WIU Enrollment Woes

[ISUBU]

From the Peoria Journal Star...

"As for WIU itself, the enrollment news is not good.

Enrollment is expected to decrease about 14 percent for the 2018-19 academic year, according to an update the WIU board of trustees received last week. Total enrollment is expected to be just above 8,000, compared with slightly less than 9,500 in 2017-18.

The incoming freshman class is projected to be 815, a 32 percent drop. It’s also about half the number of incoming freshmen WIU had two years ago."

That is a huge drop in overall enrollment and in freshman enrollment in a short period of time. The WIU pres is looking to get out of town. It is difficult to imagine that his leadership over enrollment is effective when he's so actively looking to go, particularly in light of this type of decrease.

I have no idea what the Illinois Board of Higher Ed is doing to address loss of students to out of state schools.

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

Holy shit. 815? Benedictine in lisle has a bigger freshmen class than that. They are going to go broke in...months.

 

[CCRedbirds]

What is ISU getting in freshman wise in 3 months?

 

[bb fan]

Our incoming frosh class is looking very solid. Slightly above last year, on par with the record increases of 2, 3 and 4 years ago. Look for our total enrollment to be very close to the same it has been for many years. Not many U's can say this, in the state and across the country.

You really have to wonder if one or even a couple of the directionals will be on the chopping block in a few years.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

The location of a state university in Macomb IL no longer makes sense (as evidenced by their own outreach campus near the quad cities) similar in concept to also having a university located in Charleston, IL. Given the total melt down happening at many state universities there should be some closure/consolidation which would lead to some increased efficiencies and better funding for the surviving universities. Does Southern Illinois University really need an Edwardsville and Carbondale campus? The combined enrollment would be 28,000 and that is more ideal long term. Maybe the best spot is Edwardsville?

Start with a clean slate and look at what is best/ideal for the next 100 years for Illinois higher education and make changes accordingly. There will be some tough decisions and a lot of bent out of shape egos emotions but Illinois (and tax payers) would be better of long term.

 

[TIMMY]

I'm guessing WIU is losing a lot of kids to Iowa and Minnesota. I really don't know that there is a cure for that.
Macomb and Carbondale are nice enough places but you just can't get there from here.

 

[bb fan]

WIU is losing students to Truman State (MIssouri) and Mizzou. They have been undercutting Western on tuition for some time, now. And Western's per student $$$ allocation from Springfield is way higher than ours.

Seems the geographic strategy worked for a very long time. That's the reason there are state U's in places like Charleston and Macomb. Now it is hurting them because of close by out of state U's.

 

[isuquinndog]

SIU is having scandal issues with their Prez.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/g00/news/local/politics/ct-met-illinois-legislature-siu-president-20180517-story.html?i10c.encReferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%3D&i10c.ua=1&i10c.dv=14

 

[crazzymark]

online school enrollment is the future..UCF went from 18,000 to over 65,000 in just 20 yrs...all the Florida University's are expanding....when you are not being taxed to death it helps (Illinios)...Florida also has a program that you as a parent can pay years in advance for instate tution at a set rate. So when the child goesto collage it is at the rate you bought into at, not the current tution rate. Sold plan and with grouth in mind in the state universitys.

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

Mark is actually... right. And Goddamn me for saying that ever.

Universities that don't have fully operational completely online campuses will be effectively dead by 2025. ISU better catch up. My company works with developing online programs for non-profit traditional colleges and ISU has repeatedly told us to go get stuffed. At the same time, schools like SIU, NIU and DePaul are busting ass to create as many online classes a possible to attract the fastest growing segment of college applicants in the country: 35-55 year olds.

I'd like to see ISU have a fully online insurance, accounting, MBA, RN-BSN, MSN, education and communication program online by the end of next year.

 

[jbird]

There is likely a combination of factors that weigh against WIU enrollment, but it had to be devastating for there to be months of speculation that the university might have to close its doors due to the State's fiscal/budget woes of 2016-17. What student or parent would want to commit to a school that might not be around before the student's junior year?

 

[Hamdonger]

online school enrollment is the future..UCF went from 18,000 to over 65,000 in just 20 yrs...all the Florida University's are expanding....when you are not being taxed to death it helps (Illinios)...Florida also has a program that you as a parent can pay years in advance for instate tution at a set rate. So when the child goesto collage it is at the rate you bought into at, not the current tution rate. Sold plan and with grouth in mind in the state universitys.

Wow. Well played, sir. :clap:

 

[ISUBU]

Mark is actually... right. And Goddamn me for saying that ever.

Universities that don't have fully operational completely online campuses will be effectively dead by 2025. ISU better catch up. My company works with developing online programs for non-profit traditional colleges and ISU has repeatedly told us to go get stuffed. At the same time, schools like SIU, NIU and DePaul are busting ass to create as many online classes a possible to attract the fastest growing segment of college applicants in the country: 35-55 year olds.

I'd like to see ISU have a fully online insurance, accounting, MBA, RN-BSN, MSN, education and communication program online by the end of next year.

While I agree ISU should get their online act together, traditional colleges will still be around in 7 years. Lots and lots of people don't do well with online education - it is not for everyone. For a long time anyone could entirely educate themselves on nearly any topic, all the way to advanced expert status, by reading books from a library. But very very few are successful at learning this way. No one way works best for everyone, and a lot of people do their best work in person with a teacher.

I've taught college classes both in person and on-line, and was surprised at the difference.

Now I'm really intrigued by the possibility of online education with an AI robot teacher that can give each student very personalized instruction. But when we reach that point, we may only have Google University and no other online providers.

 

[bb fan]

What ISUBU said.

And ISUBU would know.

 

[Sanantoniobird]

Mark is actually... right. And Goddamn me for saying that ever.

Universities that don't have fully operational completely online campuses will be effectively dead by 2025. ISU better catch up. My company works with developing online programs for non-profit traditional colleges and ISU has repeatedly told us to go get stuffed. At the same time, schools like SIU, NIU and DePaul are busting ass to create as many online classes a possible to attract the fastest growing segment of college applicants in the country: 35-55 year olds.

I'd like to see ISU have a fully online insurance, accounting, MBA, RN-BSN, MSN, education and communication program online by the end of next year.

I’ve been in the military for 16 years and every base I’ve been to, SIU and university of Maryland have a huge presence residentially and online. SIU is probably more solvent than one would think looking from the outside in. Most likely to run into an enlisted member with a degree from one of those schools.

 

[fourthandshort]

I always thought half of life was just showing up ... :think: :think: .... :doh: :doh: .... I'm totally screwed if I lose credit for that accomplishment.

 

[StLRedbird]

There is a long discussion about the pros and cons of a move to D-II on their fan forum if you have some time to kill.
https://www.leathernecknation.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1680

 

[MadBird]

This is football related, not enrollment, but I'll stick it here. More "churn" in WIU coaching staff - did this guy not even coach one game with the Turkeynecks? Says he coached at Delaware in 2017 and now is moving on already to Liberty?

From footballscoop.com:

Liberty: Western Illinois (FCS) wide receivers coach Mike Brown, who previously coached the running backs at Delaware (FCS) in 2017, has been hired to coach the running backs at Liberty. Also, we understand that Ron Brown has left the staff to pursue ministry opportunities.