Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[dismalist]

In recent years the students I've known at many of the Purdue branch campuses are hoping to transfer to the main campus. I know the branch campuses are built to serve local populations, but they seem to have evolved to serve as second-choice entry portals for the main campus. That is, with an over-abundance of applicants at the main campus, it's easier for students to get accepted into the branch campuses. But that's not where they want to end up, ultimately, so they go to the branch campuses hoping to leave. So that's a puzzler for the planners.

It's only a puzzle for the planners, not for the customers! Let the various branches charge different prices and we'd see which is doing best! :-)

[lightning]

In recent years the students I've known at many of the Purdue branch campuses are hoping to transfer to the main campus. I know the branch campuses are built to serve local populations, but they seem to have evolved to serve as second-choice entry portals for the main campus. That is, with an over-abundance of applicants at the main campus, it's easier for students to get accepted into the branch campuses. But that's not where they want to end up, ultimately, so they go to the branch campuses hoping to leave. So that's a puzzler for the planners.

I don't know who is selling the Purdue branch campuses, but the credits from the branch campuses do not automatically transfer to the West Lafayette campus.

[apl68]

https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/kirkwood-community-college-cutting-programs-faculty-and-staff/

Not exactly dire but surprising to me.

Wonder if the "Dental Technology" program they're cutting refers to training dental hygienists?  That's been a tremendously popular field in recent years, and may have become saturated.

So "Energy Production and Distribution Technologies" has had low enrollment?  I would have thought it would have been the opposite, what with all the new power infrastructure projects going on around the country, and the need for trained technicians in those fields.  Maybe that program's particular offerings weren't a good fit for what the field currently needs?  Or maybe demand is so great that you can get hired making good money at an entry level without having to pay for a degree first?

[marshwiggle]

https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/kirkwood-community-college-cutting-programs-faculty-and-staff/

Not exactly dire but surprising to me.

Wonder if the "Dental Technology" program they're cutting refers to training dental hygienists?  That's been a tremendously popular field in recent years, and may have become saturated.

So "Energy Production and Distribution Technologies" has had low enrollment?  I would have thought it would have been the opposite, what with all the new power infrastructure projects going on around the country, and the need for trained technicians in those fields.  Maybe that program's particular offerings weren't a good fit for what the field currently needs?  Or maybe demand is so great that you can get hired making good money at an entry level without having to pay for a degree first?

I don't know about these specific programs, but institutions often create new programs (or rename existing ones) to try to cash in on popular perceptions about what will make graduates employable without necessarily tracking the outcomes. So things that sound good on paper may turn out to be pretty useless in the job market.

[lightning]

https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/kirkwood-community-college-cutting-programs-faculty-and-staff/

Not exactly dire but surprising to me.

Wonder if the "Dental Technology" program they're cutting refers to training dental hygienists?  That's been a tremendously popular field in recent years, and may have become saturated.

So "Energy Production and Distribution Technologies" has had low enrollment?  I would have thought it would have been the opposite, what with all the new power infrastructure projects going on around the country, and the need for trained technicians in those fields.  Maybe that program's particular offerings weren't a good fit for what the field currently needs?  Or maybe demand is so great that you can get hired making good money at an entry level without having to pay for a degree first?

I don't know about these specific programs, but institutions often create new programs (or rename existing ones) to try to cash in on popular perceptions about what will make graduates employable without necessarily tracking the outcomes. So things that sound good on paper may turn out to be pretty useless in the job market.

Also, students go blindly into programs without really thinking it through. Dental Hygienists, for example, get paid lousy, but they don't figure that out until they are done with their trendy Dental Tech program.

Welding is the same thing. Although some welders get paid awesome, most welders get paid lousy with poor working conditions, and sometimes the awesomely paid welders get paid so much because of poor working conditions. Again, most people going into these programs have no idea about these realities until they are done with the program.

[jimbogumbo]

In recent years the students I've known at many of the Purdue branch campuses are hoping to transfer to the main campus. I know the branch campuses are built to serve local populations, but they seem to have evolved to serve as second-choice entry portals for the main campus. That is, with an over-abundance of applicants at the main campus, it's easier for students to get accepted into the branch campuses. But that's not where they want to end up, ultimately, so they go to the branch campuses hoping to leave. So that's a puzzler for the planners.

I don't know who is selling the Purdue branch campuses, but the credits from the branch campuses do not automatically transfer to the West Lafayette campus.

The regionals (not branches) such as Purdue Fort Wayne and IUPUI have more students from the flagships transfer to them than the reverse. Hegemony is correct in recent years as Purdue WL reduced in state student acceptance a bit. It is very common for the students who think they are going to transfer to flagship just don't once they start at one of the larger regionals.

lightning is correct except for courses that have been negotiated or are part of the Indiana Core Transfer Library. Those have to transfer per state statute.

[Hibush]

https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/kirkwood-community-college-cutting-programs-faculty-and-staff/

Not exactly dire but surprising to me.

Wonder if the "Dental Technology" program they're cutting refers to training dental hygienists?  That's been a tremendously popular field in recent years, and may have become saturated.

So "Energy Production and Distribution Technologies" has had low enrollment?  I would have thought it would have been the opposite, what with all the new power infrastructure projects going on around the country, and the need for trained technicians in those fields.  Maybe that program's particular offerings weren't a good fit for what the field currently needs?  Or maybe demand is so great that you can get hired making good money at an entry level without having to pay for a degree first?

Thry also dumped their truck driver training program despite apparent high demand (and turnover). But I can understand that the operating costs are considerable.  Do prospective truck drivers prefer schools with no distribution requirements tied to CDL preparation?

[Ruralguy]

Just teach me how to back a big rig up a steep driveway. All that Plato and Shakespeare sounds interesting, but I think I'll learn it some other time.

[FishProf]

Just teach me how to back a big rig up a steep driveway. All that Plato and Shakespeare sounds interesting, but I think I'll learn it some other time.

Yeah, via Audible/Libby/etc. on those long-haul trips.

[spork]

The King's College, NYC: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/02/24/small-college-needs-26m-survive-its-raised-178k.

Form 990s show that on average it gets about a third of its revenue from contributions. It does not earn enough tuition revenue from program operations to be viable.

[Hibush]

The King's College, NYC: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/02/24/small-college-needs-26m-survive-its-raised-178k.

Form 990s show that on average it gets about a third of its revenue from contributions. It does not earn enough tuition revenue from program operations to be viable.

This is a wierd one. About 25 yeas ago Campus Crusade for Christ took over the charter of a defunct school and began operatioins at various places around NY. They went their separate ways about 10 years ago. Seems like viability was a challenge from the outset.

[apl68]

Just teach me how to back a big rig up a steep driveway. All that Plato and Shakespeare sounds interesting, but I think I'll learn it some other time.

Yeah, via Audible/Libby/etc. on those long-haul trips.

And in most places your local public library can set you up.

Our e-book consortium of small-to-medium-sized libraries recently had the honor of featuring OverDrive's one billionth checkout.  Quite a shock, given that we're only one consortium among many, and not the biggest.  It wasn't a patron at our library, but we were able to parlay the announcement into a front-page article on our local paper.

[spork]

Bethany College, WV. Deficits every FY since 2008 except for 2018, when it sold $2.7 million in assets and received $10.2 million in contributions but only had $1.5 million in net revenue. 35% decline in FTE undergrad enrollment since a 2011 peak of 900. Per news reports, it has postponed its search for a president, probably because all of the finalists walked away after seeing the college's balance sheet.

Anyone who is working there should be looking for a new job.

[apl68]

Bethany College, WV. Deficits every FY since 2008 except for 2018, when it sold $2.7 million in assets and received $10.2 million in contributions but only had $1.5 million in net revenue. 35% decline in FTE undergrad enrollment since a 2011 peak of 900. Per news reports, it has postponed its search for a president, probably because all of the finalists walked away after seeing the college's balance sheet.

Anyone who is working there should be looking for a new job.

I think they've been on this thread once or twice before.  They've been going downhill for a long time.  I wonder whether this could be their final year?  Their trouble finding a president suggests that this could end up being an especially messy and abrupt final collapse.

[Hibush]

Bethany College, WV.

I think they've been on this thread once or twice before.  They've been going downhill for a long time.  I wonder whether this could be their final year?  Their trouble finding a president suggests that this could end up being an especially messy and abrupt final collapse.

You don't think the eSports minor launched this spring will revive enrollment enough to justify spiffing up the dorms to house 300 additional students?