State report says 7 Virginia universities should be monitored as enrollment cliff approaches
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Anonymous
Outcomes are also a product of inputs. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds struggle to attain the knowledge needed to pursue high status jobs. Yes, career services can help, but parents and networks from home are even more powerful. |
Anonymous
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The demographic cliff is going to lead to some creative destruction. There's no avoiding that. There are many schools that have failed to adapt and as a consequence they have outlived their usefulness. Right now, it's mostly for-profit schools and and the tiny religious affiliated schools in the middle of nowhere that are shutting down. But those numbers will steadily increase in the years ahead and will include a lot of liberal arts colleges, HBCUs, art schools, and any school that's already in financial trouble.
The top 100 schools will be fine and are unlikely to suffer any decline in apps. All the state flagships will be fine. So too the community colleges. But other schools are really going to have to demonstrate their value. And hopefully, this leads to a rethinking of higher education in the US so that it includes more trades and vocational learning. The US will always have the best universities. But that's only relevant to a few thousand students. It's the tiers below that are going to be put in sink or swim mode. But all of this is very predictable. Colleges have had decades to prepare. And if they didn't - it means they're not right for the times we live in. |
Anonymous
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I think there are other factors at play, though. State funding, costs/prices in general, the idea that college isn't worth what it used to be, just the economy in general, the pandemic and all that it brought us, etc.
I don't know that I would blame schools for all of it. I hope the smaller VA state schools find a way to thrive. Not sure what that looks like. I almost DID send my child to Radford-there is a lot to like there. I know this will probably be laughed at, but if they became a school well known for their academic support services, they might draw more students. They have the infrastructure - they just need to brand it and maybe add a couple more services. |
Anonymous
^^stuff I never said and don’t think^^ De jure elementary and high schools were not kept open. They merged. VSU and NSU were de jure schools yet were kept open. If you want to have a discussion about de facto schools then let’s. But I suspect that the way to end the de facto segregated schools (among which are now VSU and NSU) is just to close them. But that doesn’t seem to be popular on this thread. |
Anonymous
Where will their students go? We cant assume they will get in, be able to afford, or feel welcome at primarily white institutions. HBCU’s exist for a reason. If you want to advocate for them to close, what are you doing to ensure their students will find a new college? |
Anonymous
What's a primarily white institution (Liberty??) and why would they not feel welcome at non-HBCU schools in general? I'm not pro-white advocacy on anything but if people can't succeed at cookie cutter 4 year publics, perhaps they aren't cut out for schools in general. The community colleges (are they white, too?) are a great affordable option in VA with guaranteed transfer admission to 4 year publics. Given that many HBCU are not competitive at all, I'd assume the rigor wouldn't be that different. Or perhaps some of these 4 year HBCU should just rebrand as residential 2 year specialized colleges with a 4 year option. |
Anonymous
This shows a general lack of understanding. There is plenty of literature the could be helpful. However, community college isn’t the answer because historically that is where students were sent that were deemed not good enough. Even if the intentions are good in this case, surely you can see the optics of closing HBCU’s and sending their students to community college are bad. |
Anonymous
Or rebrand as a 2 year with guaranteed transfer to another school. |
Anonymous
HBCUs seem very antiquated in 2024. Basing universities on race just seems weird these days. Howard, Spelman, and Morehouse will always be a thing, but it's still weird. I can't imagine any other race having racially exclusive colleges. It's not 1950 anymore. It's odd. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
Unfortunately, racism isn’t antiquated. |
Anonymous
+1 And I say this as a middle aged practically translucent white lady I see the value in HBCUs. MD has several of them - one in the DC area, in fact. I also see the value in women’s colleges. I really liked one for my child, but she wound up going to a small coed school. |
Anonymous
DP. Are you joking? There are so many public universities in Virginia where black students are thriving. Why should an HBCU that students aren't even interested in remain open using state funds? If they were private schools, that's a different matter. But they're not - they're being supported by the state (and taxpayers). |
Anonymous
DP. I would say it's your posts that show a lack of understanding. What the PP is saying makes perfect sense. First, why can't these students attend typical four-year universities that enroll students of all races? Secondly, plenty of students decide to take the community college route to a guaranteed admission at a four-year college - not necessarily because they "were deemed not good enough," but often because they want a cheaper route to that four-yr. degree and CC is one way to accomplish that. It has nothing to do with race and it's strange that you seem so defensive about closing unpopular and unsuccessful schools merely because they have the "HBCU" label. Every state school in VA has a vibrant black community and associated organizations. |
Anonymous
Completely agree. Especially when black students are completely integrated - and even sought after - in universities today. |