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Today’s number: 86

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Illinois

* Let’s call it a toilet, starve its funding source and lay off a third of its employees and toss in an incompetent board of trustees and then all act surprised when this happens…

Chicago State University enrolled just 86 freshmen this fall, an alarming drop as the embattled public institution faces an uncertain future.

Overall, the university now has fewer than half the number of total students it did six years ago. There are 3,578 students taking classes at the Far South Side campus this fall, down from 7,362 students in 2010, according to university figures released Tuesday. The numbers include 2,352 undergraduates and 1,226 graduate students.

While enrollment has been declining for years, the past year has been particularly troubling. Overall enrollment is down 25 percent, and undergraduate enrollment is down 32 percent in one year, the largest decline of any public university in the state. The 86 freshmen includes both full-time and part-time students — smaller than a kindergarten cohort at many Chicago Public Schools.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:24 pm

Comments

Gov. Rauner’s List

Close CSU … almost there.

Close Eastern… trying.

Discredit Western… majors are dwindling.

Not an accident CSU.

Be weary Eastern, be alert Western…

Vote Accordingly.

It’s real, it’s not a surprise, and if you vote Raunerite, you’ll deal your fates.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:29 pm
Winnin’

Comment by Roadiepig Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:30 pm
Let’s call it intentional

Comment by Curious Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:30 pm
Winning! Mission (almost) accomplished.

Look on the bright side. I’ll be there will be all kinds of buyers lining up for privatizing the CSU campus. Corinithian Colleges will probably put in a huge bi…oh, wait. Well, maybe IIT would be…oops. How about Career Educati…no. Education Manageme….no. Le Cordon..no. DeVry! Yeah, DeVry!…no.
Darn.

Comment by jerry 101 Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:32 pm
Looks like BVR is “winnin” this part of his agenda.

Comment by illini Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:33 pm
Doesn’t bother the .01%er’s what happens to a minority university.

Comment by Wow Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:34 pm
CSU has had “Do Not Resuscitate” tattooed across it since 2010.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:35 pm
I’m shocked — SHOCKED — by this development.

Okay, no.
No, I’m not.

To call this anything but deliberate is bold-faced lying.

Comment by thunderspirit Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:40 pm
These CPS kids are getting smarter

Comment by Joe Biggs Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:42 pm
In 2015, the desk closest to mine was occupied by a wonderful woman who went to Chicago State University. She is bright and obviously she got a great education. I am saddened that her alma mater is drawing it’s last breaths. My coworker is a testament to the quality of education that she received. She grew up poor, black, and from the South side of Chicago. She had a somewhat troubled time in high school. It seems totally obvious that Chicago State did more to mold her than almost anything else and she even told me so on several occasions.

It is cold, hard, malignant callousness that pervades this administration.

At very least the death of Chicago State will deter the African American community from believing that Rauner really cares about them. Add that to the destruction of those systems that were helping, that were working but are no longer and my hope is that you will see a community motivated to action.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:42 pm
Wasn’t Rauner just blaming the violence in Chicago on the lack of economic opportunity? And isn’t higher education an avenue to economic opportunity? You’d think he’d be actively supporting our public institutions of higher learning then, but you’d be wrong.

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:47 pm
For full disclosure, can someone post enrollment numbers from 2010 by year?

Thanks!

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:49 pm
===can someone post===

We don’t work for you. And this isn’t Google.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 1:57 pm
6 Year Graduation Rates

UIUC 84%
ISU 71%
UIC 59.7%
EIU 59.5%
WIU 54.3%
SIUE 50.5%
NIU 49.5%
UIS 48.7%
SIUC 44%
NEIU 21.8%
CSU 19.2%

As a responsible parent, would you legitimately recommend your son or daughter attend CSU?

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:15 pm
- Downstate -

If Rauner wanted to close CSU… and… Eastern… and… Western…

Wonder why Rauner didn’t say that was his goal.

Rauner using the “We fixed the glitch” way to close state universities is very telling.

You don’t fund state “things” (agencies, programs, even universities) at a level of zero… and try to say you support the thing you fund at a level… of zero.

Sorry.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:21 pm
==Look on the bright side. I’ll be there will be all kinds of buyers lining up for privatizing the CSU campus. Corinithian Colleges will probably put in a huge bi…oh, wait. Well, maybe IIT would be…oops. How about Career Educati…no. Education Manageme….no. Le Cordon..no. DeVry! Yeah, DeVry!…no.
Darn.==

You meant ITT, not IIT…which is a pretty reputable (around top 100 or so) National ranked University. You might as well have confused Devry and DePaul.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:23 pm
Apparently the year by year enrollment trend downward was not good.

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:26 pm
Without getting into the normal Cap Fax debate, this is perhaps another good primer towards the debate about putting all of the directional schools, GSU and CSU under the U of I umbrella.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:26 pm
with CPS’s graduation rate at 73.5% I’m not surprised. CSU reflects the community it resides in.

Comment by T Sowell Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:31 pm
===You’d think he’d be actively supporting our public institutions of higher learning then, but you’d be wrong.===

Nope, just actively supporting non-Union manufacturing for those “economic opportunities”.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:31 pm
Downstate, you’ve misinterpreted the graduation rates. Many people who attend CSU transfer to other institutions and are thus counted as ‘not graduating’.

Comment by Darren72 Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:34 pm
Forgot to mention that the 6 year graduation rate was for 2014. Rauner didn’t have anything to do with poor performance of public universities at that point.

Living downstate, I can verify that EIU’s decline in enrollment is due to a variety of factors having nothing to do with state funding.

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:34 pm
Downstate, what’s the graduation rate of a closed university?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vgn0O0yuEls

Comment by AC Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:35 pm
===I can verify that EIU’s decline in enrollment is due to a variety of factors having nothing to do with state funding.===

That’s not the issue. The issue is funding something, anything at a level of zero IS hurting state universities.

When was the first year here in Illinois that a university had to send a letter saying they, the university, will not close.

Is that normal? Wonder why that letter was needed?

You fund universities at zero… You need to send letters saying you’re not closing… enrollment or not.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:39 pm
Does vote accordingly mean we should just keep pouring money into an institution that was declining long before Rauner was elected? Chicago State should have been consolidated into another institution years ago.
The incompetence of the board of this institution is illustrated by the $600K severance they gave to the departed President after 9 months on the job.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:40 pm
I’m not well-informed on this issue, but it seems to me that Chicago State had numerous problems-finances, revolving leadership and others-before Rauner appeared on the political scene. Are these problems fixable without a massive influx of cash which perhaps simply isn’t available right now.

Has this school been able to maintain accreditation through all of this upheaval. If not, it’s understandable why students would be wary of enrolling.

Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:43 pm
==As a responsible parent, would you legitimately recommend your son or daughter attend CSU?==
== Many people who attend CSU transfer to other institutions and are thus counted as ‘not graduating’.==

Then wouldn’t these students be better served attending a community college those first 2 years then matriculating to UIC or another local college? It seems like there are precious few CSU students benefiting from the “U” in CSU. Does it make sense to do all that work for a doctorate only to get it from a school with such a low standing?

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:46 pm
===Does vote accordingly mean we should just keep pouring money into an institution that was declining long before Rauner was elected?===

Why is Hammond, who votes against Western and with Rauner trying to fool Macomb and WIU that she cares about Western?

If Rauner is helping, there shouldn’t be the need for Hammond to ignore her voting against Western.

Hammond should embrace voters Voting Accordingly, according to you - Lucky Pierre -

Wonder why Hammond isn’t?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:52 pm
My point is that the decline in enrollment at CSU and EIU started long before funding became an issue. They charted a path that brought them to today. Actions in the last 2 years have only sped up the process.

Should all universities continue forever?

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:52 pm
I don’t see the part about actin’ surprised. Who is surprised? Not Rauner.

Now we can put this CSU money in the road lockbox.

Comment by Dr X Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:53 pm
===Should all universities continue forever?===

Did I miss where Rauner ran a campaign that focused on closing Western Illinois University?

Did I miss where Rauner ran a campaign that focused on closing Eastern Illinois University?

Did I… Miss… where Rauner ran a campaign that focused on closing Chicago State University?

Did I miss… that state universities should worry about existing?

Wonder why Rauner never ran that race?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:55 pm
CSU is the last chance to step up to a better life for a lot of nontraditional students. I hate to think how many will get left behind if it closes.

Comment by SAP Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 2:58 pm
OW,

“Did I miss..”
Meh. It’s the same as saying “Did I miss where Pat Quinn ran a campaign that focused on hiring more IDOT workers when the state was bleeding red ink?”

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:11 pm
- Downstate -

You want to compare hiring state workers to economic engines for regions and state universities closing as the “same”?

Geez, Louise, do better.

That’s not even apples to oranges.

And, why didn’t Rauner run on closing the universities?

Why?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:15 pm
Downstate, what path did EIU chart? Serious question, not snark.

Comment by up2now Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:23 pm
SAP—Online classes are available from many community colleges and universities. If you want a degree there are many paths to get one.

Comment by Oiece of Work Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:26 pm
“And, why didn’t Rauner run on closing the universities? Why?”

Maybe Rauner was counting upon political hacks appointed by Blagojevich and Quinn running the universities into the ground for him.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:48 pm
CSU may have a less than stellar reputation, but it is serving a real need. The students who go there, many of whom are older, as it has become a commuter college, go to CSU because it is near where they live with their families, where they work to pay their bills as adults, and because it offers them an opportunity to get a degree and change their lives. The faculty there who I have known are extremely dedicated and determined to help the students to learn. CSU serves a need and serves a community who benefits from it. It needs help and the school, along with the students and employees, don’t deserve to be abandoned.

Comment by Jane Doe Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:50 pm
===Maybe Rauner was counting upon political hacks appointed by Blagojevich and Quinn running the universities into the ground for him===

Governors own.

If a state university closes on a “governor’s watch”… that governor will own that.

Rauner will own it if he purposely boards up windows… or decides to “fix the glitch”, red swingline notwithstanding.

Governors own, some out their names on buildings, some close state universities…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:52 pm
==a lot of nontraditional students. I hate to think how many will get left behind if it closes.==

The sad fact is that many of these non-traditional students were left behind educationally long before enrolling at CSU. And nothing is preventing any of these students enrolling at a city college first instead. Olive Harvey College is a mere 2 miles away.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:52 pm
It’s sad that CSU has been run into the ground, but rather than focus on past issues, the focus needs to be on what CSU needs to do to improve. It goes without saying that new leadership along with a new board is needed asap. The athletic department should be significantly reduced and sports should be club sports or division III going forward. Zero-base budget every academic department, administrative department, and all staff and facility needs and create a new college focused on entrepreneurship, continuing education, technical training, and leadership development.

Comment by Chicagonk Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 3:56 pm
Oswego Willy:

With all due respect, while your animus towards Rauner, is noted, someday, sooner rather than later, I recommend that you visit Chicago State University and spend some time walking across the sizable campus. On campus parking ought not to be an issue for you. Within a few hours, you might learn something about a failing higher ed institution.

Using your rationale, a bankruptcy trustee “owns” the failure of a business that collapsed.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:15 pm
This is so distressing on so many levels. This institution is needed for all of the students who want to “get an education”, increase their opportunities for employment and to”finish” school. I like others, attended C.S.U. as an adult and was able to secure my under graduate degree and I went on to obtain a graduate degree. The instructors understood that I was raising a family, working and attending school. But, nonetheless, I was so proud to achieve my goal of completing my education. With out Chicago State that would not have happened for me.

Comment by An alum Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:24 pm
The why doesn’t Rauner just own it, close it, and wear it as badge of honor, purposely closing a state university.

Why won’t Rauner do it? Can you answer?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:25 pm
Very sad. Years of internal corruption and poor student mentoring, departures and retirement of the better faculty, and the State fiscal meltdown are about to ground the place. I think CSU supporters should seriously consider legislation returning the school to the Chicago City Colleges.

Comment by Chad Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:28 pm
Why is Hammond, who votes against Western and with Rauner trying to fool Macomb and WIU that she cares about Western?
=================================================
Because she thinks they will fall for it like the rest of her district falls for her “I care about education” act.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:28 pm
===Using your rationale, a bankruptcy trustee “owns” the failure of a business that collapsed.===

Public sector is not the private sector.

You’re welcome.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:28 pm
Anonymous @ 4:28 was me.

Comment by btowntruth Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:28 pm
When a school under performs like CSU,it is past time to close down.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:35 pm
Willy, just curious, why the ardent support for Chicago State U? Or, is it that you can use CSU as another reason to blast Rauner?

Were you concerned about the school 5 years ago? 10 years ago? Are you an alum?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:43 pm
Can you name the last governor that funded state universities at a level of zero, since the first state university opened?

I’ll wait for your response.

Also… I responded out of courtesy.

If you continue without a “name” I won’t respond again.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:47 pm
“Should all universities continue forever?”

I don’t know. Do you want Illinois to be known as the state that allows major public universities to close?

Comment by Nick Name Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:51 pm
All good.

Use your sunscreen. Maybe bring a sweater too…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 4:53 pm
up2now,
To answer your question - from my perspective.
EIU several years ago, chose to turn their backs on regional students and instead market themselves to “out of area” students. This included no longer sending representatives to area high schools, while SIUE and Mizzou were doing so.

As a result, students no longer felt that regional connection to EIU.

Also, from what i understand, as enrollment plummeted, the enrollment office suffered no consequences. There were no staff changes, no shake-ups. Everything operated as normal.
That went on for years.

Just my view, from conversations and experience with the school.

Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 5:01 pm
I have acquaintances who grew up in blue collar, white ethnic families on the South Side. They attended CPS elementary and high schools and enrolled at Chicago State because it was the only affordable option for a college degree available to them.

While the student body demographics were changing at CSU, it was not identified or marketed as a primarily African American university at that time. In fact, that perception of CSU probably represents only the past thirty years of a higher ed institution that is 149 years old. CSU began as the Cook County Normal School (a college designed to educate future school teachers). Northeastern Illinois was a satellite campus that was developed to serve similar students on the North Side of Chicago and it eventually became a separate public university in its own right.

I feel badly for these CSU graduates because the scandalous decline of their alma mater pains them and there is nothing that they can do about it.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 5:15 pm
Did I miss ….

New administration has to accept the fact that they do not know everything. If there is a University or Universities who have graduation rates below 50% a fix or close plan needs to be prepared sooner than later.

Those kinds of operations are as bad or worse than the for profit universities that people like to hate on. They consume their students time and money, leaving the worse off than they would have been, but with the added advantage of debt.

The fact that they are consuming tax dollars while shafting their students id doubly troubling.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 6:30 pm
If memory serves correctly, former CSU President Wayne Watson hired his lady friend, Cheri Sidney, to fill the position of Direct of Enrollment Management (later promoted to Vice President) for a six figure salary.

http://www.ilaaup.org/Fall201311.asp

CSU enrollment has been declining since 2009 — coincidentally that is also when Watson was foisted upon the institution by South Side pols.

Comment by Deja vu Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 7:10 pm
so, what we have here is a steep decline in enrollment beginning in 2009, about the same time as the decline at EIU. Quinn hadn’t even been elected governor. The administration at CSU had been a mess. Yet, somehow in an alternate universe, the main culprit is Rauner, who took office in early 2015. Wow, what a reach, what misplaced anger

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 8:53 pm
- Piece of Work -

Rauner has funded higher ed at a rate of Zero.

A state university in Illinois, under its letterhead… had to write a letter that they will STAY OPEN… even if they continue to be unfunded by Bruce Rauner.

Rauner has chosen to starve higher ed, leading to state universities writing letters… that day they will exist.

That’s all Rauner, the Governor

Please, do keep up.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 8:58 pm
you can’t make a rationale point Willy. Your short,cute quips may amuse you but they are hardly factual. Many universities are troubled and the start of the decline and the majority of the problems lie with people not named Rauner. Your deep dislike for the guy is troubling. You need to find something to put a smile on your face, at least once or twice a month

Comment by Piece of Work Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 9:58 pm
===you can’t make a rationale point Willy===

Rauner refuses to fund higher ed. That’s a rational point, something you can’t refute too.

===Many universities are troubled and the start of the decline and the majority of the problems lie with people not named Rauner.===

So, you concede, not one governor since 1858 decided NOT to fund higher ed… Except for Bruce Rauner.

That’s every single governor. Every one. But Rauner.

===Your deep dislike for the guy is troubling. You need to find something to put a smile on your face, at least once or twice a month===

Making it about be doesn’t refute facts, but you know that already…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 27, 16 @ 10:07 pm
Downstate, you are 100% correct about EIU. Willy is outraged about Rauner, but gives a pass to negligent behavior by college administrators and the Quinn administration. To him, all of the ills are due to Rauner.

I wonder if he even knew CSU existed 6 years ago or has ever been to EIU. Willy, were you outraged at the shenanigans at the College of Dupage????

Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 7:28 am
Making it about me isn’t making a point.

If you refuse to see how a governor funding state universities, bad mouthing state universities, and having legislators that represent state universities in their districts vote against their economic engines isn’t good… no one can help you.

Did ya find that governor that funded state universities at a level of zero yet… I mean other than Rauner?

Rauner wants Eastern, Western, and Chicago State closed.

Why won’t Rauner just say that? Why won’t Rauner wear it as a badge of honor.

“I closed CSU! I’m going to close Eastern, I want to close Western!” - Fake Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Heck, Rep. Hammond is doing all she can to help close Western at this point(?)

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 7:44 am
Official graduation rates only count students who come to a school as freshmen who have taken NO classes at another institution and who start as full time students. There are very few of these as CSU. Does anyone have a metric for how CSU does with the majority of its students who are transfer students and graduate students?

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 8:54 am
CSU Enrollment Numbers (Official Fall Count):
2010-7362
2011-6882
2012-6107
2013-5701
2014-5211
2015-4767
2016-3578

In addition, enrollment declines every spring semester, this fall’s drop is 12 consecutive semesters of enrollment decline. Most of this attributable to Wayne Watson and his administration, not the budget.

Comment by rbionaz Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 10:00 am
- rbionaz -

Rauner refuses to fund Higher Ed. Your stats, if you’re saying Rauner should choose to close CSU, why is Rauner “fixing the glitch” instead of saying…

“I’m closing state universities!”

Why won’t Rauner say he wants universities closed? Your stats could help Rauner, why won’t Rauner just admit he wants universities closed?

Hmm.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 10:19 am
Willy, at this point in the discussion, the only thing anybody can offer up to you is:

Please take my moniker, you have earned it!!!

Comment by Piece of Work Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 10:45 am
- Piece of Work -

Still no answer, eh? Why won’t anyone answer why Rauner won’t admit he wants universities closed?

If the stats show it, why won’t Rauner just admit not funding higher ed is intended to close state universities?

There has to be a “reason”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 10:50 am
I’m not privy to what is in Rauner’s head. I am privy to the disastrous job those in charge of the various universities have done for about a decade. Why can’t you admit they are mostly responsible for the current affairs at EIU, CSU, WIU?

It is because of your Brucey hatred.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 12:01 pm
A budget of Zero tells what Rauner is thinking about Higher Ed.

You’re welcome.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 28, 16 @ 12:25 pm