The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(02-14-2019 01:45 PM)RunningGame Wrote:  

(02-13-2019 01:41 PM)brovol Wrote:  So I had my meeting with Mo. Good guy, who does a nice job representing the university. Essentially, there have been a lot of changes with the new president, and an effort to identify where WMU is losing out to other universities. There is a new focus on keeping students, and seeing to it that they graduate, rather than have them leave the school for whatever reason. Essentially, not many more than half who start actually graduate. That is a dismal reality if the numbers are correct. We are also losing too often in the battles to win new students.

It sounds like policies are changing, and it appears some heads have already rolled in several departments withing the university since Dunn left. The new man has a different perspective I guess.

Obviously, WMU is reaching out to alumni for assistance, financial and otherwise. Surprisingly, he never outwardly asked for money, but I am certain that is part of the initiative. We discussed financial challenges within the university, and alumni folks at colleges always have that as a prerogative, but he was very non-pushy and relaxed. It was a nice conversation. My area of the state lacks much WMU presence, and needs more interest and involvement from the few Broncos who live here. He indicated that they are using PJ Fleck as the example of how Western can "change its culture", which is something they want to do. And I kid you not, Fleck was the example of what they want to do.

We talked football and a hockey for a bit. It was a nice conversation. I suspect he will be in touch. The guy drove all the way to Standish during terrible weather.

We all do need to assess what we can do if we want WMU to continue being successful. Its a good thing that they are reaching out.

Thanks! Interesting.

I think people are reading a little too much into Fleck as a metaphor. Really, if you believe in an institution, you want it to fulfill its mission in the best way possible. Wanting WMU to be as "elite" as possible is one such mission, and WMU has that potential. Making it the best affordable college in the state is another. Getting in front of the college bubble figures in.

Me, I think we should be entirely rethinking post-high school education in this country in a radical fashion, or rather, returning universities to being universities instead of glorified high schools.

Taking a look at our alma mater's mission, however, and it looks like corporate gobbledygook: https://wmich.edu/about/mission-history

I can certainly list of a long list of fellow graduates who were never really challenged to be life-long learners. What does it mean to triumph over the world in head-on confrontation?

Just as an example, here's Hillsdale: https://www.hillsdale.edu/about/mission/

Here's Bryn Mawr, on the other end of the spectrum: https://www.brynmawr.edu/about/mission

Row the Boat was simple to understand.

I don't know what WMU is or what it wants to be besides regurgitating corporate memes. Perhaps if they want to go towards a Fleckian direction, they need to adopt a clear mission—a "compass" if you will—before all the alumni start rowing harder and sacrificing more to build the boat.