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reactionary or reactive?

The Campus Tour production for the University is now available for viewing.

What do you think?

Does it adequately address the issue of academics?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra0YVgkklmk

Yes, there is a recording..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=marDNTaKznM&t=1169s

Agreed. It is an outstanding program. 

Kroenke is owner of the LA Rams.  He built a new 80,000 seat stadium for them (and the Chargers) at a cost of five to six billion dollars.

A new ARC would cost a fraction of that amount.

There is a Kroencke Hall.   Close but slightly different spelling.

Maybe what someone needs to do is contact billionaire Stan Kroenke and persuade him to fund a new athletics complex.   Kroenke is owner of multiple sports teams (football, soccer, basketball, hockey, and more).  He grew up in a tiny Missouri town.  I am not aware of any prior connection with Valpo, but his background is German Lutheran.

I received an e-mail on Thursday with an update on what the five colleges have been doing.   

The message also said that the Forever Valpo campaign has reached $268 million.

   The name "crusader" has found resonance in diverse sections of American society:

https://chicagocrusader.com/

The recent press release regarding the newest endowed professorship reports that Forever Valpo has now topped $254 million.

Meanwhile Illinois Wesleyan continues to make major cuts.

https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/illinois-wesleyan-university-to-eliminate-3-majors/article_ee0cd03f-9348-59e2-9ce8-dcd566d4847a.html

These cuts are in addition to prior elimination of American cultural studies, international business, classical studies, as well as design, technology, and entrepreneurship.

St. Olaf has announced that its capital campaign has raise $252 million.

The original goal was $200 million, but the college kept the campaign going even after surpassing the target.

Is Valparaiso doing the same?  I recall a couple of Forum members who expressed the opinion that there was no reason to try for a higher amount.

Wouldn't it be better to extend  the goal of Forever Valpo to $300 million rather than start a brand new campaign?   There will certainly be another campaign in a few more years, but it takes a lot of time and effort to plan and launch an entirely new one.  If there is momentum for Forever Valpo, let's keep it going.

Here is the website of the Lutheran Legacy Foundation:

https://www.lutheranlegacyfoundation.org/

The Forever Valpo campaign stands now at $249,520,753.   Less than $500,000 to go.

The Forever Valpo website still shows funds raised at $238 million.   I have not seen any announcements about another major gift raising the total to $244 million as stated in an e-mail two weeks ago.


Can anyone provide any additional info?

Here is the Torch article on VanAken's meeting with students.

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_2504f644-5825-11ea-a86c-db7362b7eafb.html

U of St Thomas cuts full-time MBA program.  Nothing stays the same.  The popularity of programs rises and falls. 

http://tcbmag.com/news/articles/2020/february/st-thomas-cuts-full-time-mba

A person in an executive position inevitably becomes involved in the disputes and controversies which can arise within the organization.  It then becomes the task of the executive to deal with the problem.  A win-win resolution is not always possible.  This results in unhappiness on the part of the group whose views do not prevail.  Frequently there develops a conviction that the executive was biased from the start.

Info on VanAken:

https://www.elmhurst.edu/about/leadership/about-president-vanaken/

An additional release from the ELCA, at the time he became president of Thiel in 2009, reports that he has coached high school football and track as well as serving on NCAA committees.

Here is the Torch report on the students'meeting with Andrew Finstuen.

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_64e038c8-543d-11ea-93a1-afe5754540d6.html

 The Torch has this article on Farney's meeting with students.

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_4921194e-52ae-11ea-aa3c-73047c88c457.html

Another website says that candidate number two is Andrew Finstuen, Dean of the Honors College and interim Vice-Provost at Boise State University in Idaho.

Here is how Wheaton addresses the issues under discussion:

https://www.wheaton.edu/life-at-wheaton/kingdom-diversity/diversity-commitment/


FWIW - Wheaton's athletic teams are called the Thunder.  They used to known as the Crusaders.  The name was changed 20 years ago after Crusader was deemed offensive and inappropriate.

Another possibility might be Kurt Senske; a Valpo grad and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the South.