Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[Wahoo Redux]

For those of you who are despondent about the state of higher ed, and more specifically the humanities, the following is a full throated defense.  The comments on the article however, are much more of a mixed bag.  Everything from "I really valued my humanities education" to "Burn it all down.  Universities have brought this on themselves."  You know, kinda like the discussion right here on the good ol' fora.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/opinion/coronavirus-college-humanities.html

I've sung it before
And gonna sing it again:

Publicize.
Publicize.
Publicize.

Vote Democrat.
Vote out Trump.

Some people we will never get---their hard little minds are made up.  But...
We don't need everyone, we need enough.

At this point in time this struggle is not on the level of Corona virus, Arbury or Floyd...
But it is very important for the future.

Getting the word out is how we do a great many things in our society. 
And it is happening, even if some people either insist it is not or that it will do no good.

Do something.  Speak up.

This includes y'all.

[TreadingLife]

June 1st is now behind us, how are the deposits for Fall at your institution? At our place,  -5% compared to May 1 last year.

I haven't mustered up the nerve to ask. 2020 has been traumatic enough already.

[AmLitHist]

2020 has been traumatic enough already.

Ain't it the truth. (I was one who kept calling for 2019 to end, already.  Um......be careful what you wish for?)

[Parasaurolophus]

2020 has been traumatic enough already.

Ain't it the truth. (I was one who kept calling for 2019 to end, already.  Um......be careful what you wish for?)

Just yesterday I was trying to remember which year it was we were all happy to see finally end. I concluded it must have been 2017... but I can't for the life of me remember why any more. It all looks like small peanuts.

[polly_mer]

University of Alaska system cuts 40 programs while still considering institutional mergers.

[marshwiggle]

University of Alaska system cuts 40 programs while still considering institutional mergers.

As an illustration of how much the problems predate COVID-19:

Programs that were cut were chosen from a larger list of programs previously selected by university administrators, university officials said. Thirteen of them had previously been suspended, some as early as 2013.

I'm guessing many of those "suspended" programs had no students in them by this point.

[Hibush]

University of Alaska system cuts 40 programs while still considering institutional mergers.

As an illustration of how much the problems predate COVID-19:

Programs that were cut were chosen from a larger list of programs previously selected by university administrators, university officials said. Thirteen of them had previously been suspended, some as early as 2013.

I'm guessing many of those "suspended" programs had no students in them by this point.

Alaska's situation really seems tough to address well. The state needs people trained in all manner of subjects, often with a specialized knowledge specific to Alaska conditions. But the resources to do that are spread so thin with the whole state's population being comparable to the Lakeland, FL metro area. Nobody thinks Lakeland can or should support a whole comprehensive university system. How can you support all the needed infrastructure without huge spending per student?

[Parasaurolophus]

In New York, Elmira college is eliminating six programs, three sports teams, and reducing its staff by 20%.

The six programs being eliminated are American Studies, Classical Studies, Economics, International Studies, Music, Philosophy & Religion, and Spanish & Hispanic Studies (that's seven, so I dunno what's up).

[spork]

Elmira has had negative net revenue for every fiscal year from 2012 through 2018 (most recent year publicly available). In FY 2018, it had a deficit of $8 million on a total operating budget of $72 million, despite selling off at least a few million dollars worth of securities. Its undergraduate FTE fell from 1465 pre-2008 recession to 956 -- it's lost a third of its enrollment. It has an acceptance rate of 85%, a yield rate of 10%, and a graduation rate of 54%.

I predict Elmira will close in 0 to 5 years.

[apl68]

In New York, Elmira college is eliminating six programs, three sports teams, and reducing its staff by 20%.

The six programs being eliminated are American Studies, Classical Studies, Economics, International Studies, Music, Philosophy & Religion, and Spanish & Hispanic Studies (that's seven, so I dunno what's up).

With Spanish shut down, I guess that means they no longer have any language programs.  Their web site says that they still offer an English major, for now.

[polly_mer]

University of Alaska system cuts 40 programs while still considering institutional mergers.

As an illustration of how much the problems predate COVID-19:

Programs that were cut were chosen from a larger list of programs previously selected by university administrators, university officials said. Thirteen of them had previously been suspended, some as early as 2013.

I'm guessing many of those "suspended" programs had no students in them by this point.

We've discussed Alaska at length last year when big cuts to finances were proposed by the governor along with the insistence that the system only needed one campus.

[Hibush]

University of Alaska system cuts 40 programs while still considering institutional mergers.

As an illustration of how much the problems predate COVID-19:

Programs that were cut were chosen from a larger list of programs previously selected by university administrators, university officials said. Thirteen of them had previously been suspended, some as early as 2013.

I'm guessing many of those "suspended" programs had no students in them by this point.

We've discussed Alaska at length last year when big cuts to finances were proposed by the governor along with the insistence that the system only needed one campus.

This week we learned that Jim Johnsen, the president of U of Alaska will become the next president of the U of Wisconsin system. His training as a top-down business executive did not sit well with the Alaska faculty. Perhaps he is going to drive consolidation in the UW system, which we have also discussed at length here. Many of the UW campuses have worrisome demographic and financial.

[sonoamused]

In New York, Elmira college is eliminating six programs, three sports teams, and reducing its staff by 20%.

The six programs being eliminated are American Studies, Classical Studies, Economics, International Studies, Music, Philosophy & Religion, and Spanish & Hispanic Studies (that's seven, so I dunno what's up).

With Spanish shut down, I guess that means they no longer have any language programs.  Their web site says that they still offer an English major, for now.

Whats somewhat notable -- its not just staff they are reducing -- it is tenured faculty.  (They are not union, and have been in long time bad standing with the AUUP, so its not like the faculty have anyone to fight for them.)  The library will have one MLS holding librarian left - the director.   They will not have anyone left to do library instruction or collection development, for example.

Their FTE is very small - it stands about 900.  It was at one point, around 1200,  Maybe higher.   They used to offer 100% tuition for valedictorians, 80% for salutatorians, and then they changed it so it was only equal that amount for your initial year (while increasing tuition every year); then did away with those scholarships (and most others) all together in an attempt to stop the bleed.

It suffered gross financial management for decades under a particular president; for example the BoT used to have multiple board meetings per year in the Bahamas and the campus was ordered to die the rock salt purple during the winter and paint all the ladders purple while the buildings fell into disrepair.

The campus is in the middle of the town and I do hope when the college goes, they find some use for it.  The college has a very long and generally wonderful history and it will be a shame.

[kaysixteen]

hmmm... what would be the point of painting ladders and rock salt purple in the winter?

[polly_mer]

hmmm... what would be the point of painting ladders and rock salt purple in the winter?

Perhaps branding through using school colors on visible surfaces.

Super Dinky had a campus beautification day every fall before the trustees showed up for their meeting that was the kickoff for homecoming.  The tours were then of a nice campus with green lawns and pretty flowers with carefully chosen internal walks through the freshly painted handful of corridors in otherwise alarming buildings.

Thus, the impression was SD was small, but well-kept and probably the roofs could wait another year or two during these tight times.