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ValpoPal asks,  "Are they not literate?..."  I say perhaps they are literate in the strict sense,but I doubt that 10% of that generation are truly rational thinkers. They have been taught by our fine modern schools to emphasize how they "feel" rather than how  to "think." And worse, our universities teach them the privileged college kids "what" to think rather than "how" to think. 

They are also taught to constantly view things through the lens of a theoretical DEI victmology concept. So they reflexively view the Hamas/Palestinians as the "oppressed" and therefore view them as righteous in any action they take. After all, police buildings in Minneapolis were burned down for no rational reason. In July a CNN cameraman rolled footage of the two story flames there. rising two stories high behind a CNN reporter as the reporter talked of "peaceful protests." Is burning a building or denying facts rational? Is defunding your police protection rational? Young idiots will answer a poll saying that global warming is a more urgent and existential threat than China or today's crisis in Ukraine. They seek a 1.5% percent limit over the next 50 years. Dead people won't feel the 1.5%

I think Valpo22 analysis seems really wise about the post 9-11 generation. 

For me this a big line of demarcation in foreign policy was the Reagan presidency. Boomers and older generations understood the soviet bloc and the evil empire of the USSR.  I always felt a sense of chill in watching the precision of USSR and eastern block Olympians. Maybe they were just a lot more determined and focuses on world conquest than we could imagine.  So our generation's where you you moments were the Berlin Wall knock down and the "Miracle on Ice" during the last Carter year.  If those two events bring you a shoulder shrug from you or a blank stare, then you don't really get the historic evils of communism and the old Soviet Union restoration threat Putin is seeking.

Yes, I think the new post-911 generation is probably numb to venturing overseas for no evident benefit. Unfortunately they are probably numbed to any wise policy debate. There has been a whirlwind of political noise and fatalism from both sides ever since Obama's first year. He said openly that he would fundamentally transform America.  Maybe you like that idea or maybe you don't. But the noisy media wars that ensued in 2008 between patriots and globalists has deafened the ears of our post 9-11 generation.   

I think it is smart to jump start the game culture for VU's students. My sense is that the current culture of the school just doesn't have a lot of comraderie minded kids. 

If you pull them off the smart phones and tablets long enough to experience an energetic environment, they might discover that they like it.  And for those types of personalities it also takes critical mass.  I will take a contrived student section over a pathetic one any day of the week.

Yes, indeed the applicants are being culled.  If nothing else it shows poor judgment and a severe lack of maturity.

The Wall Street Journal today featured an article on the mega-donor rebellion that has finally pushed back hard vs. the elite universities.  It had percolated during the embarrassing wokeness. But this terrorism straw broke the camel's back.  I hope they cut off money. They don't want to restrain speech, but they feel they can only counter blatant biases by getting the attention of woke CEOs. Some Penn donors say they will give nothing until the President and board chair resign.

Indeed it will be an uphill fight for those relationship reasons. You won't have the same HS guidance counselors you nurtured 20-30 years ago sit waiting with open arms.

But this annual cohort of Lutheran HS seniors is just too crucial to neglect. Yes, the term "neglect" seems fair. One might also call it dereliction of duty by Heckler. How many came to VU from those schools in 2008-2021 and what percent?   Compare that to the percent prior to Heckler.  Maybe I am wrong.

Agreed.  Both objectives can be managed together.  It's not a zero sum game. 

Your word "neglected" for Lutheran recruitment focus seems entirely fair and very embarrassing.  Does the enrollment staff buy into the latter? And do the faculty?  There has to be some explanation for it.

I have always wondered why thousands of donors and the hundreds of conservative university board members don't fight back more often against the blatant censoring from the left on campuses.  As we know some donors kept strings and caveats on their gifts and will start pulling them back.  Florida has been a leader and they hired former senator Ben Sasse as U of F president in that very spirit of balance and logic.

The irrational "progressive" logic is about to explode. I had pointed out many times on this board over the years how odd it is for liberals to back Islamic ideology, but then also defend the rights of women and gays from a view that is in DIRECT conflict with that ideology. The word "progressive" is laughable and other viewpoints need to stop conceding that term to these extremists who don't read history.   

I am fully in favor of free speech across ALL POINTS of view. 

I just read the article and was wholly unimpressed.  Are the verbs "outreach" (twice) and "be like" now verbs in a new urban dictionary. I am too depressed to inquire.

In either case I don't feel that a senior administrator like Ms. Schur should be using either verb.  If the quote is paraphrased by the Torch writer, then I am only depressed for their generation (as I "be like" expected) and have less fear of our administrators.

Fair points by USC Valpo.  But Rice is a totally different animal.  I highly doubt you will see folks try to slip into Rice with really marginal abilities to do well.

Valpo has dropped a level into regional battles to snag every applicant they can find.  Warm bodies with a 3.0 are welcome. But I suppose there are some sleepers in that batch who might trip up on tests.  Good for them.

The enrollment question now shifts to aggregate income from students. The campus might have a feel for that after the board meets again.  Income for Moody's purpose is driven by not just tuition, but also by room and board. 

Does anyone know the year that they stopped doing the VU Homecoming parade floats on Lincolnway?  Those were great memories. At some point they pulled it onto campus and that seemed to kill it pretty fast.

Your post seems to belong in the "Good Things at Valpo" thread. 

Going to Valpo62 and others' points:

Back to enrollment: I wonder how many applications we have received year over year due thanks to the Facebook barrage of the "Get $24,000 if you have a 3.0 GPA"   I can see the strategy in the bizarre pricing market of private education. So logically the number of applicants should broaden.

But my meritocratic mindset just hates that giveaway with "no tests required."   

Without clear enrollment strategy and tactics you can't succeed because you can't recruit each of the 1 million or more 12th graders every year. Somewhere in the "strategic plan" internal details there must be a target number of students from Lutheran high schools. If that target is absent, then it speaks more loudly about Lutheran identity than a conservative target.

VU72, despite his numerous efforts, has never heard assurance of this priority or seen evidence that it gets carried out.

Yes, ValpoTX is absolutely right that Lutherans as a church body are decreasing and that it can't become a dominant strategy. But is logical to start there in defining your targets since it can be rapidly identified. I think there may be several Lutheran high schools who graduate half or more of their classes as non-Lutherans. If those parents and students were open to Lutheran influence, then they are certainly higher than the vague pools of kids with no family or school affinity.

Uh....seems like the court name is claimed by Homer.   But a huge arena name sponsor deal for 10 years or more would be nice .

Padilla might not understand yet the size of the LCMS school system all the way down into K-12 and know the historic strong Valpo pipeline of the 1950s-1990s.  The ELCA basically has zero high schools and grade schools. So the LCMS kids are easier to pinpoint.

My sense from afar is that Padilla is a pragmatic man. Once he understands the Valpo78 observations of foolish neglect and poor execution in that LCMS pipeline, he may be very irritated. Heckler seemed to be more of a dreamer with an ear more drawn to ideology.

Padilla: "So let me understand this,...there are x hundred kids graduating from an LCMS pipeline each year? And they were historically a core of your enrollment?  And we enrolled how many this year?  Last year?  Last 20 years? When did that trend start? What did we change?  And what were some reasons?  He's a lawyer. I would not want to be in that witness stand.

There would be a long story behind this. If you mix in ALL of our age 25+ Americans I am not surprised that the whole 25+ U.S. adults group is dying younger than in Europe or Japan. I suspect that comes from have higher crime rates, drug crises, and dangerous farm and construction work done on our huge land parcelss and buildings.   

Intuitively I am guessing that the gap between 4-year degree graduates and a sub-group of those 25+ year old adults is FAR NARROWER. The East Coast elitist professionals typically view the world this way. A more helpful comparison would be to compare the 4-year graduates to sub-group of 25+ who have 2-year degrees (data systems or health) or are certified trades people. Those options are available to the smart kids otherwise capable who might be opting our of 4-year degrees.   

                  

How many of them are alumni from graduation years before 1995? 

And then compare that to the years when donors give the highest amounts.

Eek.  We are a home "dog" against Chicago State on December 16.   I have pretty high confidence Roger won't let that happen.

Day of Giving could probably be orchestrated in advance. 

Does anyone know what the alumni percentage giving?   And compared to 5, 10, and 20 years ago?  That would tell the story.

May 4, 2011 — The $15 million gift from the Rev. Mark and Kathy Helge will support the most critical preservation issues facing the chapel while adding-------.

By 2016, "Forever Valpo" had spent FIVE YEARS to reach the $140 million "start."  They counted the $15 million Helge chapel gift in the YEAR 2011 in their "Forever" literature and web pages.   

Fact check that if you will. It's why Heckler is overrated as a fund-raiser.

BUT YES, targeting a new nursing building and a major sports arena will ignite donor giving much faster than just endowment and $15 million spent on an aluminum side-car to the chapel.  It had an effect somewhat like Soldier Field with the flying saucer landed.  It added a ton of space for offices, "collaboration," and tumbleweeds. 

Bring on the excitement!

You don't have to divulge your sources and this is not doubtful at all.  But it would be interesting to know if it was side dialog with someone "in the know" or if it was stated at a podium.

Sometimes the side dialog can be very accurate, especially in the early strategy.

I see that we caught a decent break in the conference chedule.  Nearly all of our road games are Wednesdays during the peak weeks for student turnout.   

Our bunch of Saturday mid-season home games will be an advantage IF.....AND only If.....the students turn out and bring energy.

We will take every break we can get.

Fantastic!   Yes, as he says, there was probably some Lutheran reticence to "sell it (Christ College)."

The canon of great books basically teaches you that there is really nothing new under the sun. Greek and Roman civilizations learned and passed on crucial lessons in government and in human nature.  Britain picked up some of those lessons in developing its courts. Other than that, over many centuries, "life was nasty, brutish, and short"  --Thomas Hobbs, Leviathan.

People in those centuries had major concerns in life that would make you truly anxious (like not being killed in endless wars or by their own ruler's cruelty.)  That left them little time to worry that their planet might warm 1.5% over the next 100 years.