(01-25-2023 08:42 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(01-24-2023 11:35 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  

(01-24-2023 05:55 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(01-24-2023 04:57 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(01-24-2023 02:05 PM)HuskieJ Wrote:  Add UIC to the list of winners as well. U of I brought in 6,000 Chinese students to help ease their issues, ISU and UIC just out-marketed NIU for the remaining decent students that did not go out of state. NIU has been asleep at the switch for 25 years while all the neighboring states took out provisions for out of state so that their tuition was even lower than NIU. NIU missed a chance decades ago to offset the student population decline and now many of NIU's once proud programs are a shell of what they were. Added to the depressing news is an incoming class has a good fake GPA, but reads at a 8/9 grade level with little to no math or science skills.

(01-24-2023 03:48 PM)niu1980 Wrote:  So what is your source that our once proud programs are a shell of what they were? Where did you get the facts to back up your claim of fake GPAs?

Well I believe that most districts were not failing any students during the 2 years of remote/covid. It was a joke of what they were "learning" during that time.

https://newsroom.niu.edu/niu-removes-use...pplicants/

https://www.chicagocontrarian.com/blog/c...ve-testing

As of December 2022 96% of universities and colleges have eliminated standardized test scores as part of admissions so that proves NIU’s once great programs are now a shell of what they were? So when was the last time you have spent anytime with current NIU students or educators? I volunteer my time in several areas of the university to help keep it great and to help evaluate it’s results. Unfortunately message boards are often used to attempt to tear down things and spread baseless claims. I don’t get it, especially if you are an alum. It’s disgraceful.

All the time. They frequently invite me on campus and even wrote an article about me.

Chance, the ethics board, the COB, football events and card writing. I'm also a 1st gen minority? Am I qualified to have an opinion?

I had my blinders on for years, because NIU is very near and dear to my heart. I got my bachelor's there and was even a part of the first Chicago based MBA program. Personally I credit a lot of my success to the university and can only wish the same for anyone who passes through those halls.

However there have been significant challenges, and I'm allowed to critique some of the decisions of the current administration. With that being said, I like Sean, I love Dr Freeman. But I hold NIU in the highest regards and can only wish the best for it moving forward. My opinion may vary with theirs, but we can't declare either to be perfect. That's the beauty of opinions.

To add on to this, perception is everything. Despite how you and I think of the university, people outside of the university and diehards like the few in here seem to think otherwise.

Looking at the key metrics of success that are constantly voiced over in here: attendance is down, football games unattended, key staples are closing, and there are still many buildings untouched from the Kennedy Administration. Hate to say it, but that crazy ISU guy is right.

This doesn't mean that NIU isn't trying. We've seen a bunch of new projects develop over the last decade. However, attendance is still down. We need to keep pushing for more, so people's perceptions change and kids keep thinking about NIU as a spot to grow, as well as alumni thinking NIU is a wise investment.

A lot of work has been done, but much more is to be completed. Now with all that being said, we shouldn't turn away the opinions of others within the NIU community because we feel like they are less involved than us. Their opinions matter too, because their dollars matter.