Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[apl68]

Rowan University -- what are they doing right or is this just a fluff piece? (I know this is the polar opposite of what this thread is about but I'm curious -- mods feel free to move this elsewhere.)

Definitely curious as to how they've managed this.  How have they attracted so much research grant money?  Has the state kicked in some significant money?  Have they maintained good standards, or are some of their programs diploma mills?

I suppose this is all relevant to the thread.  Rowan seems to have accomplished what many schools on the thread, in varying degrees and at varying scales, have tried.  How did they manage where so many others have failed?

[dismalist]

How did they manage where so many others have failed?

Aggregate enrollment has been declining for 10+ years. Not many suppliers can increase enrollment in a shrinking market.  [And the demographic cliff has yet to kick in.]

[waterboy]

Not to be a cynic, but let's remember West Virginia ALSO thought enrollments were going to skyrocket. Look where that took them.

[lightning]

Rowan University -- what are they doing right or is this just a fluff piece? (I know this is the polar opposite of what this thread is about but I'm curious -- mods feel free to move this elsewhere.)

It's a fluff piece, but it's a good outward-facing fluff piece for purposes of marketing for Rowan. For us on the inside of the profession, it does make us gag.

I'm a little suspicious of Rowan's historical enrollment numbers, and I'm really laughing at their enrollment projections that they will achieve through distance learning. They're too late to cash in on distance learning.

That being said, my university system, like Rowan, ramped up its research activity for ALL campuses. Like Rowan, increased research activity, large donations, non-profit sector collaborations, and private sector investment have been one of the main reasons for its viability since the Great Recession. Our enrollment has stayed steady or increased since the Great Recession and that has a lot to do with our generous financial aid packages that are partially funded by research, large donations, non-profit sector collaborations, and private sector investment. If Rowan is anything like my university, which I suspect that it is, the real secret to Rowan's success is smart and clever faculty that have to do work their asses off (more research, more collaborations, more service, more seeking out donations, and more seeking out investment from corporate overlords). And like Rowan, the administrators are taking credit for it. (These are the same administrators that roll over and take it up the ar$e from politicians in the state who continue to slash higher ed funding, while at the same time imposing internal controls that make it harder for faculty to do all the things that made the university viable.)

[apl68]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education?  I can recall hearing about several on the "Dire Straights" threads.  As with any bubble, by the time the word gets out that that's the hot thing to do, and everybody starts trying it, the moment to jump on board the bandwagon with any real hope of success has already passed.  At that point you might as well be one of those people buying into a multilevel marketing scheme.

[marshwiggle]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education? 

And with everyplace having to go online during COVID, the bar for online education quality just got bumped up several notches. That in itself made it virtually impossible for anyone to cash in on it in a big way.

[Parasaurolophus]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education? 

And with everyplace having to go online during COVID, the bar for online education quality just got bumped up several notches. That in itself made it virtually impossible for anyone to cash in on it in a big way.

We just take a pile of international students then give them online classes because we don't have the physical space. Bingo presto, quality is irrelevant.

[ciao_yall]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education? 

And with everyplace having to go online during COVID, the bar for online education quality just got bumped up several notches. That in itself made it virtually impossible for anyone to cash in on it in a big way.

We just take a pile of international students then give them online classes because we don't have the physical space. Bingo presto, quality is irrelevant.

Sure, students would love to pay big bucks to move internationally, only to sit in their rooms all day doing classes and homework.

/eyeroll

[TreadingLife]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education? 

And with everyplace having to go online during COVID, the bar for online education quality just got bumped up several notches. That in itself made it virtually impossible for anyone to cash in on it in a big way.

We just take a pile of international students then give them online classes because we don't have the physical space. Bingo presto, quality is irrelevant.

I thought there was a Visa restriction on doing this since there is no need for the international student to be in the country if they can just take classes online. Something like a limit or prohibition on the number of online classes an international student can take domestically. Anyone know more?

[Parasaurolophus]

No, they're surely too late to grab a bigger share of the online education pie like they're hoping to do.  It looks like they've still had impressive growth in enrollment at a time when so many are losing, though.

Wonder how many troubled schools invested money in failed efforts to multiply their enrollment through online education? 

And with everyplace having to go online during COVID, the bar for online education quality just got bumped up several notches. That in itself made it virtually impossible for anyone to cash in on it in a big way.

We just take a pile of international students then give them online classes because we don't have the physical space. Bingo presto, quality is irrelevant.

Sure, students would love to pay big bucks to move internationally, only to sit in their rooms all day doing classes and homework.

/eyeroll

Ours are paying for the subsequent three-year work permit and a shot at permanent residency. And they go out and work under the table and do none of the homework.

It's a pretty gross situation, and leaves them quite vulnerable and in a bad way. We're effectively a degree mill. But our enrollments are higher than ever!

[methodsman]

Rowan University -- what are they doing right or is this just a fluff piece? (I know this is the polar opposite of what this thread is about but I'm curious -- mods feel free to move this elsewhere.)

Rowan gobbled up a number of community colleges that were flailing.  This is one way to improve their financial position.  Rowan is really the only game in south jersey and being just outside of Philadelphia is good for many reasons. They were in the right place at the right time with the right leadership.  This was not a guaranteed success story in the making. But, the economic impact reported is highly dubious. 

mm 

[dismalist]

Rowan University -- what are they doing right or is this just a fluff piece? (I know this is the polar opposite of what this thread is about but I'm curious -- mods feel free to move this elsewhere.)

Rowan gobbled up a number of community colleges that were flailing.  This is one way to improve their financial position.  Rowan is really the only game in south jersey and being just outside of Philadelphia is good for many reasons. They were in the right place at the right time with the right leadership.  This was not a guaranteed success story in the making. But, the economic impact reported is highly dubious. 

mm 

That is useful!

There is nothing wrong with Mergers and Acquisitions to improve one's financial security in the education industry. However, calling the results "an increase in enrollment" is misleading, either intentionally so, or they're stupid.

What's wanted is enrollment growth compared to all the educational establishments in operation in the past that are now part of Rowan, not just compared to what was once Rowan.

[Hibush]

What's wanted is enrollment growth compared to all the educational establishments in operation in the past that are now part of Rowan, not just compared to what was once Rowan.

What I would want is a financially sound institution scaled to the current demand. I would want that because it makes for a better school to be at.

What I want in corporate annual reports is that they don't say "revenue increased by x%, driven by aquisitions" without also saying what the total revenue of the aquired  companies was. That info is usually harder to find. Also whether the aquired enterprises have a better margin than before--which is probably the most analogous to the Rowan situation.

[onehappyunicorn]

Rowan University -- what are they doing right or is this just a fluff piece? (I know this is the polar opposite of what this thread is about but I'm curious -- mods feel free to move this elsewhere.)

Rowan gobbled up a number of community colleges that were flailing.  This is one way to improve their financial position.  Rowan is really the only game in south jersey and being just outside of Philadelphia is good for many reasons. They were in the right place at the right time with the right leadership.  This was not a guaranteed success story in the making. But, the economic impact reported is highly dubious. 

mm 

Yep, Rowan absorbed the community college that I went to, it's now "Rowan College of South Jersey". I think they also absorbed the CC over in Vineland/Millville. The next closest four year that is still in South Jersey is probably Stockton and that is about an hour from where I grew up. There are four-years that are closer in Philly and Wilmington but if you are living at home then that's a lot of traffic and tolls. I guess there is Rutgers - Camden now that I think about it...
Rowan has been growing for some time, there was a lot of tension in Glassboro when they used eminent domain to seize a bunch of land. The enrollment is probably double of what it was when I attended. There is a huge parking deck and a hotel now where a lot of housing was in downtown Glassboro.

[spork]

Saint Martin's University:

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/education/article286897365.html