We are monitoring the situation as our son looks at applying their later this year. The protests are not helping and continue to drag on with the film festival and Spike Lee. How the administration handled the initial protests, the reaction of the football team as portrayed in the media and the pendulum swing from the State Legislature, all have consequences that we are following.
Then there is the black on white attacks off campus in Columbia as well as the rape and attempted rapes. We are getting feedback from the handful of students from our local schools that go there or went there. Three of the seven left at Christmas and two more are transferring out at year end. They site these issues as a real concern. Furthermore, some had problems with feeling left out as they are not from either KC, STL or Chicago even though they are in the same sorority/fraternity. This last part I believe can be overcome as did our eldest at another SEC school and it is part of the experience living in another region in the US.
But add those factors to the loss of revenue ($32M budget deficit I believe was the last report I saw). 1,500 estimated fewer students, mostly freshman. And budgets are usually hopeful, even revised ones. I can assume it will be slightly worse than revised. Since most of the applications were filed prior to the protests, I would imagine this coming Fall there will be a a much larger decline in applications filed for 2016/17.
What we don’t like is that only one group is allowed to complain or protest and if another counters it, they are shut down. We are seeing this currently during our national primaries on both sides of the aisle. But when it gets down to the college level and impacts my child’s safety, education and experience, I have a real problem with it.
When one race matters more than another. When one philosophy can only be right? When one calls for muscle to shut down an opposing thought or reporting of something that for whatever reason you are publically protesting but don’t want it recorded.
Where is my kid’s safe space? A campus should be a student’s safe place. Safe from bigotry and biases. Safe from hazing from other students. Safe from violence and threats. Safe!
Missouri, you have a mess on your hands and we will continue to monitor it as I take him on other trips. I avoid taking my youngest for now. Fortunately I do have a say or a vote and that’s with my money. As of now, I join hands in those others not willing to send their kids to this University until they get their act together. Again, we will be monitoring the situation on this beautiful campus and what appeared to be very welcoming people.