My Richmond Experience

Whistle_Pig
Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:06:04 +0000

I’m not sure what some of this spitting contest is all about but allow me to share a few observations of UR, having spent 30 years working in higher education and most recently touring with my dd to virtually every name institution east of the Mississippi.


Seems clear that UR is one of those infrequently found transition institutions. Speculative, but I’d bet my modest ranch that UR will be one of those institutions better and better known a decade from now than it is today. It’s striving to elevate both its niche and its rank therein.
See #1. To do that requires $$, and lots of it. Richmond has it as has been noted, and notably, virtually all of that endowment is being devoted to undergraduate education. Translated, not on grad assistantships, research endowments, etc.
A great location, and as they say in real estate … That’s an asset that can’t be bought.
One of the most attractive, well-planned, up-to-date campuses on the planet. Anyone that doesn’t like this campus, must be … Well, must be.
While the alumni giving is an issue, that’s mostly a function of not asking the masses, and not necessarily dissatisfaction. My guess is that UR is ramping up a previously “sleepy” alumni development operation, and that as UR becomes increasingly visible and recognized as a genuinely outstanding undergraduate school, they’ll increasingly get on board. At any rate, in terms of resources, in the immediate, shorter run, it makes relatively modest impact on resources available. Far more important is keeping Mr. Robbins happy and cultivating the growing economic forces there in Richmond, of which there are many. See #2. Location is nearly everything.
Andecdotally and of little import (aside from being symptomatic of a laissez faire admissions program), our admissions presentation from a very fine, nice young man about to be commissioned and deployed in the ARmy was absolutely terrible. He was well informed and insisted on telling us not only that which we should know and might like to know but also everything he did know. Just deadly overkill. But what that really indicates is they’ve not really taken this part of the process as seriously as the other assets and resources of UR merit. They should go and take some lessons from Furman or W&L, imo. They’ve got this down to a science, especially Furman. And if UR was not so set on elevating its higher education posture, well, it wouldn’t matter. But they are and it does.
Lastly, it’s important to recognize that perhaps UR’s greatest potential lies in the fact that unlike many institutions noted here, it’s essential business is undergraduate education, predominantly liberal arts (leadership and biz aside). This is a tremendous advantage in determining how resources are going to be utilized.


btw, while the UR endowment piece noted earlier is interesting, especially for those less familiar with this topic/aspect of higher education, there is little novel about UR’s approach. Endowments maintain buildings, not construct them. They attract and fund students and faculty. They support library resources. They free up other assets to build sidewalks, pay electric bills, fund athletic and extra-curricular activities. That’s essentially a shell game, and the more shells the better. UR has ALOT of shells, thank your Robitussin and Phil Morris ciggies!
UR is a real gem, somewhat hidden, but its coming out party is beginning. I suspect this new president is going to make alot of people very uncomfortable as he strives to transform UR status quo.

Just my opinion, observations.