WVU Appears to be in Trouble

[acoustimac]

Just saw this today. Can’t imagine what would it would be like if ISU wer facing this same dilemma.

West Virginia University Is Everything That’s Wrong With Higher Education Today

Its president ignored the warning signs about declining enrollment. Now WVU is deeply in debt, in thrall to market-worshipping consultants, and cutting a shocking number of programs and faculty.

newrepublic.com

 

[CycloneErik]

Well, we're implementing the same 'solutions,' so ISU isn't far off. The school just slow-played the massive layoffs instead of jumping in headfirst.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

Just saw this today. Can’t imagine what would it would be like if ISU wer facing this same dilemma.

West Virginia University Is Everything That’s Wrong With Higher Education Today

Its president ignored the warning signs about declining enrollment. Now WVU is deeply in debt, in thrall to market-worshipping consultants, and cutting a shocking number of programs and faculty.

newrepublic.com

its coming don't worry

 

[enisthemenace]

Oooof. That’s a frightening article.

 

[NorthCyd]

I have a friend who works at ISU and he thinks there are some big financial problems coming down the pike, with LAS specifically. Apparently they were already supposed to make some pretty sizeable cuts and they are behind schedule on that.

 

[Yaz]

Was in Decorah recently and someone familiar with Luther College said that due to low enrollment since covid, all students must live in the dorms. No off campus living allowed anymore.

 

[nrg4isu]

Jamie Pollard has been outspoken on this for years. It was at least 5 years ago that I first heard him talking about the enrollment cliff. This feels like a financial bubble that is in the process of bursting. Some saw it coming, others ignored it, but all will feel its effect.

 

[CycloneErik]

I have a friend who works at ISU and he thinks there are some big financial problems coming down the pike, with LAS specifically. Apparently they were already supposed to make some pretty sizeable cuts and they are behind schedule on that.

Here's something of an update on that:

LAS college shares update on three-year reimagining initiative • Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff • Iowa State University

www.inside.iastate.edu

There will be departments both gutted and going away/merging together. The overall cutting will be huge.

 

[Cloneon]

Living in WV, I believe the problem runs much deeper. The average income here is deplorable. The work ethic for the younger generation is deplorable. The drug problem for the younger people is ... you guessed it: deplorable. I was just commenting this morning to my wife. For the past 40 years, I haven't seen any high schoolers working at local restaurants as both her and I did. Or anywhere for that matter. What am I missing. What changed? Local communities such as mine are feverishly trying to figure it out in an era of increasing budget cuts. I've been a free market type of person my whole life, but even I can see where it's now failing the necessary educational needs. Here, at least. Maybe not so much elsewhere. I'm going to stay glued to this thread as I'm hoping others throughout the country have faced similar woes, but have figured it out. Please voice your solution.

 

[Gonzo]

I'll take "What is administrative bloat" for $2,000.

 

[Drew0311]

I'll take "What is administrative bloat" for $2,000.

Yep, Everything is so bloated now. Get ready for Drastic Tuition increase as well. They will just try and pass it on to students like normal. With less enrollment now coming and higher tuition, unless it's a very specified field, kids are going to quit going to college and figure out a trade job.

 

[Clonehomer]

There’s an interesting line in this article that I think they glossed over and really is at the core of state supported higher education.

It’s yet more evidence of a consultant-driven mentality that is overtaking university administrations, where academic inquiry is reduced to its value in the marketplace

Isn’t value in the marketplace the argument for the state funding higher education in the first place? I get where you could have more freedom in that academic inquiry in private schools. But to say the state should pay for programs that there isn’t the benefit back to seems backwards. Does the state of West Virginia see a benefit from having graduates with a foreign language degree for example?

I guess I’m fine with the state universities making cuts only in certain fields and catering to a smaller set of degree programs that reflect the state’s needs.

 

[drmwevr08]

There’s an interesting line in this article that I think they glossed over and really is at the core of state supported higher education.



Isn’t value in the marketplace the argument for the state funding higher education in the first place? I get where you could have more freedom in that academic inquiry in private schools. But to say the state should pay for programs that there isn’t the benefit back to seems backwards. Does the state of West Virginia see a benefit from having graduates with a foreign language degree for example?

I guess I’m fine with the state universities making cuts only in certain fields and catering to a smaller set of degree programs that reflect the state’s needs.

When we depend on the 'free market' and only value making money this is what happens. Humanity loses, I promise.

 

[cowgirl836]

Living in WV, I believe the problem runs much deeper. The average income here is deplorable. The work ethic for the younger generation is deplorable. The drug problem for the younger people is ... you guessed it: deplorable. I was just commenting this morning to my wife. For the past 40 years, I haven't seen any high schoolers working at local restaurants as both her and I did. Or anywhere for that matter. What am I missing. What changed? Local communities such as mine are feverishly trying to figure it out in an era of increasing budget cuts. I've been a free market type of person my whole life, but even I can see where it's now failing the necessary educational needs. Here, at least. Maybe not so much elsewhere. I'm going to stay glued to this thread as I'm hoping others throughout the country have faced similar woes, but have figured it out. Please voice your solution.

There's a lot of thoughts for this but they belong in the Cave. WV and others have been following a pretty specific playbook the last 40 years and it's bearing fruit. These results are absolutely the feature and not a bug.

 

[CloniesForLife]

There’s an interesting line in this article that I think they glossed over and really is at the core of state supported higher education.



Isn’t value in the marketplace the argument for the state funding higher education in the first place? I get where you could have more freedom in that academic inquiry in private schools. But to say the state should pay for programs that there isn’t the benefit back to seems backwards. Does the state of West Virginia see a benefit from having graduates with a foreign language degree for example?

I guess I’m fine with the state universities making cuts only in certain fields and catering to a smaller set of degree programs that reflect the state’s needs.

Running a college based solely off the needs of the marketplace is going to end horribly. Should job needs be taken into consideration? Absolutely. But if you only have programs that some sort of consultant has deemed to have a good ROI or something you are going to start losing out on a lot of things. Not everyone can or should be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer or an accountant. We need people in all fields for the betterment of society

 

[BigTurk]

Well, we're implementing the same 'solutions,' so ISU isn't far off. The school just slow-played the massive layoffs instead of jumping in headfirst.

Yes, and it sucks. ISU changed the funding model so the Colleges of LAS and Human Sciences are taking it in the shorts, and so we are forced to slash and burn. That doesn't even factor into the almost $1 billion of deferred maintenance on campus.

 

[BigTurk]

Was in Decorah recently and someone familiar with Luther College said that due to low enrollment since covid, all students must live in the dorms. No off campus living allowed anymore.

Luther is in trouble, but they are not as bad off as other private schools in Iowa. It is just beginning in this state.

 

[KnappShack]

There’s an interesting line in this article that I think they glossed over and really is at the core of state supported higher education.



Isn’t value in the marketplace the argument for the state funding higher education in the first place? I get where you could have more freedom in that academic inquiry in private schools. But to say the state should pay for programs that there isn’t the benefit back to seems backwards. Does the state of West Virginia see a benefit from having graduates with a foreign language degree for example?

I guess I’m fine with the state universities making cuts only in certain fields and catering to a smaller set of degree programs that reflect the state’s needs.

I wonder about higher education and retention in Iowa.

We've had "brain drain" since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

Which degrees do Iowans receive and then stay in state? Do some perform better than others? Is this a path to cutting programs that don't payoff for Iowa?

If it boils down to hard economics then what does this all look like?

 

[cowgirl836]

There’s an interesting line in this article that I think they glossed over and really is at the core of state supported higher education.



Isn’t value in the marketplace the argument for the state funding higher education in the first place? I get where you could have more freedom in that academic inquiry in private schools. But to say the state should pay for programs that there isn’t the benefit back to seems backwards. Does the state of West Virginia see a benefit from having graduates with a foreign language degree for example?

I guess I’m fine with the state universities making cuts only in certain fields and catering to a smaller set of degree programs that reflect the state’s needs.

WV isn't far from DC. I could see a ton of value in the foreign service space for those types of degrees. And I'll get on my soapbox here and say that this view of higher ed as simply what widget makers does it spit out is short sighted and dangerous. Higher ed - which should be heavily funded by goverment - is about creating citizens, not workers. It's for the benefit of society as a whole. If corporations need a specific widget maker, they can train their widget makers. Training people for specific careers based on what is in demand today or even forecasted for 10 yrs from now is a dangerous game.

 

[BMWallace]

Yep, Everything is so bloated now. Get ready for Drastic Tuition increase as well. They will just try and pass it on to students like normal. With less enrollment now coming and higher tuition, unless it's a very specified field, kids are going to quit going to college and figure out a trade job.

Higher tuition will lead to more teens and families opting out of college. And for those that do enroll and have to take on large student loans, it will continue the trend of delayed life events like buying a home or starting a family.

It's a short-term solution with compounding, long-term knock-on effects.