I've been thinking about the president's comments at around 5:50 in her interview. She talks about "a recognition of the changes in the higher education marketplace." Private liberal arts colleges are under great stress. I wonder if the Board of Trustees didn't look at data that said, "We either grow, or we could die." I can only think of 3 d1 private schools in the Midwest that are west of Chicago: Bradley, Drake, & Creighton. I think they want to get into that club.

Oddly, Augustana is listed in USNWR as "Midwest Regional College" (along with Calvin, Taylor, Ozarks, Ohio Northern and Dordt), rather than "Midwest Regional University" (along with Butler, Creighton, Drake, Valpo, Bradley, Evansville. The Univ of Sioux Falls is on that list - way down that list- how did they get on it?). Going d1 might attract some of the Minnesota students who go to all of their d3 schools.

Augie can't be the kind of school they want to be with only 1700 students. But they can with 3000 students. Going d1 might be a marketing boost to help them get there. The president says, "We are going to be bold. We are going to take risks. We are going to adapt to change."