(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

You can have whatever strategy you want. As long as it works. If it does, you keep your job. If it doesn't, we need someone else.

UIC and Illinois State, our 2 closest in-state peers, have both turned their recruiting around over the last 3-4 years and are leaving NIU in their wake.

They both have crime, especially UIC, it comes down to leadership and marketing. President Freeman is chasing away some students, and not reaching out to others as she puts her misguided passion for racial gerrymandering ahead of normal effective/diverse recruitment.

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

(12-12-2023 07:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

Beat me to it. Illinois population loss has been 100k a year for awhile now. The 18,000 that is quoted a lot is a garbage number put out by the Census Bureau as an estimate. Which make the other peers thriving that much of a problem compared to NIU decline. It is a bad strategy combined with bad leadership issue that needs to be addressed.

Illinois universities are a part of the state government. Does anyone think they are run well? The problem is, you are not forced to go to college at NIU. Students have school choice.

(12-12-2023 07:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

Then it must have gone up before that time. And from what I looked at, Cook county and the collar counties gained population. It was the rural counties that lost population - that's going back to 2010.

Not sure what point you are making. Yes they have a choice and they choose not to go to NIU anymore based on the actions of the NIU Administration. Something is terribly wrong when your peers are doing well in a market where NIU is dying. It is the strategy and the message that is total off base at NIU. ISU and UIC have advanced based on securing students that used to go to NIU and SIU from the Suburban areas.

(12-12-2023 10:04 AM)HuskieJ Wrote:  Not sure what point you are making. Yes they have a choice and they choose not to go to NIU anymore based on the actions of the NIU Administration. Something is terribly wrong when your peers are doing well in a market where NIU is dying. It is the strategy and the message that is total off base at NIU. ISU and UIC have advanced based on securing students that used to go to NIU and SIU from the Suburban areas.

I'm just saying that it has nothing to do with the population of Illinois as a whole, especially when other Illinois schools have increased enrollment.

(12-12-2023 08:51 AM)HuskieJ Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 07:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

Beat me to it. Illinois population loss has been 100k a year for awhile now. The 18,000 that is quoted a lot is a garbage number put out by the Census Bureau as an estimate. Which make the other peers thriving that much of a problem compared to NIU decline. It is a bad strategy combined with bad leadership issue that needs to be addressed.

No, the larger loss numbers are the estimated numbers. They go back and check the census numbers and the actual losses are typically smaller, but they don't get publicized as much as the original numbers.

Macrotrends shows: In the 4 years from 2018-2022 the population decreased by 85,000, mostly because it went up from 2018-2019. The last 2 years it went down by about 100K each year. It is down about 2.5% from the highest it's ever been, around 2010. Bottom line, the population of Illinois has nothing to do with it.

(12-12-2023 11:27 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 08:51 AM)HuskieJ Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 07:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 02:24 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Woke not woke. Regardless, the university has a massive budget deficit and enrollment is down tremendously from where it was just a decade ago. We are not on the right path and are more than likely a candidate for consolidation in the near future, unless something changes. And yes depopulation of Illinois and lack of state funding is an issue, but our friends at Illinois State University don't seem to see that as stopping them from capital improvements, a new stadium and increases to their enrollment.

Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

Beat me to it. Illinois population loss has been 100k a year for awhile now. The 18,000 that is quoted a lot is a garbage number put out by the Census Bureau as an estimate. Which make the other peers thriving that much of a problem compared to NIU decline. It is a bad strategy combined with bad leadership issue that needs to be addressed.

No, the larger loss numbers are the estimated numbers. They go back and check the census numbers and the actual losses are typically smaller, but they don't get publicized as much as the original numbers.

Macrotrends shows: In the 4 years from 2018-2022 the population decreased by 85,000, mostly because it went up from 2018-2019. The last 2 years it went down by about 100K each year. It is down about 2.5% from the highest it's ever been, around 2010. Bottom line, the population of Illinois has nothing to do with it.

Agree to disagree. I think you have it backwards. Census is the estimate. Actuals losses are much much higher has demonstrated by the last 2 years you cite. I do agree that it is not an excuse. Other schools are keeping their numbers up, so why is NIU struggling so much.

(12-12-2023 12:48 PM)HuskieJ Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 11:27 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 08:51 AM)HuskieJ Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 07:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-11-2023 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  Also, Illinois population has only gone down slightly, about 18,000 over the past decade, so that isn't it. Have a feeling that crime in DeKalb, or the perception of it, is a much bigger part of it. I can't speak to what the leaders at NIU should do other than to say that what they're doing now, if anything, isn't working.

From 2021-2022, Illinois population decreased by 104,000. Chicago accounted about for about 1/3 of that number.

Beat me to it. Illinois population loss has been 100k a year for awhile now. The 18,000 that is quoted a lot is a garbage number put out by the Census Bureau as an estimate. Which make the other peers thriving that much of a problem compared to NIU decline. It is a bad strategy combined with bad leadership issue that needs to be addressed.

No, the larger loss numbers are the estimated numbers. They go back and check the census numbers and the actual losses are typically smaller, but they don't get publicized as much as the original numbers.

Macrotrends shows: In the 4 years from 2018-2022 the population decreased by 85,000, mostly because it went up from 2018-2019. The last 2 years it went down by about 100K each year. It is down about 2.5% from the highest it's ever been, around 2010. Bottom line, the population of Illinois has nothing to do with it.

Agree to disagree. I think you have it backwards. Census is the estimate. Actuals losses are much much higher has demonstrated by the last 2 years you cite. I do agree that it is not an excuse. Other schools are keeping their numbers up, so why is NIU struggling so much.

It's not an excuse (because others found a way to overcome it) but it's a big issue because the pool of instate students is getting smaller while a few institutions are actually grabbing a bigger proportion of that pool than before.

Going to UIC you can live at home and commute. ISU is the number 2 school in state. NIU is a directional.

Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

(12-12-2023 02:36 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

Harvard's endowment is about $51 billion.

(12-12-2023 03:15 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 02:36 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

Harvard's endowment is about $51 billion.

Yep, FU money

(12-12-2023 02:36 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

Trump seemed to think it was okay for people to be killed based on his statements. Pence, Mattis, etc. His statements continually cause people to get death threats.

Is it the number of people that makes it not okay? Or is it only not okay if they're Jewish? Whatever happened to free speech? According to the Supreme Court, being able to give unlimited amounts of money to candidates is "speech" and so that's okay. In their minds, apparently everything is speech.

(12-12-2023 02:36 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

Anti-semitism and extreme left politics are forever bedfellows, and always have been (e.g., Marx, etc.). It’s part of the playbook.

(12-12-2023 03:29 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 03:15 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(12-12-2023 02:36 PM)Klake1987 Wrote:  Harvard must have FU money. They might have lost $1 billion in donations due to their anti-Semitic stance. Hundreds of teachers signed a letter telling university not to fire President. "Context" of saying it 8s ok to kill Jews.

Harvard's endowment is about $51 billion.

Yep, FU money

I wish we had $1B

UIC breakdown

Fall 2023 Undergrad Enrollment
American Indian and Alaskan Native <1%
Asian 18%
Black/African American 8%
Hispanic 29%
International 12%
Multi-Race 3%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander <1%
White 27%
Unknown 2%

85% fall into living off campus/commute.

What % of NIU comes from City of Chicago vs rest of state?

What % of kids in suburbs/ western go to NIU vs ISU vs UI vs out of state?

Also, 14% of UI is foreign. 15 % out of state.

Simply talking to anyone with kids in college, they are leaving the state and getting money and never thought of going to NIU various reasons. Not hard to see why. And whether it was academics causing campus to become crap or vice versa is chicken vs egg. Analyze all day, but it’s not going to change any time soon. And if we want to bring liberal vs conservative…. Yeah, the parents many times share values with kids, kids go where they see a campus and type of school they want. Not coincidence the south is taking kids and their parents are more than happy to visit . Places like Nebraska too. Just talk to the kids and parents .

I have three neighbors with kids that are college freshman this year. Went to U of I, ISU and Alabama.

My youngest son went to Nebraska. In addition to a scholarship, they threw extra money to him just for being from Illinois.