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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 15, 2020 4:22:40 GMT -6
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Post by jaminthebody on Feb 15, 2020 8:11:38 GMT -6
I read the article also. If they’re(the professors) worried about falling enrollment numbers, the trend now will be light compared to what it could be with a trimmed or non-existent athletic program, there will be virtually no eyes on the university on a regional or national level. I feel like this has been a trend on the west coast for 20 years. I’m surprised UC Davis still has a program. If EWU drops football, that will shift the entire landscape of the FCS gridiron hierarchy. The Big Sky will be weakened overnight. Another angle is where do the players end up? Are some of them considering transferring now? I have a feeling many could end up at NDSU. The what -ifs are nearly endless concerning EWU’s decision.
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Post by jCat on Feb 15, 2020 11:50:42 GMT -6
Eastern Washington is facing the reality that every university is facing: plateauing enrollment figures. There just aren't as many high schoolers to recruit. Though only a D2 school, Concordia University in Portland Oregon announced they were closing their entire school (5000 enrollment) this Spring. The entire school is cut (graduate, law school, 1800 employees) in one swift motion. They had no notice. And those in Abilene are aware of what's happening at HSU.
The next 5 years or so is going to show a remarkable reset in the number of colleges and universities. From 1996 until 2016, the number of colleges across the country exploded, but it's not sustainable any longer.
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Post by Cap'n Cattitude on Feb 15, 2020 12:08:46 GMT -6
There are those who think that several of the CofC universities are on the verge of closing and will not survive the next decade. Only ACU, Harding, Pepperdine ands Lipscomb seem certain to survive.
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 15, 2020 12:41:21 GMT -6
There are those who think that several of the CofC universities are on the verge of closing and will not survive the next decade. Only ACU, Harding, Pepperdine ands Lipscomb seem certain to survive. ACU is in better shape than either Lipscomb or Harding. I think both will will survive but not without some pain. Lipscomb’s endowment is relatively small at 84 million. Harding is around 151 million. Both have felt and will continue to feel enrollment pressure.
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Post by Cap'n Cattitude on Feb 15, 2020 15:35:17 GMT -6
Harding’s professional programs in Little Rock give them a sustainable model but they will be challenged as a residential university. Lipscomb is, of course, in the best market other than Pepperdine but clearly they don’t have the resources of the other three. ACU has reimagined itself as a Christian university in the C of C tradition rather than a C of C University. It seems to be working albeit at the cost of a more secular community. And that seems to be the path that HSU is going down. I think closing the seminary has more to do with distancing themselves from the Southern Baptists. They will still have Bible degrees and programs. My opinion based on nothing at all.
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 15, 2020 16:20:44 GMT -6
Harding’s professional programs in Little Rock give them a sustainable model but they will be challenged as a residential university. Lipscomb is, of course, in the best market other than Pepperdine but clearly they don’t have the resources of the other three. ACU has reimagined itself as a Christian university in the C of C tradition rather than a C of C University. It seems to be working albeit at the cost of a more secular community. And that seems to be the path that HSU is going down. I think closing the seminary has more to do with distancing themselves from the Southern Baptists. They will still have Bible degrees and programs. My opinion based on nothing at all. Harding and Lipscomb both have pharmacy schools. One of the two won’t survive. Lipscomb is indeed in a great location and like ACU they are more a Christian U in the C of C tradition but they have taken on a lot of debt to build new facilities and they are administratively top heavy, Harding tried to position itself as the best undergrad option for traditional c of c kids but that market is shrinking. And Searcy is, well, Searcy.
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Post by bucfan on Feb 15, 2020 17:06:38 GMT -6
Harding has promoted itself to C of C kids as being less expensive than ACU and more of a C of C school. That has had some success but I don't know if it is sustainable. ACU may have to fight the impression that it is just Baylor Junior (UMHB probably fits that title better). I think the leadership for the past 10-15 years has done a good job of creating an excellent academic university that still emphasizes its Christian heritage. The challenge for the future may be to keep from becoming a TCU, SMU, or even a Baylor.
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Post by Outsider on Feb 17, 2020 12:12:35 GMT -6
When I was first reading this, I didn't find it likely that EWU would drop athletics; or even football. They are in the midst of planning a stadium renovation. I haven't seen any talk yet that really goes against that. What I am seeing is how this pushes discussions of where money goes and why when budgets get really tough.
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Post by Cap'n Cattitude on Feb 17, 2020 12:19:23 GMT -6
Most faculties think that too much is spent on athletics and not enough on academics. Self interest.
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Post by bogeyman on Feb 17, 2020 12:22:36 GMT -6
Read yesterday of the cuts at Hardin Simmons. 31 programs and 22 staff. Has to be fairly drastic for them and their athletics are already D3. What else do you cut before you lose students?
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Post by Outsider on Feb 17, 2020 12:24:24 GMT -6
Most faculties think that too much is spent on athletics and not enough on academics. Self interest. That is what the article looked like to me. Still, if budgets are really that tight they would maybe need to think about doing some cuts. I don't see football or athletics in general being cut though. It just seemed to highlight an age old conversation. I know the dicisions aren't easy either way.
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Feb 17, 2020 12:33:57 GMT -6
A general observation—Higher ed is about to experience some lean years as the number of potential students declines. Some institutions won’t survive and those that do will need to make tough decisions about budget cuts. Non-elite private universities will be hardest hit along with regional public Universities that have cut state funding for colleges,
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Post by Cap'n Cattitude on Feb 17, 2020 15:47:01 GMT -6
The last 75 years have seen two huge bubbles of children - the post WW ll “baby boomers” and 25 years later the baby boomers’ kids. But there isn’t another boom on the horizon at least in the US.
It seems to me that there will be a time - soon - when there will be a shake out of colleges and universities. First the weakest private schools followed by regional public universities whose enrollments drop as state budgets become tighter.
We are already seeing schools rushing to go online and/or offer pre-professional programs. Even 20 years ago I’m not sure we imagined ACU with Engineering and Nursing and Physical Therapy and Speech Path etc. It was pretty much Bible, Business, pre-med and teacher ed.
We live in interesting times.
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Post by bucfan on Feb 17, 2020 16:19:08 GMT -6
I'm hoping online degrees improve in the future. I'm not impressed with many I've seen earn an online degree.
I also wonder if ACU's growth as a respected general Christian university has hurt HSU some. Baptists that want the strongest theology classes may be drawn to ACU for its reputation more than to a "Baptist" school like HSU. Just a thought.
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