MU "moving beyond boundaries"

[mu_hilltopper]

http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/09/19/marquette-moving-beyond-boundaries/


.. Curious what he meant by "To bring Marquette’s visions to fruition, Lovell said the university is going to have to rethink its overall financial model, which he described as “broken.”"

[GGGG]

Colleges and universities are very much bound by tradition when it comes to budgeting.  Money is allocated by department with managers given broad discretion on how it is spent.  There isn't any incentives for working across university divisions.  Once allocations are made, they are rarely taken away.  There is not always an understanding how investing in "income producing activities" could generate revenue for the entire institution.

There is a wave of people coming into this will new ideas of how financial modeling and budgeting should work.  Much more akin to how it works in private industry.

My guess is that this part of what he means.  I don't think he means that the University is running out of money or something dire like that.

[Eldon]

Colleges and universities are very much bound by tradition when it comes to budgeting.  Money is allocated by department with managers given broad discretion on how it is spent.  There isn't any incentives for working across university divisions.  Once allocations are made, they are rarely taken away.  There is not always an understanding how investing in "income producing activities" could generate revenue for the entire institution.

There is a wave of people coming into this will new ideas of how financial modeling and budgeting should work.  Much more akin to how it works in private industry.

My guess is that this part of what he means.  I don't think he means that the University is running out of money or something dire like that.

This could be right.  I believe the wave that you are referencing is the decentralization of the university's budget.

Colleges 'Unleash the Deans' With Decentralized Budgets [Chronicle]

For many years at the University of Oregon, Brad Foley got a lump of money
dropped in his lap to run the School of Music and Dance. It didn’t matter how many
courses he offered, how big or how small they were, says Mr. Foley, who has been
the school’s dean since 2002. "You seemed to get the same budget year in and year
out."

Then, about six years ago, the university’s budgeting system changed radically. Mr.
Foley started getting a sum commensurate with the number of students in his school
and how many made it to graduation. If he thought carefully about the demand for
courses, adjusted offerings so enrollments grew, and trimmed costs, the school got
to keep some of the money at the end of the year.

[...]

Accessible at:
https://facultysenate.nku.edu/content/dam/facultysenate/docs/facultysenaterecords/2014PCC/2015%20Feb%2019_PCC%20Colleges%20%27Unleash%20the%20Deans%27%20With%20Decentralized%20Budgets%20-Chronicle%20of%20Higher%20Ed.pdf

The gist is to incorporate more supply and demand into how a college (within a university) allocates its funds.  I'm going off the cuff here, but perhaps Lovell is thinking "MU is not using its resources to their fullest potential...if only funds were allocated based on that potential, then we may be able to unlock it." 

If the decentralized model is indeed what Lovell is referencing, then two implications are immediately apparent.  First, expect backlash from the humanities folks (perhaps it's no coincidence that Beyond Boundaries pays some lip service to "inclusion").  And second, expect to see even more click-bait-y course titles to attract Gen Zers (since department funds are partly tied to enrollment numbers).  For instance, see: http://temple-news.com/news/faculty-voice-concern-decentralized-budget-model/

[GGGG]

Interesting that a new CFO just started yesterday. 

https://today.marquette.edu/2017/09/marquette-names-new-chief-financial-officer/#utm_source=fac-staff&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mu-today

On top of a new Chief Business Officer who just started last year.

I tell ya this...Lovell is certainly getting Marquette to think different.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

That's quite the org chart they got there....

[GooooMarquette]

The gist is to incorporate more supply and demand into how a college (within a university) allocates its funds.  I'm going off the cuff here, but perhaps Lovell is thinking "MU is not using its resources to their fullest potential...if only funds were allocated based on that potential, then we may be able to unlock it." 

If the decentralized model is indeed what Lovell is referencing, then two implications are immediately apparent.  First, expect backlash from the humanities folks (perhaps it's no coincidence that Beyond Boundaries pays some lip service to "inclusion").  And second, expect to see even more click-bait-y course titles to attract Gen Zers (since department funds are partly tied to enrollment numbers).  For instance, see: http://temple-news.com/news/faculty-voice-concern-decentralized-budget-model/

A third potential implication (related to the click-bait issue) is more professors trying to get reputations as "easy graders" to boost enrollment.  What student doesn't get interested when he or she hears that "Professor X gives out mostly As"?

[Cooby Snacks]

A third potential implication (related to the click-bait issue) is more professors trying to get reputations as "easy graders" to boost enrollment.  What student doesn't get interested when he or she hears that "Professor X gives out mostly As"?

Professor X is too busy leading his team of superheroes to worry much about grading.

[forgetful]

A third potential implication (related to the click-bait issue) is more professors trying to get reputations as "easy graders" to boost enrollment.  What student doesn't get interested when he or she hears that "Professor X gives out mostly As"?

This, I know a top 10 University, where some departments mandate and average grade of a B+, because they need more students/majors for a larger budget and students shop majors/classes based on which ones will guarantee them a high grade. 

Defeats the whole purpose of education. 

The other aspect that some of these "new business models" causes, are degrees that are worthless.  Continuing education programs that offer certificates, but cost a small fortune.  Marketed as improving ones job marketability, but actually largely useless to the individual.  Essentially fake degrees for pure profit. 

Hope MU is not going down the pure profit route.

[Tugg Speedman]

This, I know a top 10 University, where some departments mandate and average grade of a B+, because they need more students/majors for a larger budget and students shop majors/classes based on which ones will guarantee them a high grade. 

Defeats the whole purpose of education. 

The other aspect that some of these "new business models" causes, are degrees that are worthless.  Continuing education programs that offer certificates, but cost a small fortune.  Marketed as improving ones job marketability, but actually largely useless to the individual.  Essentially fake degrees for pure profit. 

Hope MU is not going down the pure profit route.

Top 10 universities say they have the top kids so the average grade should be a B+ or an A-.   Hence a justification for grade inflation.

Shouldn't the average kid at Harvard get an A-, because they are a much better student than the average kid at say UWM?  Especially if you're grading on a curve. The Harvard student has a much tougher competition.

That's the argument I've heard, and on the one hand, I think it's very arrogant and on the other hand I think there might be some truth to it.

What are your thoughts?

[forgetful]

Top 10 universities say they have the top kids so the average grade should be a B+ or an A-.   Hence a justification for grade inflation.

Shouldn't the average kid at Harvard get an A-, because they are a much better student than the average kid at say UWM?  Especially if you're grading on a curve. The Harvard student has a much tougher competition.

That's the argument I've heard, and on the one hand, I think it's very arrogant and on the other hand I think there might be some truth to it.

What are your thoughts?

Having taught some of these kids at top 10 schools, and kids at top 50-100 schools, the argument doesn't hold.  There is little difference in the abilities of your average Harvard/Yale/Columbia undergrad and your average MU'ish undergrad.

The general reason is that the metrics we use to evaluate what University someone gets into are very poor predictors of intelligence or ability to succeed in college or the real world. 

I've taught some students getting the A-/B+ grades at top 10 schools that I would trust to mow my lawn or run a cash register.