How concerning is this?

[muwarrior69]

....and as more states begin to offer free college tuition at state schools the challenge for small private/religious schools will become even harder. Will they even be able to compete?

https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship

It doesn't seem fair.

[real chili 83]

The same people that do now. One can be both privileged and part of a minority. But please, do bring your victimhood to every thread.

How do you know that?

[Cheeks]

MSU's applications grew from 2018 to 2019 because the school for the first time accepted applications through a system that allows students to apply to multiple schools at the same time.

Applications dropped significantly from 2017 to 2018, as ESPN accurately reported, citing data provided by MSU.

And again, someone blames "the media" for being unable to read and/or accurately describe the stories he links here.

Able to read just fine, the point was some Media didn't give the full picture, which is often the case.  They cherry pick, they used to claim BS like column inches limited what they could say.  All too often only a portion of the story is told, as I and others have illustrated on numerous occasions.

[Hards Alumni]

MSU's applications grew from 2018 to 2019 because the school for the first time accepted applications through a system that allows students to apply to multiple schools at the same time.

Applications dropped significantly from 2017 to 2018, as ESPN accurately reported, citing data provided by MSU.

And again, someone blames "the media" for being unable to read and/or accurately describe the stories he links here.

He just isn't a very smart guy.  Doesn't understand that correlation doesn't equal causation.

[jsglow]

You guys realize this was a whopping 2.5% reduction, right?  And while it's true that some of the modeling projections made a few years back were too optimistic, Marquette continues to believe (and I agree with) the notion that as a university you can't 'cost contain' yourself to success, especially in key academic programs.  That said, there is no doubt that the recent tuition increases aren't sustainable and folks like the 3rd assistant to the Hope and Spirituality Chair aren't necessary.  My view has always been that universities have gone crazy with administration positions.  Some of the reorganization described seems to recognize that.   It's also interesting to note that Marquette's discounting had lagged its main competition pretty significantly over the last decade plus primarily because of endowment limitations.  But it's a shrinking candidate pool out there and that reality needs to be managed.  Anyway, that's my take.

[Cheeks]

You guys realize this was a whopping 2.5% reduction, right?  And while it's true that some of the modeling projections made a few years back were too optimistic, Marquette continues to believe (and I agree with) the notion that as a university you can't 'cost contain' yourself to success, especially in key academic programs.  That said, there is no doubt that the recent tuition increases aren't sustainable and folks like the 3rd assistant to the Hope and Spirituality Chair aren't necessary.  My view has always been that universities have gone crazy with administration positions.  Some of the reorganization described seems to recognize that.   It's also interesting to note that Marquette's discounting had lagged its main competition pretty significantly over the last decade plus primarily because of endowment limitations.  But it's a shrinking candidate pool out there and that reality needs to be managed.  Anyway, that's my take.

Good take.

I am more concerned at the moment with the drop in endowment YOY.  I assume due to the absorption of these capital costs?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Good take.

I am more concerned at the moment with the drop in endowment YOY.  I assume due to the absorption of these capital costs?

What's your endowment source?  This says it went up 7.9% most recently reported.  Maybe you have FY 2019, but from July to July that was a rocky ride for the market.

https://www.marquette.edu/endowment/endowment-performance.shtml

[jsglow]

Know matta how dis 2.5% reduction is spun, Pa, it ain't a good thin', hey?

Really?  Healthy businesses do it all the time.  You figure out what might have been a decent idea that didn't work and cut it.  Way better then letting it be a permanent drag.

[Disco Hippie]

Another thought ... Disco suggests MU needs to find more students who can pay full price (like at ND), which would then allow more financial flexibility to recruit less privileged students. That sounds great, but I';m not sure MU has the academic reputation/standing to do that. Parents are willing to pay full boat at Notre Dame because it's Notre Dame. But I'm not sure nearly as many parents will pay full boat for Marquette when, say, a Loyola, Chicago or Miami of Ohio is offering $15-20K in financial assistance.

I couldn't agree with you more Pakuni!   That's why I've been so obsessed and disappointed in Marquette's ridiculously high 89% acceptance rate which is a turn off to these people  I'm not trying to say Marquette should go in the direction of an elite school.  It isn't  one and it never will be and I fully acknowledge that the notion that Marquette can somehow become another Notre Dame Georgetown or Boston College in 10 yrs is ludicrous.  They are middle of the road and that's fine, but....... they could be a little higher middle of the road if they wanted to and a US news ranking in the low 70s instead of 90 is achievable and a realistic goal.   If the acceptance rate  were let's say 68% instead of 89% that would have a huge impact on student / parent perception.   Is it snobbery? Definitely but I'm just trying to provide the perspective of people in my neck of the woods.  It's not like bringing the acceptance rate down to 68% would make Marquette anything close to an elite institution,  but I feel pretty strongly that it could make a difference between a potential student choosing to matriculate there vs not.    Parents crunch the numbers big-time and do take this stuff into consideration .  Miami of Ohio has the same national ranking as Marquette as of the US news data that will be published on Monday it's already up online   The number of people from the East Coast that go there and happily pay out of state tuition is crazy and something that I'm guessing probably just doesn't really happen in the mid western United States because their state flag ships are just frankly more desirable than northeastern ones. Not due to academic snobbery but school culture.   The High school in my town in southwestern Connecticut had 24 students apply to Miami of Ohio last year.   It was the most popular college for students to apply to  last year but has always been popular with great word-of-mouth.   Did I mention I live in Connecticut?     It doesn't make any practical sense but it is nevertheless true.   The same high school maybe gets one person to apply to Marquette every three years.  Sad.   

[Cheeks]

What's your endowment source?  This says it went up 7.9% most recently reported.  Maybe you have FY 2019, but from July to July that was a rocky ride for the market.

https://www.marquette.edu/endowment/endowment-performance.shtml

Read it a few days ago, but it wasn't sourced from my recollection....will try to find....I hope you are right because when I read it I was surprised.

[Cheeks]

Really?  Healthy businesses do it all the time.  You figure out what might have been a decent idea that didn't work and cut it.  Way better then letting it be a permanent drag.

True.  Innovation risks often leads to investment not panning out.

[The Sultan]

This is a really interesting and I;m by no means an expert on any of this.
But I do have a question specific to Dr. B's exhortation that MU return to its roots of serving first-generation and less privileged students. (Maybe "return to its roots" isn't the correct phrase, as I'm not sure they really left it. How about "refocus?")

Anyhow, I'm wondering whether by doing, Marquette would be actively shrinking its application pool rather than expanding it. We already know that there will be fewer college-age students out there due to declining birth rates. We also know that as more and more people out there attain college degrees (34 percent of the population today, compared to 22 percent in 1970 and 28 percent in 1990), there will be fewer first-generation students out there.
So, is focusing on a shrinking subset of a shrinking population a sensible decision?

I don't know the answer, and perhaps I'm reading the situation all wrong, but it's what comes to mind when we talk about this.

Another thought ... Disco suggests MU needs to find more students who can pay full price (like at ND), which would then allow more financial flexibility to recruit less privileged students. That sounds great, but I';m not sure MU has the academic reputation/standing to do that. Parents are willing to pay full boat at Notre Dame because it's Notre Dame. But I'm not sure nearly as many parents will pay full boat for Marquette when, say, a Loyola, Chicago or Miami of Ohio is offering $15-20K in financial assistance.

Everybody and their uncle wants full pay students. Its a great strategy but not an easy one.

[Dr. Blackheart]

If we look at it from a business perspective (I will put my institutional bias sentiment aside), how does MU approach this?  First, all schools will have a supply issue as enrollments (and revenues) will drop most everywhere, heating up competition, leaving assets underutilized.

How to solve:

>>Go more elite and have a lot less students, but at full revenue. This will involve cutting operating costs by at least 25% on these underutilized assets and resources. Merge with smaller Catholic and private schools for operational efficiencies.
>>Go less elite, lower admissions standards, attract more first generation families which will dominate, let in a lot more international students, develop a much stronger business certification and incubator programs, bundle under and post grad degrees, Be the Difference.

Let's get real, though.  ND, Nova, Georgetown, BC will all have the same problem. Those MU kids who were waitlisted at those schools now can attend there.  And that is where they will be going as MU isn't as elite enough nor does it have the money to get there quickly. In fact, mathematically, as MU will now lose these kids, MU's scores will go down organically as these academically elite kids will have a lot more attractive options.

That leaves option 2. Ideas are welcome. Just know demographically, that by 2029, MU will be over 50% what is termed minority today in its composition. That is the math Lovell sees.

[Boone]

DiscoHippie, please check your inbox

[Cheeks]

If we look at it from a business perspective (I will put my institutional bias sentiment aside), how does MU approach this?  First, all schools will have a supply issue as enrollments (and revenues) will drop most everywhere, heating up competition, leaving assets underutilized.

How to solve:

>>Go more elite and have a lot less students, but at full revenue. This will involve cutting operating costs by at least 25% on these underutilized assets and resources. Merge with smaller Catholic and private schools for operational efficiencies.
>>Go less elite, lower admissions standards, attract more first generation families which will dominate, let in a lot more international students, develop a much stronger business certification and incubator programs, bundle under and post grad degrees, Be the Difference.

Let's get real, though.  ND, Nova, Georgetown, BC will all have the same problem. Those MU kids who were waitlisted at those schools now can attend there.  And that is where they will be going as MU isn't as elite enough nor does it have the money to get there quickly. In fact, mathematically, as MU will now lose these kids, MU's scores will go down organically as these academically elite kids will have a lot more attractive options.

That leaves option 2. Ideas are welcome. Just know demographically, that by 2029, MU will be over 50% what is termed minority today in its composition. That is the math Lovell sees.

By 2029....i'll take that wager if one is offered.

[Cheeks]

What's your endowment source?  This says it went up 7.9% most recently reported.  Maybe you have FY 2019, but from July to July that was a rocky ride for the market.

https://www.marquette.edu/endowment/endowment-performance.shtml

My fault...found it and it was 2016 when it went down from year prior.  I made error in date. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

By 2029....i'll take that wager if one is offered.

You are on. Easy money. You can contribute to my Alzheimer's fund by then.

You do know it is now 27% at MU in 2019, right?

[Dr. Blackheart]

My fault...found it and it was 2016 when it went down from year prior.  I made error in date.

Scotty left the cupboard bare.

[Cheeks]

You are on. Easy money. You can contribute to my Alzheimer's fund by then.

You do know it is now 27% at MU in 2019, right?

Yes, aware the incoming class is 27%.  Now to be clear, you are saying by 2029 the incoming class will be more than 50% non Caucasian?  You are not saying the entire enrollment.  Either way I take the bet, but the latter is even harder for you to overcome so I wanted to make sure we are in agreement.

[Cheeks]

Scotty left the cupboard bare.

I would hope the president of the school isn't directing the investment allocation of the endowment on his own.

[Herman Cain]

When you get on an airline the flight attendants say "... Please put your own oxygen mask on first and then help others..."   I think this is very appropriate to MU.
So in response to the opening post, no I am not concerned about MU trimming some fat.  In fact, better to do it now and get accustomed to the new level of operational efficiencies.
However, what I am concerned about is the continued flaws in overall marketing strategy and admission strategy the school continues to pursue.
We have had this discussion many times over in The Superbar. My position is this:
1.   MU has an outstanding educational deliverable
2.   MU does not market itself at the same level as what it is delivering. We keep hearing that MU can never be Georgetown, ND, BC etc.   I believe that is true on a certain level due to history and other factors. But no reason to not be at the Villanova level and make that the goal. MU is a better product than Villanova, the marketing and positioning is not there though.   
3.   MU needs to be pursing excellence as an institutional goal. Don't dumb down curriculum by reducing Theology and Philosophy.  Always strive to be the best. Parents want to send their kids to the best possible school they can.  Continued focus on Health Sciences, Engineering and Business curriculum and making them best they can possibly be.
4.   Pay attention to the core customer which is the top 20 percent student from affluent suburbs. Those are the people who love MU and appreciate the school. They come back year after year. Make it a school they want to keep pursuing.   The MU competition needs to be seen as the lower half of Big Ten Schools, with MU Offering more personalized service and same or better education. 
5.   Do not pursue the diversity strategy for diversity sake, because there are other more highly schools who can cherry pick the best students from the diverse pool. MU does not need to be an alternative to the Chicago States of the word. An open and embracing stature is all that is needed, not a reduction in standards.
6.   The open admissions policy is flawed. Make a MU acceptance worth something in the eye of the offered.  Spend admissions resources more thoughtfully by hiring more officers, who take personal interest in kids and also going to public high schools in the historic strength areas.
7.   If MU pursues 6 and 7 above, the minority students that all schools are seeking, will eventually find the value in MU and naturally matriculate. Winners seek to be with winners.
8.   Positioning the school as a winner creates a virtuous circle of better students, bigger endowment and better reputation.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Yes, aware the incoming class is 27%.  Now to be clear, you are saying by 2029 the incoming class will be more than 50% non Caucasian?  You are not saying the entire enrollment.  Either way I take the bet, but the latter is even harder for you to overcome so I wanted to make sure we are in agreement.

I said minority as defined/classified by the government today. For example, there are many "Caucasian" minorities. I go total under graduate enrollment. That's a reasonable 2.3% composition point change per year supported by the demographic projections.  As an aside, there are private colleges in the US who are already there today.

Of course, if MU stays on the Option 1 elite track (or delays the inevitable), you win hands down. MU may be out of business, though.

Here is to the "2030 Back 100 Acre Steer & Beer Summit" in Bozeman!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

As stated before, Marquette is "middle of the road" and there is nothing fundamentally wrong with that. Apparently, Dr. Lovell realizes and is being proactive to position MU for the future.

If by "middle of the road" you mean top 5% in the country.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Besides Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, etc., then there is private Stanford.  They are there today and thrive.

How about smaller private schools:  St. Leo's, St. Peter's, SJU, Santa Clara, San Francisco, St. Mary's, University of the Pacific.  All successes. All adapted. Some have a composition of less than 30% White. Why did they succeed?  Their demographics changed a long time ago and so did they.  Lots to be learned there...so the future isn't so scary.

The biases need to be put to the side.

[Cheeks]

Besides Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, etc., then there is private Stanford.  They are there today and thrive.

How about smaller private schools:  St. Leo's, St. Peter's, SJU, Santa Clara, San Francisco, St. Mary's, University of the Pacific.  All successes. All adapted. Some have a composition of less than 30% White. Why did they succeed?  Their demographics changed a long time ago and so did they.  Lots to be learned there...so the future isn't so scary.

The biases need to be put to the side.

Many of those schools are here in Calif, and I am not sure I would qualify them a success.  What is your criteria?  Keep in mind the ability for Calif residents to attend the UC system isn't what it used to be with the schools bringing in so many out of state and intl.  Very difficult to gain acceptance.  Cal State system is a hodge podge of very good to mediocre schools and everything in between.  In some ways the Calif schools mentioned above have benefited from the two California public systems as alternatives in a state that is not really like any other (both in good and bad ways).  I'd be curious why you call some of them successful....what criteria?