UChicago Braces for $220M Deficit

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
181

@Zoom10 - through what lens do you deem Reed and St. John’s terrible in terms of metrics? If you compare them to Amherst and Williams, sure.

But from what I can tell, Reed has a $600M endowment, about a 30% accept rate, and a fairly loyal (and successful) alumni base. St. John’s has a $200M endowment supporting about 800 students. Reed also, btw, intentionally does not provide data to US News.

Are Reed and St. Johns striving to play the elite college game, in the way Lexus strove to compete with Mercedes?

If every LAC strives to look like Williams, students lose out on the ability to go to a place like Reed. From a market perspective, the advice to any competitive LAC would be: be more like Williams or Amherst (akin to McKinsey telling Chicago to be more like Harvard).

How do you explain what colleges like Reed or St. Johns are trying to do? Have their Board’s given up on their fiduciary duties, and are simply trying to run these schools into the ground? I think they simply don’t have Amherst or Williams in their crosshairs, in the same way other LACs do, or R1 U.s view Harvard.

@JBStillFlying - what are your thoughts on elite colleges and admissions today? I think it’s great for the select few U.s seeking to enhance their eminence, but it seems like chaos and anxiety at the top - in ways that go beyond the 90s scene.

I also think top schools compete with one another on metrics like accept rate and yield, and play games with applicants (e.g., get them to apply, with the purpose of rejecting them later). I don’t think this is healthy or helpful for our young people. I think big numbers admissions is a grind anywhere, and the turnover and burnout in Chicago’s admissions office is no different than the rest.

Between you, and Marlowe, and Zoom10, though, I tire of this dialogue. All hail Chicago, all hail the state of elite college admissions, and all hail market forces naturally compelling Chicago to be concerned with its own eminence, above all else. We shouldn’t critique and lament this - rather, we should embrace and commend it.

Oh, and of course Nondorf is just a natural continuation of Behnke/O’Neill - and in no way a version of the prior regime on steroids.

182

@Cue7, IMO some anxiety is going to be inevitable because the stakes are so high. Elite college education will typically have tremendous benefits associated with it. So it’s understandable to be anxious come decision time, but some common sense measures can help minimize the sense of feeling that things are spiraling out of control. First, understand those stakes and that getting into even one elite institution is very small. So plan for that. Second, know which schools are your “right fit” in terms of culture, philosophy and interest. Those are more likely to accept you. Third, have backups that work for you (since you are more likely than not to end up at one of them). Fourth, select a safety that you really like so that it’s not the end of the world if you happen to end up there; apply early if possible (eg a state flagship) so you have at least one college admission out of the way by winter break. Fifth, do not get overly attached to any of these schools; they are not reciprocating to the same degree (even those that have accepted you) and Sixth, have a plan for commitment so that come May 1 you can move on rather than hang around some waitlist.

Also, if you are deferred or W/L and wish to attend, let your AO know that as soon as possible.

Once you’ve done your best, it’s time to sit back and see what happens. Try to cultivate a sense of wonder or curiosity about this whole process. You will have learned so much by the end of it!

183

The university has done much for China over the years. For example, it has educated countless Chinese students and sponsored an annual US-China forum, etc. A university faculty member suggested on his blog that the US should send flowers and chocolate to President Xi for his trade relations with the US.

The university should appeal to the beneficence of the Chinese government to make up the budgetary shortfall caused by the virus.

184

Although UChicago did end its hosting of a Confucius Institute in 2014:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/09/26/chicago-severs-ties-chinese-government-funded-confucius-institute

185

Yes, that is a feather in Chicago’s cap. Also, John Mearsheimer, a prominent China realist is in our political science department. Here is a link to a recent debate on China between Mearsheimer and an Australian academic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnkC7GXmLdo

186

Stanford just announced it is going to take a $267 Million hit

https://www.mercurynews.com/stanford-university-forecasts-staggering-financial-losses-workforce-reductions

187

@groweg , it sounds like you might have concentrated in political science in your Chicago days, so perhaps you will be able to comment on a speculation I, a non-political-scientist, have had about Mearsheimer.

He is a pretty hard-boiled character and puts me very much in mind of the great marquee figure of my own day, Hans Morgenthau. Morgenthau could be described as a “classical realist.” Does that description fit Mearsheimer? Could it be said to describe the orientation of the Chicago department or school of thought as a whole? Does Mearsheimer indeed see himself as in any way Morgenthau’s successor?

Morgenthau tended to cite Thucydides at every turn. I think he saw Thucydides as his own predecessor. And if one had to choose an author read by everyone in the College once upon a time, that would be the one. Old Hans, with his faint dueling scars and his intellectual passions, often seemed the incarnation of the Spirit of History. He had a very devoted following in the College, where he taught a very popular course, based on his famous textbook, called “Politics Among Nations.” Does Mearsheimer have any similarly iconic significance in the College?

188

Brown just announces its cutting 11 varsity sports (making them club status): https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-05-28/athletics-excellence

Of note, these varsity sports being cut are not football, basketball or baseball, but sports generally regarded as being niche, country-club sports (fencing, golf, squash, equestrian, skiing although men’s cross country and T&F also being cut).

This begs the question, why the heck did Brown offer varsity equestrian in the first place? Ridiculous! But equally as ridiculous is Brown is adding 2 sports to varsity: coed sailing and women’s sailing.

The article also notes that Brown previously sponsored the 3rd highest number of varsity sports teams in the country, while their teams, for the most part, really stunk.

Interesting if other Ivys start cutting some sports, especially the country-club sports that disproportionately favor the wealthy. Here’s looking at you Harvard, time to dump your fencing and squash teams LOL.

189

Note though that Brown is not cutting the athletic budget, nor the number of athletic recruits. This action was based on task force findings from nearly two years ago, due primarily to athletic underachievement…they specifically say these cut backs are not due to covid-19. OTOH there have been many athletic department cutbacks due to covid, with more likely to come.

https://brownbears.com/news/2020/5/28/general-new-initiative-to-reshape-improve-competitiveness-in-brown-varsity-and-club-athletics.aspx