Marquette University adopts vision to raise its profile

[Hards Alumni]

People need to be really careful with the elitism.  My wife went to Madison for undergrad and her PT masters, she applied to multiple Wisconsin schools including Concordia just in case.  She did not apply to MU's PT program despite it having a strong rep for learning because she heard it was a bunch of snobby elitist folks in it and running it.  I can't say, based on my experiences, that she was wrong.  This was all before we met so you can't even blame me for making her impression worse.  Bottom line, you have to be conscious of what you are putting out there as a university because you are competing for students just as much as the students are competing to get in.

Her belief is not uncommon.  As a senior in high school, my college English teacher chided my and my friend's choice to attend Marquette.  One aspect of the 'college English' experience was he would invite former students who were on break to talk to the seniors about college (he would leave the room to allow free discussion).  I returned every year to speak at this discussion partially to talk to future college kids, but a good deal of it was to dispel the belief that Marquette was filled with spoiled elitist jerks.

[warriorchick]

Her belief is not uncommon.  As a senior in high school, my college English teacher chided my and my friend's choice to attend Marquette.  One aspect of the 'college English' experience was he would invite former students who were on break to talk to the seniors about college (he would leave the room to allow free discussion).  I returned every year to speak at this discussion partially to talk to future college kids, but a good deal of it was to dispel the belief that Marquette was filled with spoiled elitist jerks.

Avoiding the "elitist" tag is a tall order to fill.  Can you name one upper-tier private school that isn't considered "elitist" by at least some people?  There are simply far too many people that make broad assumptions.  I am sure that many of the folks who think Marquette is elitist also assume all successful businesspeople are greedy a$$holes.

[mu03eng]

Avoiding the "elitist" tag is a tall order to fill.  Can you name one upper-tier private school that isn't considered "elitist" by at least some people?  There are simply far too many people that make broad assumptions.  I am sure that many of the folks who think Marquette is elitist also assume all successful businesspeople are greedy a$$holes.

But some of that is the students that get put out into the world via some of those "elitist" schools.  This goes back to MU deciding what kind of skills a graduate needs and educating them to those skills which include interpersonal.  I have definitely met some MU grads that help reinforce the stereotype.  Especially in this day and age of entitled millennials, MU could stand out if they really focused on Cura Personalis with regards to getting out into the working world.  50% of any hire I make has to do with the persons ability to integrate with the team.  Even though I'm in a very technical field, if they have a basic technical understanding they can work  here, but it's much harder to find someone who can/is willing to adapt to the environment they will find themselves in.

[Marquette Gyros]

We had several St Paul Irish Catholics during my time but few Minneapolis Lutherans.

Lutheran alum originally from MSP.  Out of the Cities now but moved back after graduation for a couple years.

I'd say Minny does better with attracting alums than it does with sending kids to MU. There's one or two kids who matriculate from the large public schools; STA, Benilde, Hill, Breck, and others send a few more per year. Certainly not huge numbers. 

MU could have a lot more success recruiting here, particularly in cities like Apple Valley, Eagan, Woodbury, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, etc. Our name recognition isn't as strong in high schools, probably because basketball is the third-most prominent HS sport after hockey and football. Kids who go private generally attend an in-state school like Gustavus, St. John's, St. Olaf, or St. Thomas (MN's version of MU). These names pull a lot of weight locally but aren't recognized nationally.

Because of this, MU has a real opportunity to matriculate more MN graduates... the distance is right -- not too close, but not too far, the urban campus is close to Minneapolis but enables good internship / service / learning opportunities, the athletics experience is better than anything in-state, the education is regionally (and increasingly, nationally) known, and you don't have to overcome the climate barrier to get kids to enroll.

Re: alumni, Chili's comment that it's the third largest metro area for alumni is spot on. Does anyone else remember how much gold was in the Metrodome during the '03 Elite Eight game? Most of 'em were local alums. Somehow, the state's strong economy flies under the national radar, but there are a ton of MN-based companies that actively recruit and hire MU grads... banking in downtown Minneapolis, the life sciences firms in the north metro that recruit biomedical engineering grads, ACN and the big four that fly grads out of MSP weekly, etc. It's a great place to live and raise a family and a ton of us recognize this fact.

[Marquette Gyros]

Only argument is that one college (UMD) probably should absorb UWS and the two states should jointly fund it.

+1 -- damn good idea.  Reciprocity makes UWS redundant.

[mu_hilltopper]

I missed the part of the strategic vision where MU had a plan to combat the fact that the universe of families able and/or willing to pay private school tuition eventually drops to zero in the long run.

In 19 short years, with the average 5% annual increase, MU's tuition is $101k per year.  

Good luck.

This is what the above looks like.  (click the first google link..)

https://www.google.com/#q=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2FSB10001424052702304607104579212420716860930&safe=off


(Why'd I link to the google search?  If you go to WSJ.com directly, you need a subscription.  If you hit it via google, WSJ lets you read it free.)

[dgies9156]

Zig,
Just happen to know a UWS grad who became pres of a very big company.

And one who became Governor of the State of California, a Hollywood star and married (and later divorced) a Kennedy.

My Mom was a UWS grad too!