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

https://www.mlive.com/news/g66l-2019/12/...lment.html

CMU enrollment dropped 31 percent!

Not like WMU doesn't have problems, because it does, but...31 percent?!?

I wonder if part of CMU's steep decline in enrollment is due to the decline of the rural population in mid-Michigan, the northern lower and the UP. High schools in those areas are really struggling with enrollment as well, and it may be harder to pull the city kids from the southern half of the state out to the corn fields of Mt. Pee. Geographically, CMU has to go way out of its way to recruit students and they're really starting to feel it.

Not to mention, northern MI/UP also has Ferris, SVSU, LSSU, NMU and MI Tech. That's a lot of public school options to compete with.

1.) Total enrollment dropped everywhere but the Big 10 bastards.

2.) WMU is #5 in terms of total enrollment, at 21K. Honestly, I thought it was closer to 17K, so not quite as bad as I thought. Trail the Lakers by 3K and lead CMU by 2K. Total enrollment doesn't doesn't really both me, but I do know a university needs money to operate. Would like to use get back up to 23K.

3.) Our friends in Mt Pleasant will try to spin it in they have lower acceptance rate, but reality is Average Joe sees the 2 schools as identical. I actually know some kids who didn't get into Western & had to go to Central instead.

4.) I think schools should start streamlining. Ditch all the worthless programs. Ditch half the buildings. That'd be a good start. Start joining schools. Hell, you could merge WMU w/ CMU, FSU w/ GVSU, EMU w/ OU, etc.

(12-26-2019 08:38 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Hell, you could merge WMU w/ CMU

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what happens (if anything) to the 15 public universities if HS grad numbers continue to dwindle. Especially the U.P. ones.

UM continues to grow with just about half of freshman class every year from other states.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/educati...708719001/

Lengthy article on WMU and CMU.

You’ll begin to see mergers of schools soon. Don’t be shocked if all of the UP public schools merge into one system with multiple satellite campuses. I’d expect CMU and other update LP schools will talk about it as well.

Enrollment problems were predicted 15+ years ago, but our administration and board has turned over so much nothing was done in time to brace for it.

Expect to see LSSU, NMU, and Tech to join in the UP. EMU will become a UofM extension campus. CMU, Ferris, and SVSU will likely join forces. Wayne and Oakland will do the same.

That leaves WMU and GVSU on the west side. Partnership programs have already been discussed, using GRCC as a common-ground.

Smaller privates will struggle. Albion, Adrian, and Alma are all in trouble. K-College will be fine because of their endowment.

The state of Michigan is currently terrible supporting education. Recent reports showed Michigan is 44th in USA supporting colleges.
This fall Michigan Gov line item vetoed previously awarded grant money to 2300 college students.

College, a way out of poverty, is a distant dream in much of rural Michigan
https://www.freep.com/in-depth/news/educ...836576002/

(12-26-2019 09:56 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(12-26-2019 08:38 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Hell, you could merge WMU w/ CMU

Wouldn't be ideal, but if it happens, it happens. Would rather see that then close the doors to both.

(12-27-2019 03:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  Enrollment problems were predicted 15+ years ago, but our administration and board has turned over so much nothing was done in time to brace for it.

Appears only a couple of the non Big 10 schools braced for it. Western wasn't the only one who was unable to do anything.

(12-27-2019 03:53 PM)broncofan1 Wrote:  Enrollment problems were predicted 15+ years ago, but our administration and board has turned over so much nothing was done in time to brace for it.

Expect to see LSSU, NMU, and Tech to join in the UP. EMU will become a UofM extension campus. CMU, Ferris, and SVSU will likely join forces. Wayne and Oakland will do the same.

That leaves WMU and GVSU on the west side. Partnership programs have already been discussed, using GRCC as a common-ground.

Smaller privates will struggle. Albion, Adrian, and Alma are all in trouble. K-College will be fine because of their endowment.

Reality is, seems like every town has a college/university & that's just not needed. I think more likely EMU joins w/ Oakland, WMU & CMU merge, & GVSU merges w/ FSU. WMU & CMU are more alike than either w/ a GLIAC school, and the GLIAC schools are likewise more alike then either w/ a MAC school.

Conference affiliation will play zero role in future mergers. Geography and facility footprint will.

It’s not impossible to assume Ferris and SVSU, and Wayne all become part of the MSU branding for example. Where you get MSU-Saginaw, MSU-Detroit, MSU-Big Rapids etc. These schools sell off some space and buildings, and become commuter institutions, and East Lansing becomes the main hub, and a a location for dorm students.

Might even seem MSU and UM share these campuses, MSU providing certain majors UM complimentary programs.

These types of decisions will be made in part at the state legislature level, so again conference affiliation will matter little.

Yeah, conference has nothing to do with this at all. Michigan doesn't have a higher education system/network the way Wisconsin, Tennessee, California, and other states do. We are all very independent and have to play nice.

It really pisses me off how the conventional wisdom seems to be that college in Michigan should only be for people smart enough and wealthy enough to get into either UM or MSU. And if you can't get into either school, you are banished to community colleges if and until when you get accepted to either of our fine elitist institutions or you attend bland commuter colleges dominated by the big two universities.

Having more than a handful of four-year degree universities in Michigan is a big strongpoint and a big benefit to raising your kids in the state. Getting a four year degree matters, despite all the naysayers that rip the quality of our education. WMU develops bright, hardworking and ambitious students regardless of if they got rejected from MSU or UM or any other school.

And having schools like the MAC schools around allows students to meet friends from all over the state (and sometimes the country) and get a broader exposure to the world and people and potential careers than what they get at their local CC or commuter college.

The REAL perpetrators in all of this is our spineless politicians who have sold voters a fairy tale for 50 years of how they shouldn't have to pay taxes for anything. College in Michigan is overly expensive now because pols and voters don't want to pay for them. Screw them.

(12-28-2019 09:23 AM)broncofan1 Wrote:  Yeah, conference has nothing to do with this at all. Michigan doesn't have a higher education system/network the way Wisconsin, Tennessee, California, and other states do. We are all very independent and have to play nice.

(12-27-2019 11:52 PM)Doo Wrote:  Conference affiliation will play zero role in future mergers. Geography and facility footprint will.

It’s not impossible to assume Ferris and SVSU, and Wayne all become part of the MSU branding for example. Where you get MSU-Saginaw, MSU-Detroit, MSU-Big Rapids etc. These schools sell off some space and buildings, and become commuter institutions, and East Lansing becomes the main hub, and a a location for dorm students.

Might even seem MSU and UM share these campuses, MSU providing certain majors UM complimentary programs.

These types of decisions will be made in part at the state legislature level, so again conference affiliation will matter little.

Some ways it does because the mission from a WMU or CMU is very different from a SVSU or FSU, and the missions of the smaller U's are VERY DIFFERENT from The Other 2.

I guess my questions are: Do the systems at Wisconsin, Tennessee, California, etc. save money (i.e. would slapping a block M or S on a building make a difference)? You can increase the money going to the smaller state universities without doing that.

Other thing is: play nice? Hah! UMichigan's goals are so not in line with the rest of the state, it's almost impossible to see them helping out a little guy unless it's at gunpoint. They see themselves as a Harvard. They'd have to change their entire mission. Plus, Nassar U would do likewise in their arrogance to keep up w/ the crooks in Ann Arbor.

The smaller universities merging: very likely. The smaller universities becoming branch campuses of the Big 10 *******: very unlikely.

The problem is simple:

Michiganders are having more sex (I think) but fewer babies.

Eventually those babies become elementary, junior and senior high and then students at our colleges.

unfortunately, the life cycle from birth to enrollment is usually 18 years (or more). The demographic term is cohort. E.g., babies born in MI in the year 2000. They are now entering college.

If Michigananders start increasing family size now, it will be 18 years or more before it shows up as increased college enrollment.

EMU spent a ton of money in the 90s before the 'baby bust' after the turn of the century.

Student numbers are decreasing and today they want a ROI for their education Dollars.

The boom years of higher education in America are ending. The idea that every HS student needs to go on to college is expired. The only in-demand fields will be those that prepare students for the marketplace.

I expect to see several state schools in Michigan go under over the next decade. Whether that includes WMU depends on how the leadership focuses their program development and markets it.

(12-30-2019 06:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  The problem is simple:

Michiganders are having more sex (I think) but fewer babies.

Eventually those babies become elementary, junior and senior high and then students at our colleges.

unfortunately, the life cycle from birth to enrollment is usually 18 years (or more). The demographic term is cohort. E.g., babies born in MI in the year 2000. They are now entering college.

If Michigananders start increasing family size now, it will be 18 years or more before it shows up as increased college enrollment.

EMU spent a ton of money in the 90s before the 'baby bust' after the turn of the century.

Bingo. Mostly. Invest in hospices and retirement centers now. Most people are still neck-deep in overpopulation propaganda and have no clue how bad it's going to get in the not too distant future: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/201...gomV-J7mM8

Actually, people are having less sex today: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...on/573949/

Welcome to our phony digital world full of Netflix and Amazon shopping and nothing else.

(12-30-2019 11:32 AM)RunningGame Wrote:  

(12-30-2019 06:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  The problem is simple:

Michiganders are having more sex (I think) but fewer babies.

Eventually those babies become elementary, junior and senior high and then students at our colleges.

unfortunately, the life cycle from birth to enrollment is usually 18 years (or more). The demographic term is cohort. E.g., babies born in MI in the year 2000. They are now entering college.

If Michigananders start increasing family size now, it will be 18 years or more before it shows up as increased college enrollment.

EMU spent a ton of money in the 90s before the 'baby bust' after the turn of the century.

Bingo. Mostly. Invest in hospices and retirement centers now. Most people are still neck-deep in overpopulation propaganda and have no clue how bad it's going to get in the not too distant future: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/201...gomV-J7mM8

Actually, people are having less sex today: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...on/573949/

Welcome to our phony digital world full of Netflix and Amazon shopping and nothing else.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...755695001/

Article says it all.

EMU started cutting last summer. Couldnt find recent WMU update

142 Eastern Michigan University employees accept early retirement buyouts

https://www.mlive.com/sports/ann-arbor/2...youts.html