This Week In College Viability (TWICV)

November 6 TWICV Gary Stocker - your host and college quality assurance coach.  Providing a perspective on the financial health and viability of colleges in the U.S.  ---- Respectfully asking to be your College Fiduciary. Stories:  (Links below.) Even private colleges can get ratings from Fitch ratings, Too many computer science majors, where is tuition pricing power headed, Birmingham Southern ca...

This is a special episode today our guest is Dr. James Brasfield a retired faculty and retired community leader in the St. Louis region. Jim has been involved with Webster University in any number of roles over the past few decades. His perspective on Webster and all of  their challenges - from rent payment to leadership compensation to board trustees activities all provide value that that we can'...

I spend a lot of time espousing the weaknesses of colleges and justifiably so. But today I wanna share something I published about a year ago. It is my College Viability Manifesto.  From my mind, the value of a college education is without any question desirable. Is it always ideal? Is it always perfect? No, but that's not the question. It is desirable. And I speak from experience as a first gener...

This is a two-fer day.  My podcast software ate my recording from October 23rd.  So I have already re-done that one.  Whether the error was user-related or not remains an unanswered question.  I like the podcast software, so I am going to take the blame for this one. We have a couple of stories from Kelly Meyerhofer at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  She is busy with all of the public and private...

On our list of colleges to cover today is:  Lesley University, Virginia universities, Clarkson University, student reactions to closing of UWM Washington County, Avilla, IL Wesleyan, and Birmingham Southern is mad because the state treasurer won’t let them borrow money. Show Notes and Links: Lesley University students, professors protest mass layoff of liberal arts faculty Virginia universities in...

Elliot Felix founded and leads brightspot a strategy consultancy on a mission to transform the higher education experience  and to increase student success.  His book How to Get the Most Out of College was published in January 2022 and provides 127 evidence-based tips for success in college and beyond. It received a blue star from Kirkus Reviews, calling it "A knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide pac...

Here is a simple list of 4 questions to ask colleges that will allow for a better assessment of their financial health and viability. 1. Has your FTE enrollment increased or decreased in the past 5-10 years NOTE: Ask about the FTE enrollment because that is a standard measurement that creates the best comparisons 2. What is your 4-year undergraduate graduation rate for the past 5-10 years? NOTE: T...

This episode is with Dr. Ricardo Aziz. He actually wrote the book on college mergers and acquisitions, and we're going to use his expertise today. He has over 25 years of leadership experience as a principal with strategic partnerships in higher education. He led the merger that resulted in the Georgia Regents University, now Augusta University.  Dr. Aziz served as the founding president and led t...

IN this episode, we verbally travel from the east coast to the midwest to chronicle the financial health and viability saga of private colleges. Get your link to the 2023 College Viability App 2023 Product links Parent's College Viability app   2023 Faculty & Staff College Viability app - Essentials   2023 College Viability Suite for Private and Public Colleges   2023 Executive Analysis Colleg...

Headlines and links Whatever it is, I’m against it .  IHE New book by former Macalaster College President Brian Rosenberg What qualities do college leaders need to lead major institutional restructuring?   Ricardo Azziz in Higher Ed Dive St. Norbert College Layoffs Blamed On Enrollment Decline and Budget Issues        Rachel Charniak WTAQ 1360 AM radio Welcome to Kendom: 13% of students escape fro...

This episode includes discussions on  The student fiduciary Worry about Columbia College in Chicago New VP Enrollment at Millikin U (IL)  (comes from the recently closed Iowa Wesleyan University) Financial exigency The IWU garage and rummage sale - coming to a college near you. Whoa is me impact of student load repayment on college enrollment New book:  'Whatever it is. I'm against it'  by Preside...

Iowa private colleges are in a tough market.  The state of Iowa is one of four on my list of high-risk states for college closures.  The other three are Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania.  I am being nice.  I could probably have 10 states on my list. Graceland and Wartburg recently announces tuition resets.  Central has a modest graduation date guarantee.  Simpson College just rounded out the...

My name is Gary Stocker, and we continue today on our journey to inform college students and their families and faculty and staff and many others about what is really going on inside higher education. Of course, the focus is on college finances and viability, but we also try to shine the light. on the many transparency issues or lack of transparency from college leaders for both public and private...

Here is a quick summary of one of the stories discussed in this podcast. As I read this, I realized the folks at Lakeland use a lot of big words for a university that can’t even graduate 50% of its students: AFTER 6 YEARS! Admissions Yield is down 27 points, tuition and fees down $4M The story uses words like: visionary initiative, groundbreaking partnership, transformative alliances, and high-qua...

Hodges University announced their closure Friday evening, August 25th. Who is responsible for letting these colleges stay open? To the data: (From the College Viability App and IPEDS data 2014-2021) 1.  FTE enrollment down more than 1,000 students (-73%) 2. 4 and 6-year graduation rates averaged about 10% and 15%, respectively. These are the lowest I have seen for closing colleges. 3. Hodges 2021...

In this episode of TWICV, we look at the PR efforts of 3 colleges. We talk about spin, tranparency, and more.

The market pressures on both public and private colleges will continue to move toward consolidation in some format. The recently released DOE rule changes on mergers will not substantively change the direction the HE market was already headed. The DOE changes in merger criteria and processes will only expedite market forces already in place. Specifically, more closures; few consolidations (mergers...

Elizabeth Kelsey's Dubuque TelegraphHearld article: Leaders of local private colleges determined despite anticipated challenges is thorough enough reporting. Yet she falls into the PR trap that most regional reporters do. She doesn't challenge the company line from colleges she is reporting on. Here are three areas I have written about previously that appear in this article . Fallacy 1: New progra...

Through all of the silly season admissions announcements, let’s remember to ask: “Who is the fiduciary - someone looking out for the best interests for students, parents, faculty, and the community?" It is definitely not college leaders and boards.  Tune into our regular TWICV podcasts as we work to increase financial transparency in higher education.  For students and parents, We’ll give you the...

Webster University (St. Louis, MO) was the focal point in a late January 2023 story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The essence of the story is that the college is in financial trouble. It is unlikely to close, but it will almost certainly face a need for lowering its cost base. This podcast addresses the specific issues at Webster only in the context that their response is similar to almost all p...

Forbes.com had a guest contributor discuss her predictions (aka wishes) for 2023. Gary Stocker focuses on 4 financial health and viability predictions for 2023. Pressure on tuition discounts will continue. Majors and courses will be cut in more colleges The closure rate for private colleges will increase. A select few of mid-size private colleges will step up and lead the way in consolidating coll...

From 2015-2021, La Salle University has had decreased FTE enrollment of almost 600 students. Their tuition and fee revenue is down almost $22M. 4-year graduation rate is OK at 53%, but 6-year is only at 60%. In terms of graduation rates, this college isn't much more than a coin-toss college. Here is a link to a one-page summary sheet for the College Viability App results of La Salle University.

This podcast episode reviews the enrollment, finances, and outcomes for Buena Vista University (IA). Their enrollment risks are mitigated by decent 4 and 6-year graduation rates and an above average endowment. The loss of almost 500 FTE students from 2015-2020 is a significant risk factor and suggests the university has not found a solution to those enrollment losses. It also has decreased tuition...

Birmingham Southern College is following the same no-win model as many other private colleges. They have maintained such a parochial focus that their options to survive amount to begging for support. In this episode, we discuss other options that colleges like Birmingham Southern, Holy Family, Cazenovia could have pursued much earlier.