Marquette Faces $9 Million Budget Shortfall

[Macallan 18]

The last University Academic Senate meeting of the calendar year was yesterday.

The Provost said the university is operating under a current budget shortfall that is estimated between $9 million and $9.5 million.

He said part of the shortfall is due to factors such as inflation and lower enrollment. Or maybe donors didn't pay for Wojo's buyout

https://marquettewire.org/4113202/news/university-faces-budget-shortfall/

[The Sultan]

That's like 2%. Completely manageable. Anyway the problem many schools are facing isn't just enrollment from a quantitative sense, but those students are likely paying less since there are other more lucrative options.

Some of those quotes make me realize that a lot of people don't understand how budgets work.

[4everwarriors]

Know oneder dayer knot fixin' da rodent problem at Campus Town West, hey?

[WhiteTrash]

That's like 2%. Completely manageable. Anyway the problem many schools are facing isn't just enrollment from a quantitative sense, but those students are likely paying less since there are other more lucrative options.

Some of those quotes make me realize that a lot of people don't understand how budgets work.

I agree. Not a major issue and it sounds like it is being addressed, unlike some state run universities (looking at you WV).

[Skatastrophy]

Know oneder dayer knot fixin' da rodent problem at Campus Town West, hey?

This should be talked about more. Evict the bad gers.

[Jockey]

This should be talked about more. Evict the bad gers.

The lack of an English department at MU?

[Porky's Butthole]

Somewhat negative story though it may be, Porky commends the administration for finally recognizing that expanding enrollment markets outside of the Midwest is extremely important for the good of the university.  Porky, Disco and other members of the coastie alumni contingent have been beating this drum on this board for years, to no avail so it's nice that at least someone in the administration recognizes how important that is.  For too long, way too many folks assumed .....erroneously in Porky's opinion....that basketball success would mitigate that problem, but the fact is MU's geographic diversity has remained remarkably stubborn with 75% or more of all students hailing from two states for the last 30 years, despite MU Hoops' very recent success under Smart and Buzz Williams a decade ago.  Kudos to the provost for finally making this a priority since it's clear basketball success hasn't helped geographic diversity at all.

[Herman Cain]

Somewhat negative story though it may be, Porky commends the administration for finally recognizing that expanding enrollment markets outside of the Midwest is extremely important for the good of the university.  Porky, Disco and other members of the coastie alumni contingent have been beating this drum on this board for years, to no avail so it's nice that at least someone in the administration recognizes how important that is.  For too long, way too many folks assumed .....erroneously in Porky's opinion....that basketball success would mitigate that problem, but the fact is MU's geographic diversity has remained remarkably stubborn with 75% or more of all students hailing from two states for the last 30 years, despite MU Hoops' very recent success under Smart and Buzz Williams a decade ago.  Kudos to the provost for finally making this a priority since it's clear basketball success hasn't helped geographic diversity at all.

There is a big opportunity for MU to put a recruiting push on public high schools in the following areas: Fairfield County, CT Westchester County , NY, Putnam County NY, Nassau County , NY Suffolk County NY Morris County NJ Somerset County NJ Hunterdon County NJ Bergen County NJ Chester County PA Bucks County PA  Montgomery County PA

There are lots of  Upper Middle Class families who would appreciate the value MU as an urban university brings to the table versus some overpriced private college. Make a big push with the guidance offices , who drive a lot of the traffic in these matters.  It just requires year after year persistence to build the pipeline.

[dgies9156]

There is a big opportunity for MU to put a recruiting push on public high schools in the following areas: Fairfield County, CT Westchester County , NY, Putnam County NY, Nassau County , NY Suffolk County NY Morris County NJ Somerset County NJ Hunterdon County NJ Bergen County NJ Chester County PA Bucks County PA  Montgomery County PA

There are lots of  Upper Middle Class families who would appreciate the value MU as an urban university brings to the table versus some overpriced private college. Make a big push with the guidance offices , who drive a lot of the traffic in these matters.  It just requires year after year persistence to build the pipeline.

Here's the question I would pose:  Why Marquette?

I had a great experience there at a time when it was still comparatively affordable. But for many of those counties in the NY/NJ marketplace, Marquette's attractiveness has to be compared to Fordham, Boston College and Georgetown among Jesuit institutions and a host of non-Jesuit private institutions such as Villanova  and St. John's. I'm not sure what the sales pitch is absent knowing about the specific needs and desires of a student.

Marquette draws from people who want to (a) Stay close to home; and, (b) Value a Catholic, Jesuit education.

[Skatastrophy]

Here's the question I would pose:  Why Marquette?

I had a great experience there at a time when it was still comparatively affordable. But for many of those counties in the NY/NJ marketplace, Marquette's attractiveness has to be compared to Fordham, Boston College and Georgetown among Jesuit institutions and a host of non-Jesuit private institutions such as Villanova  and St. John's. I'm not sure what the sales pitch is absent knowing about the specific needs and desires of a student.

Marquette draws from people who want to (a) Stay close to home; and, (b) Value a Catholic, Jesuit education.

We can't compete on name recognition outside of MU's geographic region IMO which makes it a hard sell.

[cheebs09]

Marquette is closer to St Louis than those East Coast schools. God-willing we will add them to the Big East too.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Here's the question I would pose:  Why Marquette?

I had a great experience there at a time when it was still comparatively affordable. But for many of those counties in the NY/NJ marketplace, Marquette's attractiveness has to be compared to Fordham, Boston College and Georgetown among Jesuit institutions and a host of non-Jesuit private institutions such as Villanova  and St. John's. I'm not sure what the sales pitch is absent knowing about the specific needs and desires of a student.

Marquette draws from people who want to (a) Stay close to home; and, (b) Value a Catholic, Jesuit education.

MU, even in 2023, is significantly less expensive per year than all of the above named Jesuit institutions.  Add Fairfield U to that list too.  Times that by four and your looking and $40k-$60k less than the above schools.  St. John's is a non-factor.  It's big on Long Island, but not so much Connecticut and Westchester.  Cost of living in Milwaukee is less also when considering moving off campus for upperclassmen years than the above named schools. 
Marquette is a USNWR Top 100 school also and that helps pitch.

[Porky's Butthole]

Here's the question I would pose:  Why Marquette?

I had a great experience there at a time when it was still comparatively affordable. But for many of those counties in the NY/NJ marketplace, Marquette's attractiveness has to be compared to Fordham, Boston College and Georgetown among Jesuit institutions and a host of non-Jesuit private institutions such as Villanova  and St. John's. I'm not sure what the sales pitch is absent knowing about the specific needs and desires of a student.

Marquette draws from people who want to (a) Stay close to home; and, (b) Value a Catholic, Jesuit education.

Well Porky isn't sure what Indiana, UW Madison, UC Boulder, or Miami of Ohio's sales pitches are either but Porky does now that his high school alma-mater and his son's current high school in suburban CT had the following number of students in the class of 2023 matriculate to those schools:

Indiana:         15
UC Boulder:    10
UW Madison    8
Miami Ohio      6

All of these schools were among the top 8 in popularity.  The other 4 were UCONN (No Surprise) Penn St, Syracuse & Northeastern.

The point is these students are more than willing to travel and their parents are more than willing to pay comparable out of state tuition so MU is missing an opportunity when they get maybe 1 person every 5-7 years to enroll from Porky's high school alma mater.   Plus the class sizes and MU's focus on undergrad teaching compared to those other places should be a big selling point.  Porky understands that MU may not have the same cultural cache and big time football that a Big 10 school does but MU can do better than they are.  UC Boulder's popularity has always been huge and definitely not attributable to Coach Prime.

[Skatastrophy]

Miami of Ohio must have a great marketing department

[The Sultan]

East coast elitists don't know about Marquette. <yawn>

[JWags85]

Miami of Ohio must have a great marketing department

Beautiful campus, excellent undergrad business school, good size in between the huge state schools and smaller private schools, plenty to sell.  But they've also been REALLY good at targeted recruitment for years, especially in affluent eastern metro areas (NYC, DC, Atlanta, Pittsburgh).

[Disco Hippie]

Beautiful campus, excellent undergrad business school, good size in between the huge state schools and smaller private schools, plenty to sell.  But they've also been REALLY good at targeted recruitment for years, especially in affluent eastern metro areas (NYC, DC, Atlanta, Pittsburgh).

Exactly!  And Marquette is REALLY REALLY good at targeted recruitment for students from low income areas who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.   Look Porky gets that MU is a Jesuit school with an altruistic social agenda and that's wonderful, but MU needs take a page from Miami Ohio's playbook and recruit more students from more affluent areas so they have more full pay families to offset the aid they need to offer to those great students from families of more modest means.  That's all Porky is sayin.  It has nothing to do with elitism.  Those other Midwest schools that all these east coast students are going to are not elite either.

[The Sultan]

Marquette recruits plenty of students from affluent areas. Those exist in the midwest too you know.

[Porky's Butthole]

Marquette recruits plenty of students from affluent areas. Those exist in the midwest too you know.

Porky is certain they do, but affluence isn't really what Porky thinks MU should be focused on.  It's more about geographic diversity in general.   Porky only referenced the affluence thing because JWags85 mentioned that Miami Ohio has been very successful in recruiting from affluent eastern areas and that is absolutely true.  MU could definitely learn a thing or two from them about the Northeast market in particular, but more geographic diversity in general would be very helpful to MU.  Where specifically they come from doesn't matter.   The more geographically diverse a university's undergrad student body is, generally the stronger and more reputable the instituion is.

[Hards Alumni]

Porky is certain they do, but affluence isn't really what Porky thinks MU should be focused on.  It's more about geographic diversity in general.   Porky only referenced the affluence thing because JWags85 mentioned that Miami Ohio has been very successful in recruiting from affluent eastern areas and that is absolutely true.  MU could definitely learn a thing or two from them about the Northeast market in particular, but more geographic diversity in general would be very helpful to MU.  Where specifically they come from doesn't matter.   The more geographically diverse a university's undergrad student body is, generally the stronger and more reputable the instituion is.

Miami of Ohio and Marquette are very different schools

[Herman Cain]

Here's the question I would pose:  Why Marquette?

I had a great experience there at a time when it was still comparatively affordable. But for many of those counties in the NY/NJ marketplace, Marquette's attractiveness has to be compared to Fordham, Boston College and Georgetown among Jesuit institutions and a host of non-Jesuit private institutions such as Villanova  and St. John's. I'm not sure what the sales pitch is absent knowing about the specific needs and desires of a student.

Marquette draws from people who want to (a) Stay close to home; and, (b) Value a Catholic, Jesuit education.

I think your looking at the MU value proposition too narrowly.

For many years , I was on The School Board  and asked to write letters of recommendation, by families in our community, for students going to various schools. So I saw the alternatives families were considering. Spent a lot of time with Guidance Department .

MU was frequently lumped in with University of Colorado, Indiana University , Boston University , Michigan State and Miami of Ohio. MU has a US News promoted image as an A Plus university for B schools which is a big selling point . The relative price of tuition is also a big selling feature . All MU needs to do is show up in the guidance office year after year and it will be successful. Guidance counselors are looking for go to schools to place B students .

MU is right in the sweet spot for the thousands of middle tier kids in the Counties I outlined .