Why are we making this political now?
His sins were his membership in an LCMS church and his unwillingness to foreswear it.
I remember Farney, and your conclusion is a little reductive — and, as Rez pointed out, needlessly tethered to a hackneyed politicized buzzphrase.
Farney was not “anti-woke.” He was openly hostile about the presence of a female pastor on campus. An independent Lutheran institution cannot have a leader who is willing to disenfranchise half of his chapel staff.
Look, Farney is a man of faith and integrity. But if those values put him at cross-purposes with the Lutheran identity that so many on this board espouse, then I’m sorry if that complexity doesn’t fit neatly in a rhyming couplet on a bumper sticker.
I have to break it to some people once more: VU certainly tilts more to the left than it did during my days there (1977-81), but it is hardly a woke university. Its center of gravity still gravitates more towards the middle, it remains identified with Lutheranism and Christianity, and it takes values seriously. In a world where screechy ideological extremes are defining way too much of the agenda (IMO), VU can be a place where balance is still possible and where people of different viewpoints can gather and learn.
If VU could attract the likes of a reincarnated version of O.P. Kretzmann, would folks be good with that? Maybe, but do recall that when VU's first black student arrived at the Valparaiso train station, O.P. was there to take her bags and walk with her to the campus, quietly messaging to anyone who cared to notice that she was personally supported by the President. Look, I get some of the frustrations with manifestations of woke politics, but let's remember that the most iconic figure in the university's history pushed this school to become a more welcoming place.
I believe this year is the low, up trend starts next fall. A couple reasons.
-Many colleges have turned it around reporting larger freshman class. Illinois Wesleyan University reported largest in 15 years. The vp of enrollment Valpo recently hired put many of the programs they (IWU) used in place.
-The new club sports and other programs have boosted enrollment at other Universities. Basically it just doesnt bring in students for the programs it brings in kids that share more on social as do their parents. A little free advertising for the University.
I have already noticed revamps to website and changes to get more connected with prospective students. The old ways of long decision times, snail mail and other such practices are gone. Colleges have to market different, react quickly, offer multiple avenues for applications, and get connected to students in different ways.
I believe this year is the low, up trend starts next fall. A couple reasons.
-Many colleges have turned it around reporting larger freshman class. Illinois Wesleyan University reported largest in 15 years. The vp of enrollment Valpo recently hired put many of the programs they (IWU) used in place.
-The new club sports and other programs have boosted enrollment at other Universities. Basically it just doesnt bring in students for the programs it brings in kids that share more on social as do their parents. A little free advertising for the University.
I have already noticed revamps to website and changes to get more connected with prospective students. The old ways of long decision times, snail mail and other such practices are gone. Colleges have to market different, react quickly, offer multiple avenues for applications, and get connected to students in different ways.
Never underestimate the talent at this place to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
MWSportsfan - In response to your points:
1. Great if the new VP of Enrollment has implemented successful strategies from their prior position. Does the include getting away from 'too centralized' enrollment strategies and partnering more effectively with the Colleges? Students choose both the university AND the College.
2. Great that Valpo is adding club programs, but this will mostly bring Valpo to parity.
3. Agree that websites, etc. need to be professional and attractive to students, but recruitment also involves making personal connections. This involves visits that connect students to the university, their expected field of study and other interests. I am hopeful this is vastly improving.
Also (which I have said in other posts), I am concerned that any VP of Enrollment reports directly (or indirectly) to a highly ineffective university President. Hopefully, they can completely ignore and work around him.
I think, before we even discuss importance of VP of Enrollment and their duties, we need to ask the incumbent president(or the board/interim) how they plan to slow the high turnover rate in key departments such as VP of Enrollment. Part of the marking and enrollment problem is the high turnover rate in that particular department.
the high turnover rate in key departments such as VP of Enrollment
This is President Padilla’s fourth VP of enrollment. I’m starting to think he’s the problem. Either he can’t hire a good leader, or he can’t retain one. For this reason, I hope that the rumor is true that the board took the lead on this hire.
the high turnover rate in key departments such as VP of Enrollment
This is President Padilla’s fourth VP of enrollment. I’m starting to think he’s the problem. Either he can’t hire a good leader, or he can’t retain one. For this reason, I hope that the rumor is true that the board took the lead on this hire.
Ideally (and what we have had here is far from ideal), the top enrollment officer -- regardless of title -- is a relentlessly effective and dedicated individual who knows and believes in the university, backed by years of devoted service.
Four enrollment VPs in four years...imagine a head football coach going through four offensive coordinators in four years. No continuity in the system, start overs almost every year, just a disaster.
I guess I see Valpo adding more club sports as another example of them chasing after trends, instead of fixing the problems. At best, it’s a bandaid.
Before anyone jumps in and mis-interprets this post, I am NOT saying that Valpo should somehow turn into an exclusive, Lutheran-only, Christian-only or fundamentalist institution. However, I saw this interesting article that talks about the growing enrollment for faith-based institutions in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/christian-colleges-see-demand-for-campuses-that-lean-into-religion
A few highlights:
"Enrollment is up at Christian colleges across the board: It’s increased by more than 10 percent during the past decade among members of the International Alliance for Christian Education, a grouping of many of the nation’s most conservative Christian colleges. The growth stems from demand among families looking for campuses that stick to their distinctive, traditional Christian beliefs, according to the results of a survey released this week."
...
"The top vote-getter was Christian character, followed by academic excellence and campus safety...The results mark a shift from previous surveys of the Christian market. In 2009, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities found that priorities among people interested in Christian higher education were academic excellence, affordability, and then Christian character."
...
"Rine said the survey and the examples of enrollment growth support earlier research he conducted that showed enrollment was growing fastest at Christian institutions that were distinctively Christian. “People are interested in Christian colleges because they are Christian,” he said. “The market is moving towards Christian higher education.”
For decades, a debate has raged within the subsector over whether it should soften its stances on issues like gay marriage in order to attract more students. The survey results suggest the opposite might be true.
“Being mission-centered is actually market-smart,” Rine said. “Christian-college presidents should not take their cues from the wider academy. We should not apologize for who we are. We are parachurch organizations that serve the church. When we drift from that fundamental truth, we can find ourselves chasing prestige or broader acceptance. Families don’t want that.” "
(end of quotes)
Among other things, the difference in the 2009 survey from the 2025 survey is striking in part because of the timing: President Heckler arrived in July 2008 - which visibly signaled VUs turn from its historic association with the LCMS; President Heckler was a member of the ELCA. (In a case of unfortunate timing for VU, the contentious 2009 ELCA convention included a vote to approve LGBTQ pastors, further widening the gulf between the two largest Lutheran bodies, and also resulted in more than 600 congregations leaving the ELCA.)
All of this led to a decline at VU, first in Lutheran students and then in total students. As has been previously noted, when President Heckler joined, there were 969 Lutheran undergrads (approximately 33.6% of undergrads, Fall of 2008). Five years later, it was 784 Lutheran (24.6%) and when he left it was 503 (21.2%). Undergraduate enrollment peaked at 3299 in 2016 and started a slow decline that accelerated under COVID and again under President Padilla: By 2025, there were 197 undergrads (9.5%); this decline will continue as the incoming class had 47 of the 645 (7.3%) of new undergraduate students (first years and undergraduate transfers) were Lutheran.
The bottom line is the data from the article shows that enrollment in Christian colleges over the last decade is INCREASING, yet VU has seen a substantial declines in both overall and Lutheran enrollment.
Hiring Padilla only exacerbated the problem. He had zero understanding of Lutheran secondary education and kept hiring admissions people who knew even less. The abandonment of the VAN program also was an inexplicable decision.
Just recently saw that Queens University (1700 student population) will be merging with Elon. One of the major points of emphasis over why the merger took place...declining student population and the impending enrollment cliff at both institutions. The belief is that Queens is to be the bellwether for similar mergers for private Christian schools around the country.
Queens is in a situation that is not to dissimilar to Valpo's current position. I can see a path where, if the Queens model works, Valpo could potentially merge with other schools.
@valpo95 I hear ya, and I agree there was some sort of opportunity lost in terms of not finding a footing as a clearly Christian institution at the turn of the 21st century, but I'm fairly dim on the hypothetical that leaning into Lutheranism would have helped that much. From what I can tell, Lutherans just don't have many/any kids and don't evangelize, so the churches are dying. So it would have only worked if somehow around 2000 they had both intensified and broadened it as a Christian appeal to draw evangelicals and Catholics more.
@ Rez I wonder what larger school could would merge with/buy VU. It is notable that the Elon and Queens case involves institutions over 2 hour away from each other, so perhaps there are universities in Chicago (like DePaul?) strapped for space that could be interested in the property? Of course, Notre Dame is just one hour to the east, but they have plenty of room to expand land-wise and the Brothers of the Holy Cross already use ND to subsidize a sort of little-sister campus at St. Mary's College near there as a kind of non-elite charitable endeavor in higher ed.
@vuindiana It is important to note, and Elon/Queens have made this clear, that this is NOT to be considered a buyout of Queens by Elon. The arrangement came about because Elon was originally partnering with Queens over a potential degree share program between the schools. This then turned into the arrangement today. Although it does seem that Elon will have the "majority Stake" as it were with only 10 members of the Elon board of directors being added in this merger to Elon's 37. In terms of athletics, both schools will still be allowed by the NCAA to keep their D1 programs. Which is interesting considering their assets and revenue seem to be pooled into a single 2 billion dollar sum.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article312121662.html
