Hence why there is a need for the school to branch out and establish connections beyond that of transactional relationships.
Saw something interesting today. I know we attribute cuts to small private schools such as Valpo, but larger private institutions who are on better footing seem to be doing much of the same. Including the current host of the March Madness play in games, University of Dayton. Dayton is cited as not operating at a deficit, but despite this, they are closing many of their masters and doctorate programs due to the decline of higher ed in the Midwest. Their enrollment has even grown in recent years and yet, here they are shuttering programs.
It’s called proactivity, a foreign, if not unheard of, concept at Valparaiso University.
“Proactivity or proactive behavior refers to self-initiated behavior that endeavors to solve a problem before it has occurred.”
At least the Padilla administration is willing to make these decisions rather than sit on them until the explode. I just found it interesting that cuts are mostly attributed to the small time schools, when larger private, Christian, midwestern institutions are doing the same thing.
@whvalpo - excellent comment, and Padilla is at least trying to being proactive in making these difficult, unpopular decisions. This is unlike previous leadership at Valparaiso.
Significant cuts are also being made at Drake, Bradley, Evansville and Creighton. I would we are also seeing this at DePaul.
that being said, when are going to start renovating building these dorms that that are desperately needed to stay afloat? The actions to sell the art deal is settled, let’s move forward.
Adding to a few of the points made, quite a few universities are considering the demographic drop in graduating high school students that will start in the next year or two. This is leading them to take serious steps to consider where costs can be cut - and a big target is programs (majors, minors, etc) with little enrollment from students. whvalpo is correct that these actions are proactive...especially at schools like Creighton who do not currently have overall enrollment problems.
Seems like some schools have been hit a big earlier but many schools are anticipating that the drop will come for them eventually.
Saw something interesting today. I know we attribute cuts to small private schools such as Valpo, but larger private institutions who are on better footing seem to be doing much of the same. Including the current host of the March Madness play in games, University of Dayton. Dayton is cited as not operating at a deficit, but despite this, they are closing many of their masters and doctorate programs due to the decline of higher ed in the Midwest. Their enrollment has even grown in recent years and yet, here they are shuttering programs.
I think the distinctions in terms of program/faculty cuts are less about larger vs. smaller private universities, and more about prestige and associated funding issues via contributions & endowment income.
That said, cuts seem to be occurring across the spectrum of higher ed institutions.
News on land sale, from the Chicago Tribune:
This from an article on a new restaurant being opened on the square by Theo’s Restaurants and Dining of Lake County.
“And we are now in contract agreements to purchase the block at Roosevelt and Lincolnway from Valparaiso University and I’m planning a large shopping center at that location. I have a commitment to Valparaiso which has been around for a long, long time.”
Little bit of old news, but nonetheless important
Roger Powell announces new non-forprofit
The latest US News rankings of colleges and universities have been released, and VU finds itself ranked 204th among 436 "National Universities."
As I've suggested before, I think placing VU in this category has not been to its advantage, because it gets "lost" in a long list of universities of disparate qualities, to the point where the ranking really doesn't mean much other than to say "middle of the road."
By contrast, when VU was classified as "Regional Universities Midwest," it continually finished in the upper ranges of that rank-ordered listing. Consider that among the top 20 in that category this year are peer-ish institutions such as Butler (ranked #1), John Carroll, Calvin, Baldwin-Wallace, Otterbein, Indiana Wesleyan, Hamline, Evansville, and North Central.
I'd rather have a college applicant noticing VU as a contender among those schools than being listed as 204th in the same rank order listing that starts with Princeton, MIT, and Harvard as the top 3.
I feel as though the US News metrics have misclassified VU in a way that hurts our competitive presence among comparable institutions.
What was our ranking last year?
VU is ranked # 45 in Best Value Programs. Ranked #15 in undergrad Engineering(With no doctorate). Only school ranked higher for undergrad Engineering(no doctorate) in the state is Rose Hulman
As for Value Schools...
Evansville is #13
Butler is #35
I feel as if there is an excellent marketing opportunity for the Value school and the undergrad engineering ranking that isn't being capitalized on
At the time Valpo was moved to National, I got really excited cuz I understood that move was based on the fact that Valpo has always attracted a national enrollment. But that was in another era.
But I now, and for the last decade, agree with David. In comparison to a nationally well-known Butler (listed as a regional let alone Indiana), we definitely belong with them at the regional competition level.
That repositioning would do wonders in terms of re-opening eyes in the Chicago area, Indiana, and much of the central midwest — all of which is still our applicant recruiting wheelhouse.
So a kid can brag about being admitted to to the 204th best National University in the country (We’re #204!!! We’re #204!!!) OR they can brag about being accepted to one of the top 10 in the Midwest. Excuse me, but that’s a DUH! scenario, IMO.
BTW, the school down south is probably laughing their butts off at us due to our inadvertent placement against the likes of Harvard and Stanford while they are cleaning up in the midwest.
SO…… can Valpo request (argue for) a reposition in the US News category assignment for 2025?
