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(07-05-2016 01:45 PM)The Flagship Wrote:  While I agree that it would be nice to market more intensely in other parts of the State, you need to look at the whole picture.
ODU lies in one of the most populated parts of the State. We just don't have the dorm capacity yet to allow a shift of in-state tuition payers. If we are going to accept in-state tuition, it is in our best interest right now to accept a certain number of commuters. It was only a few years ago that we achieved "residential status", meaning that we finally reached a certain threshold of the number of on-campus beds. As we increase our housing supply, we can expand our reach.

We could do some good by cutting the number of commuters anyway. That would allow our student/faculty ratio to rise, increase our selectivity, and free up some resources. Is it ethical to hold commuters to higher admissions standards? Say 3.0 gpa minimum for on campus, and a 3.3 for commuters. The campus has no more room to grow, so its time to focus on improving quality, not quantity. and actively get more students from other parts of the state. That will do wonders for the university and its statewide reputation and interest.

An ODU with 20,000 students including 15,000 traditional aged on-campus or near campus undergrads that are intelligent and focused on learning would be transformational.