College and the demographics cliff

I didn't realize how many small colleges have closed their doors in recent years.

How many colleges and universities have closed since 2016?

 

https://wnyt.com/top-stories/saint-rose-students-pack-up-as-college-shut-down-begins/

 

Alabama A&M, itself well under five figures enrollment, has floated an offer to buy the Birmingham-Southern property and open its first branch campus.

 

Higher ed is getting out of reach for people who might have been able to afford it a generation ago.

It is disappointing to read about the closures in Mississippi. Their junior college programs were extraordinary and the niche schools like their HBCUs and The W threw some much-needed lifelines to underserved populations in the state. I have a feeling if this ever grows legs, it won't stop there.

Will look for that!

 

Whole lot of small arts and Christian schools on that list. Does that portend fewer paintings of Jesus in the future?

 

I have mixed feelings about it. This Jesus looks like my dad.

 

Those schools had a problem, and they tried to do everything they could. But there was nothin’ that they could do about it.

 

There are a bunch of problems for these schools. They are small (not a lot of alums, more expensive), graduates don't have big money to donate, and no graduate programs to bring in federal dollars and foreign grad students.

 

Dying like its namesake region.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story...s-and-programs-to-balance-budget/73675159007/

 

Well, the experiment of adding sports at Concordia University (Ann Arbor) to boost enrollment just went up in flames. The university is dropping the entire athletic program after the 2024-25 school year. It seems to me that most of Concordia's students are athletes, especially since there's a football team.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/concordia...tinuing-athletics-after-2024-25-academic-year

The last I looked, all of the outdoor athletic facilities are across the street from the main campus, so almost all, if not all, of that real estate can be sold. The gym is on the main campus.

There's no obvious mention of it at concordiacardinals.com or cuaa.edu. But, if you click on the news link at the university's main website, you'll learn about the new vice president of advancement, who just moved from Texas for a job that might not exist (at a university that might not exist) in the next couple years, tops.

 

Deep on the university's website is this:

Dear Concordia community,

I am writing to share an important update regarding the future of intercollegiate athletics on our Ann Arbor campus.

Before I share the announcement, I want to reiterate that Concordia is fully committed to supporting our athletic programs through the 2024-25 academic year. All intercollegiate sports that can be conducted with adequate roster sizes will continue throughout the upcoming year, including participation in any postseason competitions. From current reports, roster sizes for most sports appear to meet these requirements.

After the 2024-25 academic year, all intercollegiate athletic programs on the Ann Arbor campus will be discontinued. Initially, our leadership team hoped to preserve as many athletic programs as possible beyond the 2024-25 academic year. However, upon further analysis of our financial model, it became evident that continuing these programs in Ann Arbor beyond the upcoming year is not feasible.

I fully recognize that this decision is significant in the history of our university and in the lives of so many Cardinals. Our decision to discontinue athletics at the Ann Arbor campus is in no way a reflection of our exemplary Christian coaches and athletic staff who have poured their hearts into our students and helped to provide the personal undergraduate experience for which this campus is known.

Earlier today, the administration met with CUAA Athletic Director Lonnie Pries to discuss this decision and its implications. Our goal in sharing this information today is to equip students with enough information to allow them to make informed decisions about their future.

Our athletic programs, particularly under the direction of Lonnie Pries, have played an integral part in the transformation of thousands of men and women. Being a Concordia Cardinal was not just about notching wins in the athletic arena. It was about helping to develop men and women in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and world; It was about building champions of character. While athletics at CUAA are ending, the Cardinal legacy endures.

Information regarding academic programs beyond 2024-25 and pathways to graduation for current students will be communicated following a meeting of the Academic Council on June 19, 2024. For more information, please visit www.cuaa.edu/future where updates will be posted as they become available. If you have any questions or concerns, please use the attached web form.

Grace and Peace,
President Erik Ankerberg

 

According to the 2022-23 EADA report, 391 of 812 undergrads were athletes. That's staggering.