over the next 10 years will push us to embrace what makes us distinctive. For what makes us distinctive will be in demand."

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2022/01/19/catholic-college-future-culture-war-242214

I think the good professor would agree with my assertion above that " a religious-affiliated university that tries to become all things to all people becomes nothing to anyone."  In fact, it could be argued that it is indeed the premise of his article.

An interesting and thought-provoking article, for sure.

As you may have already realized, I am also a professor at a Jesuit university (you'll figure out which one by looking at where I am from). I frankly don't quite get Prof. Camosy's bottom line, though he makes quite a few good points about student expectations and challenges going forward. He acts like students in today's Jesuit universities don't get what the Jesuits are all about - citing an example of a student graduating who didn't know what Jesuits are. In a given academic year, I teach 100-140 senior-level undergraduates and from exercises that I have done in class each year I can honestly say that nearly 100% know the nature and values of the Jesuits (and I teach in one of those 'evil' vocationally-oriented colleges). My students get that the Jesuit foundation is all about cura personalis - care for the whole person, including family, friends, community, and one's self. This form of 'values oriented' education should resonate with everyone and my students cite this as a competitive advantage for our university (in attracting new students and readying graduates for meaningful lives). Prof. Camosy seems to venture a little towards 'teaching the faith to a degree that seeks adherence' (which I am against and think is a very bad idea for my university and Valpo), but also encourages open argument and debate - with respect for all viewpoints (which is a major purpose of a university).

It is the 'values oriented' model that I believe works and will continue to work for Valpo. Given trends associated with this generation of students, it is very reasonable to assume that 'values' will resonate with them  - with programs like study abroad trips seeking to improve peoples' lives - but that seeking a homogenous environment where everyone has the same beliefs and/or ideologies are expected to be followed is likely to fail for most that take this approach. Still, it is important for universities like Valpo to have strong religiously-oriented program for those who value them...and also feel that the university is enhanced when the people from those programs work in the wider university community. I am not Catholic, but have always valued working with our university's priests and nuns.

Lastly, I will point out that Jesuit universities are like any groups in society, in that there are wide range of perspectives. I have no doubt that we have people who feel the same as Prof. Camosy, but I also know that we have faculty who feel that the university is not secular enough (which I do not agree with). Like any university, we are not perfect...but I do feel that we do a pretty good job of managing the balance (and I think Valpo does this pretty well too). Should a university tell a student (or faculty member) that has a certain belief that he or she has is wrong and is not allowed to exercise their belief? I propose that a university should introduce students to a wide range of perspectives and allow views to be respected, openly considered, and exercised (with some very carefully considered limits).

[vu84v2]

Before I recently retired, I was an IT Project Manager for a Fortune 200 company.  My biggest frustration was most young people (many of whom were extremely talented and quite bright) coming into the business with terrible writing skills. Like .... no clue on basic punctuation or grammar rules, inability to cogently present a logical thought progression in written words, throwing texting abbreviations into formal writing or corporate-wide emails, and on and on. So many talented young people get off-ramped because they poorly communicate at the next level.

I grew up on the Valpo Paragraph in freshman English. It required discipline and forethought. I both loved and hated the class. But it forced me to be a good writer. Thank you, Valpo.

My point: A distinguishing characteristic of every Valpo graduate going into the business world, medicine, social work, engineering (especially engineering), etc. should must be the ability to clearly express thought via the written word. If it is not already, this has to be a major pillar of a Valpo education.

Let me chime in on the importance of insisting that students learn how to write clearly in college, regardless of major or future career intentions.

At my law school, most students did at least respectably in college (with many earning undergraduate honors) and on the LSAT. Some, especially in our evening division, have mind-blowing academic credentials and are seeking a law degree to support their current career path. The differences in writing abilities are all over the place. The weaker law students have real difficulty expressing themselves in a logical, organized, and grammatically correct way.

I appreciate more and more that much of my VU education was about writing. Papers, research projects, written exams, and so forth. And then there was The Torch student newspaper. If you want to learn how to write clean, well-organized, easy-to-follow prose, then working on the student newspaper + taking an intro news writing course is a great teaching combo. Work on The Torch involved both writing articles and -- as a department editor -- editing the work of others. Invaluable experience.

I will also chime in on issues with students' quality of writing.

In a given undergraduate class, I have two exams that include essay questions that are prepared in advance, two major analyses, another paper, and a final project that includes a 20-page paper from groups. When the first of these is submitted, I will always have about 10-15 percent of submissions with poor writing and/or poor development of arguments. I reduce their grade and remind them of my expectations. Most improve dramatically after that. My view is that a lot of this is laziness on the part of some students...but also some faculty who let them get away with poor writing.

[historyman]

Morning chapel service from Feb. 2022

https://youtube.com/live/qR7Hkawn3rE?feature=share

This has to be the most pathetic representation of a religious service from a religious-affiliated university in America. Some thoughts:
• I feel sorry for "Pastor Jim," whoever he is. Wakes up in the morning, prepares to share a Godly message of hope that everyone everywhere could benefit by hearing, heads out the door toward one of the nation's most iconic Protestant university worship centers where he will deliver it, and finally turns to face maybe 20 students at max.
• He monotones a few paragraphs, the "audience" mumbles through a couple hymns, and everyone walks out fired up and ready to take on the world.
• Even sadder is knowing that he had enough spiritual wisdom to quote from the writings of O. P. Kretzmann, one of the greatest Biblical scholars of the 20th century, IMO. He retired before I became an adult, but many years ago I was introduced to his various writings and bulletins by a dear Lutheran friend. What an amazing man of God. Everything he wrote came straight from his heart. His memory deserves better than a 20-student audience.
• A religious-affiliated university that tries to become all things to all people becomes nothing to anyone. Welcome to present day Valpo. Can I get an "oy" to that?

My relative took me to visit O. P. in the nursing home, I couldn't tell you which one, in Valpo, during the early 70's when I was anywhere from 10-13 years old. He was fairly feeble but when I read his writings later on in life I thought what a great man and prolific writer and so educated. He knew how to lead. He still spoke very well for an old guy in a wheelchair and he really didn't have a lot of visitors like my relative. There were a few university employees that visited him at first my relative said but that dwindled a lot after he was there 3 or 4 years.

[valpo95]

The landscape for private universities (especially in the Midwest) is challenging. In recent days, we have seen announcements of recent closures of campuses or programs at other small universities.

Trinity International University (Deerfield, IL) closing residential and in-person undergraduate programs, moving to fully remote/online instruction for those programs. (MDiv and Seminary stay.) https://www.tiu.edu/reimagining-the-future/
Finlandia University (Hancock, MI) closing. https://www.finlandia.edu/about/teachout/

Neither of these programs are direct competitors of VU, yet they are religiously-affiliated private universities in the region. These had reasonably well-regarded academics, yet very small endowments. Finlandia is especially interesting, as it a small Lutheran University (ELCA). We also should remember that three of the Concordia (LCMS) campuses closed in recent years, including Alabama (2018), New York (2021) and Portland (2022).

OK, here is another closure. Cardinal Stritch University, a Catholic University in Milwaukee, announced it is closing at the end of the semester. It had a modest endowment (about $28M) and had seen enrollment substantially decline in recent years. https://www.wisn.com/article/cardinal-stritch-university-closing-in-may-milwaukee-wisconsin/43557980

Saw this article in the Chronicle of Higher Education https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-college-that-mortgaged-everything with a whole lot more detail about the closure of Finlandia University in Michigan. As it turns out, they had been having financial problems for several decades. Crucially, they had $10.6M of debt, secured largely on the physical assets of the property. What is especially interesting is that the new president did not know that their property had been used to secure the loans - although Finlandia supposedly had recently balanced their budget, there were no reserves or borrowing capacity to invest in upgrading programs for future growth.

[wh]

As evidenced in a recent New Yorker article, student interest in arts and humanities is in free fall across the United States, even at prestigious Ivy League schools like Columbia and Harvard.

Annals of Higher Education
March 6, 2023 Issue
The End of the English Major
Enrollment in the humanities is in free fall at colleges around the country. What happened?
By Nathan Heller
February 27, 2023

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-end-of-the-english-major

Of the many important takeaways, I'll point out 3 highly relevant to Valpo:

• From the VU website: "The College of Arts and Sciences is the heart of Valpo. It's where you can pursue the dreams you've had since childhood—or find a new passion that will last a lifetime..." As the New Yorker article indicates, that message doesn't sell in 2023. It's outdated academic marketing speak from a bygone era.

• Note the article makes reference to those in arts and sciences helping to create their own demise by railing on colonial capitalism, white privilege, and Western culture. As the article indicates there is no way to romanticize great literature and art created by a bunch of dead old white guys who were part of a tyrannical patriarchy and resided in lands stolen from indigenous populations.

• Meanwhile, we have Arts and Sciences faculty members engaged in Custer's last stand with their own President and Board over paintings in a pretend museum that is essentially useless.

[crusadermoe]

Sounds like an astute writer. But I hate that they seem to be more and more mutually exclusive. I certainly mourn the idea that we will have so few well-educated people who appreciate the contributions of the west to the world. 

Yes, the I know that horse is dead or barely breathing on this board.  But it seems that we have for three decades allowed the country's self-hate 1960s protest generation to run our universities since the 1990s.  Yes, colonialism stripped vast resources and mistreated many populations.  But it simply isn't honest to omit the contributions of the west to overall global wealth and the progress toward self-governance by other nations.  Valpo took that bait in Christ College when they abandoned the 8-credit course titled "Western Civilization." It could be a 24-credit course to capture the depth of that topic. 

Perhaps we could recall that an eastern civilization in Japan was exceptionally cruel when they invaded China in the 1930s. Genghis Khan and the tribal middle east cultures were even known to occupy and persecute other nations and show a little violence now and then. But who knew?

Check in with some 20-somethings (heck even through 40-somethings) in a university town coffee shop and ask how the USA and Europe in total have influenced the world in a positive way. I would love for my cynicism to be proven wrong.  We lost the G.I. generation from our electorate who saw true evil and replaced them with clueless idealists who just want their phones and video games from China. 

[David81]

Ironies abound here.

A generation or two ago, studying the humanities -- especially the Western canon -- was considered by some to be affirming of intellectual, literary, and cultural oppression. The "Great Books" were regarded by many as being (small c) conservative in orientation, and many who identified with that orientation felt the need to defend the canon against folks they regarded as radical extremists.

Today, studying the humanities is regarded by some as a self-indulgent, impractical course of instruction, often associated with views of (drum roll....) radical extremists. The "Great Books" have now been tagged as being on the more (small l) liberal side, even if there are a handful of religiously conservative schools (e.g., Hillsdale) that embrace them.

As someone who is studying the Great Books in a venerable four-year, adult education program offered by the University of Chicago -- the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults (https://graham.uchicago.edu/programs-courses/basic-program) -- I'm happy to report that the Great Books, properly framed, do not dictate a given point of view. Rather they invite differing interpretations, and, equally important, promote the development of analytical thinking skills that can contribute to success in just about any vocation.

[wh]

Ironies abound here.

A generation or two ago, studying the humanities -- especially the Western canon -- was considered by some to be affirming of intellectual, literary, and cultural oppression. The "Great Books" were regarded by many as being (small c) conservative in orientation, and many who identified with that orientation felt the need to defend the canon against folks they regarded as radical extremists.

Today, studying the humanities is regarded by some as a self-indulgent, impractical course of instruction, often associated with views of (drum roll....) radical extremists. The "Great Books" have now been tagged as being on the more (small l) liberal side, even if there are a handful of religiously conservative schools (e.g., Hillsdale) that embrace them.

As someone who is studying the Great Books in a venerable four-year, adult education program offered by the University of Chicago -- the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults (https://graham.uchicago.edu/programs-courses/basic-program) -- I'm happy to report that the Great Books, properly framed, do not dictate a given point of view. Rather they invite differing interpretations, and, equally important, promote the development of analytical thinking skills that can contribute to success in just about any vocation.

My mandatory academic exposure to the Great Books of the Western World  would be best described as 'you don't have to like it, you just have to do it.' If only I had known about Cliff's Notes back then. lol