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  • iupgroundhog
    replied
    Originally posted by ironmaniup View Post

    This is generally the on-campus reaction to this speech as well. The problem is, he has no specifics. Academics always joke about a new 5 year plan every year, but there have really been struggles with reacting to the budget crisis with yet another reorganization, and yet another set of curriculum changes.
    I see there is a letter to the editor in the IG from a former faculty member regarding Driscoll. How can the IUP community get him out? Does it take a "no confidence" vote from the faculty? Does the Board of Trustees have to take action? I want to believe pressure is building but how can it happen?

    Leave a comment:


  • ironmaniup
    replied
    Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

    It's not his goal. He just accepts the decline of the university. They can add the credentialing but, as he said, it will still be a residential university. Why build the brand spanking new science building if you aren't going to continue to push undergraduate and graduate enrollment?

    This speech got away from him. The Post-Gazette made it into a folly. They focused on the arcane biblical references rather than the new focus. IMO, the problem is he didn't get into any specifics. What is going to change and how is it going to change and why.

    Different ethnicities? What is he talking about? Can they renew the Asian MBA enrollment post-pandemic?

    Can they sell the science majors? If not, why did people pour their money into science?

    It's all too vague and open to interpretation. The speech gets an F-.
    This is generally the on-campus reaction to this speech as well. The problem is, he has no specifics. Academics always joke about a new 5 year plan every year, but there have really been struggles with reacting to the budget crisis with yet another reorganization, and yet another set of curriculum changes.

    Leave a comment:


  • iupgroundhog
    replied
    Originally posted by boatcapt View Post

    If I read the speech correctly, that doesn't seem to be his goal at all. This was more of a we have to accept the new reality of were and what IUP is. Seemed to be saying that their focus was going to be on getting adult learners and people coming in for credentialing type training as opposed trying to increase the number of students coming out of HS.
    It's not his goal. He just accepts the decline of the university. They can add the credentialing but, as he said, it will still be a residential university. Why build the brand spanking new science building if you aren't going to continue to push undergraduate and graduate enrollment?

    This speech got away from him. The Post-Gazette made it into a folly. They focused on the arcane biblical references rather than the new focus. IMO, the problem is he didn't get into any specifics. What is going to change and how is it going to change and why.

    Different ethnicities? What is he talking about? Can they renew the Asian MBA enrollment post-pandemic?

    Can they sell the science majors? If not, why did people pour their money into science?

    It's all too vague and open to interpretation. The speech gets an F-.

    Leave a comment:


  • boatcapt
    replied
    Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

    That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

    His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

    That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

    If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.
    If I read the speech correctly, that doesn't seem to be his goal at all. This was more of a we have to accept the new reality of were and what IUP is. Seemed to be saying that their focus was going to be on getting adult learners and people coming in for credentialing type training as opposed trying to increase the number of students coming out of HS.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

    Their director quit in a huff.
    That position was filled last week.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fightingscot82
    replied
    Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post

    He's become the Teflon Don of IUP.

    I was looking for the violin players from Titanic during his speech.
    Their director quit in a huff.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPbigINDIANS
    replied
    He's become the Teflon Don of IUP.

    I was looking for the violin players from Titanic during his speech.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPNation
    replied
    Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

    That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

    His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

    That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

    If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.

    Leave a comment:


  • IUPNation
    replied

    Leave a comment:


  • iupgroundhog
    replied
    Originally posted by Bart View Post
    Very unusual speech by IUP President: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202204220099plans to sell two residence halls, completed little more than a decade earlier
    That is pretty depressing. I think I can grasp the challenges. Demographics and, in IUP's case, geography. However, I believe Driscoll has not pushed hard enough to support IUP. IUP was special and unique in many ways. In the face of the challenges, I don't think IUP marketed itself well. Plus, Driscoll has been more a good soldier in the PASSHE system rather than a cheerleader for IUP.

    His speech is fatalistic. Like he is giving up because it's all out of his control. If there are specifics behind what he said he didn't say what they were.

    That speech doesn't exude confidence in IUP or his stewardship of it. Has a real ominous tone to it.

    If enrollment was 9400 this year, the goal should be to get back to over 10k. To realize that, IUP (and Driscoll) would have to push back on PASSHE, possibly to the detriment of its sister PASSHE schools. It was worth taking that approach. It sounds like it might be too late.

    Leave a comment:


  • jrshooter
    replied
    Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post

    Some play D3: Abiington, Altoona, Berks, Erie, and Harrisburg. Everyone else plays USCAA (community colleges).
    Yeah, there's no PSU campus playing D-II ball. One Pitt campus plays D-II, that's all.

    Leave a comment:


  • Bart
    replied
    Very unusual speech by IUP President: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202204220099plans to sell two residence halls, completed little more than a decade earlier




















    Leave a comment:


  • Fightingscot82
    replied
    Originally posted by iupgroundhog View Post

    There are two ways to address the financial situation - increase revenue and decrease cost. You are speaking to the cost issue which has all kinds of built-in roadblocks. The ways to increase revenues are to increase enrollment or increase the state appropriation. The state appropriation is not likely to be increased (in any meaningful way), given Pennsylvanians' apparent disdain for funding public education ( I am embarrassed by what my native state has become).

    By tinkering with tuition, there are also two parts to it. One is the hope that not increasing tuition will bring in more students. However, the PA demographics negate that possibility. The other is that by keeping tuition the same (lowering it in real dollars) the schools will be better able to retain the students they have. That is where the PASSHE is at right now. Retaining, not growing.

    In the case of IUP. lowering tuition by 20% provides the hope that it will increase enrollment, not necessarily that it will increase revenues. IUP seriously needs to improve enrollment.
    And in reality, its not truly lowering tuition as much as it is abandoning a very short-sighted policy that clearly did not result in the desired outcomes. FWIW, every PASSHE school that has tried per-credit tuition has abandoned the model.

    Leave a comment:


  • iupgroundhog
    replied
    Originally posted by Fightingscot82 View Post
    Back to the tuition freeze. This is good for students...to a point. Its bad for schools especially if the state doesn't come through with more money. Most employees are on union contracts that are structured like teacher salary scales for those familiar. Those employees get two raises a year - the new salary scale on a specific date then also a bump up a "step" on the salary schedule. This is outside of any promotions of sorts like assistant professor to associate professor. The total raise is modest - usually around 3% total - but that's regardless of the campus financial situation - enrollment or state appropriation (these two ~90% of revenue) - that's automatic raises for a lot of employees before other increases in benefits, utilities, and inflation. So one PASSHE school was planning for a $4 million deficit this year is now looking at an $8 million deficit with all the predicted cost increases without a big state appropriation increase.
    There are two ways to address the financial situation - increase revenue and decrease cost. You are speaking to the cost issue which has all kinds of built-in roadblocks. The ways to increase revenues are to increase enrollment or increase the state appropriation. The state appropriation is not likely to be increased (in any meaningful way), given Pennsylvanians' apparent disdain for funding public education ( I am embarrassed by what my native state has become).

    By tinkering with tuition, there are also two parts to it. One is the hope that not increasing tuition will bring in more students. However, the PA demographics negate that possibility. The other is that by keeping tuition the same (lowering it in real dollars) the schools will be better able to retain the students they have. That is where the PASSHE is at right now. Retaining, not growing.

    In the case of IUP. lowering tuition by 20% provides the hope that it will increase enrollment, not necessarily that it will increase revenues. IUP seriously needs to improve enrollment.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fightingscot82
    replied
    Back to the tuition freeze. This is good for students...to a point. Its bad for schools especially if the state doesn't come through with more money. Most employees are on union contracts that are structured like teacher salary scales for those familiar. Those employees get two raises a year - the new salary scale on a specific date then also a bump up a "step" on the salary schedule. This is outside of any promotions of sorts like assistant professor to associate professor. The total raise is modest - usually around 3% total - but that's regardless of the campus financial situation - enrollment or state appropriation (these two ~90% of revenue) - that's automatic raises for a lot of employees before other increases in benefits, utilities, and inflation. So one PASSHE school was planning for a $4 million deficit this year is now looking at an $8 million deficit with all the predicted cost increases without a big state appropriation increase.

    Leave a comment:

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