Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[Hibush]

The University of Arkansas has been forbidden by the state legislature from selling over 6,000 acres of land on an old forestry research station to a private buyer for over $16 million.  The planned deal was unpopular with hunters who had been accustomed to having access to the land.  Plus, there's that whole concern about selling public lands to private buyers. 


https://www.kait8.com/2021/06/15/ua-drops-pine-tree-research-station-land-sale/


Not a dire situation, but highlights how institutions of higher education aren't always free to use valuable assets to raise funds.

State contributions to U of Arkansas are almost three times tuition revenue.

He who pays the piper calls the tune!

Arkansas apparently has a strong commitment to using taxpayer funds for the public good, whether it be higher education or hunting opportunities for well-connected good old boys. The legislators seem to be responding to that.

[apl68]

The University of Arkansas has been forbidden by the state legislature from selling over 6,000 acres of land on an old forestry research station to a private buyer for over $16 million.  The planned deal was unpopular with hunters who had been accustomed to having access to the land.  Plus, there's that whole concern about selling public lands to private buyers. 


https://www.kait8.com/2021/06/15/ua-drops-pine-tree-research-station-land-sale/


Not a dire situation, but highlights how institutions of higher education aren't always free to use valuable assets to raise funds.

State contributions to U of Arkansas are almost three times tuition revenue.

He who pays the piper calls the tune!

Arkansas apparently has a strong commitment to using taxpayer funds for the public good, whether it be higher education or hunting opportunities for well-connected good old boys. The legislators seem to be responding to that.

Somehow or other we've managed so far in recent years to stay in the broad middle ground between the sorts of high taxes and massive spending seen in some states, and the fad for slashing taxes and state funding far below the level dictated by common sense seen in others.  There's still broad support for public education all over the state.  The infamy of Central High in the 1950s notwithstanding, most Arkansas school districts were quietly integrated long ago.  I grew up in a school where the divide between black and white students was pretty close to even, and live in a town with a similar situation.  The white people didn't flee public schools en masse as happened in much of the Deep South (Little Rock had a lot of white flight to the suburbs, but most towns here aren't big enough to have suburban schools to flee to).

Outdoor recreation of all sorts has always been popular here.  Back in the 1990s voters passed a state constitutional amendment that established a permanent statewide "conservation tax" for upgrading and maintaining state parks.  I've been in richer states that had much poorer state parks.

A big part of it is having state colleges and parks spread all over the state.  All parts of the state reap the benefits, so voters in all regions have a motive to support these measures.  Many communities have locals who advocate for local improvements like new public libraries and new schools (We're hardly a rich or conspicuously well-educated town, yet over the past 20 years we've had bond issues for a new hospital, library, sports complex, fire stations, and high school).  Broad enough local support for improvements can translate into good results at a statewide level.

[Hibush]

Mills may rise again, as a subsidiary.  IHE reports.

Through our proposed alliance, we will sustain the granting of degrees on the Mills campus under the name Mills College at Northeastern University. We will also establish together the Mills Institute, a hub for research and advocacy that will advance women's leadership, equity, inclusion, and social justice."

The press release doesn't make clear why this is a good move for Northeastern. Does anyone have insight?

They did not explicitly say that Mills would resume admitting new students, a factor that is rather important to future vitality.

It might be attractive to offer students in Evanston the opportunity to do winter quarter at the Mills Institute. Especially if you can live in the dorms and not pay Bay Area rent.

[Puget]

Mills may rise again, as a subsidiary.  IHE reports.

Through our proposed alliance, we will sustain the granting of degrees on the Mills campus under the name Mills College at Northeastern University. We will also establish together the Mills Institute, a hub for research and advocacy that will advance women's leadership, equity, inclusion, and social justice."

The press release doesn't make clear why this is a good move for Northeastern. Does anyone have insight?

They did not explicitly say that Mills would resume admitting new students, a factor that is rather important to future vitality.

It might be attractive to offer students in Evanston the opportunity to do winter quarter at the Mills Institute. Especially if you can live in the dorms and not pay Bay Area rent.

You are confusing Northeastern with Northwestern. Northeastern is in Boston (well, the original main campus is), not Evanston. Northeastern already has multiple specialist campuses around the country and world, so my guess is they just saw an opportunity to add to their portfolio.

[Ruralguy]

Yeah, its just a way for them to lightly add to their mission and student base at relatively low cost. On the books, it probably looks expensive as a one time thing, but overall, its likely to get them better yield, etc. for the expense on going after those students in the long run.

[mamselle]

Northeastern also has an extensive, well-touted paid student internship program (at least in business, there may be more).

Part of their interest in having catamaran campuses all over the place is because they can send people to them and get them back with experiences possibly not available in the direct area, or in the same way.

M.

[spork]

Sierra Nevada University will be folded into University of Nevada-Reno. Nine full-time faculty have already lost their jobs:

https://snceagleseye.com/11949/breaking-news/nine-snu-faculty-members-laid-off/.

[apl68]

Sierra Nevada University will be folded into University of Nevada-Reno. Nine full-time faculty have already lost their jobs:

https://snceagleseye.com/11949/breaking-news/nine-snu-faculty-members-laid-off/.

That's a big loss for such a small college.  And two of those who were laid off were long-time faculty members who were evidently very active in the community and in cultural enrichment type activities.  Their community is probably going to feel poorer for it.

[spork]

Sierra Nevada University will be folded into University of Nevada-Reno. Nine full-time faculty have already lost their jobs:

https://snceagleseye.com/11949/breaking-news/nine-snu-faculty-members-laid-off/.

That's a big loss for such a small college.  And two of those who were laid off were long-time faculty members who were evidently very active in the community and in cultural enrichment type activities.  Their community is probably going to feel poorer for it.

There were other faculty positions eliminated, I think in 2017, plus senior administrative turnover. SNU's undergraduate FTE is below 400 and its eight-year graduation rate is less than 50%. I haven't looked at its financials, but I suspect it's been circling the drain for a while.

Since SNU is ~ 45 minutes by car from UNV-Reno and is almost lakefront property, I'm guessing that this was a land for debt swap and in a few years there will be no SNU faculty or curriculum.   

[Hibush]

Sierra Nevada University will be folded into University of Nevada-Reno. Nine full-time faculty have already lost their jobs:

https://snceagleseye.com/11949/breaking-news/nine-snu-faculty-members-laid-off/.

That's a big loss for such a small college.  And two of those who were laid off were long-time faculty members who were evidently very active in the community and in cultural enrichment type activities.  Their community is probably going to feel poorer for it.

There were other faculty positions eliminated, I think in 2017, plus senior administrative turnover. SNU's undergraduate FTE is below 400 and its eight-year graduation rate is less than 50%. I haven't looked at its financials, but I suspect it's been circling the drain for a while.

Since SNU is ~ 45 minutes by car from UNV-Reno and is almost lakefront property, I'm guessing that this was a land for debt swap and in a few years there will be no SNU faculty or curriculum.

Was their switch from College to University a cynical Hail Mary to seem viable. It makes no sense for a university to be that size.

Who does the institution serve? The small community of Incline Village isn't it. The description on the town website does not suggest a strong college-bound cohort: "Incline is home to some of Lake Tahoe's most stunning mountain retreats. This eastern North Shore enclave features some of the areas most relaxing beaches and a genteel approach to Lake life."

[Diogenes]

Who does the institution serve? The small community of Incline Village isn't it. The description on the town website does not suggest a strong college-bound cohort: "Incline is home to some of Lake Tahoe's most stunning mountain retreats. This eastern North Shore enclave features some of the areas most relaxing beaches and a genteel approach to Lake life."

As an outdoorsy type who went to colleges in outdoorsy places, the students would likely be young people who want to move out west to go to college right next to amazing skiing. It might also cater to the service class that already have roots in Lake Tahoe.

[Harlow2]

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Ed has released the final plan for consolidation of some of its campuses.  I'm not able to find the plan but the two under consideration are outlined in today's Chronicle Of Higher Ed. That article mentions possible  job losses of 1500, of which 809 would be faculty positions. Unclear how that would be achieved if true.

[apl68]

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Ed has released the final plan for consolidation of some of its campuses.  I'm not able to find the plan but the two under consideration are outlined in today's Chronicle Of Higher Ed. That article mentions possible  job losses of 1500, of which 809 would be faculty positions. Unclear how that would be achieved if true.

Well, the idea of consolidation is to save money, most of which goes to people's salaries, so of course there would be a lot of jobs cut.

So well over half the cuts in jobs will be faculty?  I thought the idea of consolidation was to eliminate redundancies on the administrative side of things.

Wonder whether they are just eliminating duplicate programs, or whether some types of programs will be eliminated entirely across the system?

[Hibush]

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Ed has released the final plan for consolidation of some of its campuses.  I'm not able to find the plan but the two under consideration are outlined in today's Chronicle Of Higher Ed. That article mentions possible  job losses of 1500, of which 809 would be faculty positions. Unclear how that would be achieved if true.

Well, the idea of consolidation is to save money, most of which goes to people's salaries, so of course there would be a lot of jobs cut.

So well over half the cuts in jobs will be faculty?  I thought the idea of consolidation was to eliminate redundancies on the administrative side of things.

Wonder whether they are just eliminating duplicate programs, or whether some types of programs will be eliminated entirely across the system?

With 30-40% lower enrolment than what the faculty was scaled for, they have had excess instructional staff as well.

[apl68]

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Ed has released the final plan for consolidation of some of its campuses.  I'm not able to find the plan but the two under consideration are outlined in today's Chronicle Of Higher Ed. That article mentions possible  job losses of 1500, of which 809 would be faculty positions. Unclear how that would be achieved if true.

Well, the idea of consolidation is to save money, most of which goes to people's salaries, so of course there would be a lot of jobs cut.

So well over half the cuts in jobs will be faculty?  I thought the idea of consolidation was to eliminate redundancies on the administrative side of things.

Wonder whether they are just eliminating duplicate programs, or whether some types of programs will be eliminated entirely across the system?

With 30-40% lower enrolment than what the faculty was scaled for, they have had excess instructional staff as well.

That makes a lot of sense.  I had forgotten that cumulative declines in enrollment in that system were that steep.