Pretty sure we were higher up this list before President Freeman and Sean Frazier got their inept hands on our University, how do we shed both of those clowns ASAP?

https://twitter.com/TJAltimore/status/17...47003?s=19

Just the fact that we've dropped tangibly below 20k enrollment knocks us a spot or two down the list right off the bat FOR SURE.

How to reverse this? I can't see us realistically going back over 20k students in the next decade if Freeman keeps trying to maintain her desired racial enrollment ratios. She's proven that she can't tangibly grow overall enrollment and increase ratios to HSI levels as well. She tried to manufacture an HSI were none existed prior and its killing enrollment. ISU and UIC have both regained some size while NIU withers.

Why not just open the doors wide, go back over 20k students, enjoy and promote robust diversity but not strangle the incoming pipeline with crazy exacted racial-ratio stresses weighing down the process? How dumb is she (and we) going to feel if she dampens a decade of NIU enrollment efforts with her ill-conceived pursuit and then the limited HSI governmental perks dry up?

Hoping logic, and a new president, take over soon at NIU.


P.S.:

Some realignment articles set the bar at 20k students, so we're not even making the candidate list in some discussions with our depleted enrollment:

https://collegefootballnews.com/news/col...onferences

Thanks President Freeman...

I have given up hope on the Alumni Board and the NIU BOT to do anything to get rid of Freeman. She is a cancer that is destroying NIU from within. I can't wait for the "hooray we only lost another 10% of the student population" and our much more important diversity numbers have increased message this Fall.

Not even going to read the article.

If NIU was playing the way they did from 2010-2014 right now we would have been in the AAC already. When they lost cincy and everyone to the big 12

Realignment is about football, markets and then more of that.

(03-26-2024 07:57 AM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Not even going to read the article.

If NIU was playing the way they did from 2010-2014 right now we would have been in the AAC already. When they lost cincy and everyone to the big 12

Realignment is about football, markets and then more of that.

They were never going to AAC. Pipedream.

They never fit the mold of items like metro area/location, endowment, notoriety, multi-sport success over time. Not every member has all, but they have multiple.

The threads are there. Let's not re-write history.

Funny, because I think some believed NIU was above AAC. B12 or bust as NIU had it all.

Come to think of it, perhaps that is the biggest reason the belief that the 2 in charge of academics and sports "ruined it all."

Newsflash, NIU never had it other than football and some high enrollment for a time. The downfall was decades in the making. This group is what, 15 years old? The threads are there.

(03-26-2024 09:13 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 07:57 AM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Not even going to read the article.

If NIU was playing the way they did from 2010-2014 right now we would have been in the AAC already. When they lost cincy and everyone to the big 12

Realignment is about football, markets and then more of that.

They were never going to AAC. Pipedream.

They never fit the mold of items like metro area/location, endowment, notoriety, multi-sport success over time. Not every member has all, but they have multiple.

The threads are there. Let's not re-write history.

Funny, because I think some believed NIU was above AAC. B12 or bust as NIU had it all.

Come to think of it, perhaps that is the biggest reason the belief that the 2 in charge of academics and sports "ruined it all."

Newsflash, NIU never had it other than football and some high enrollment for a time. The downfall was decades in the making. This group is what, 15 years old? The threads are there.

I disagree with one thing and it’s that the AAC was never going to happen. It could have happened but there wasn’t enough support. I think it’s a combination of status quo with the mac and the pipe dreams you mentioned that derailed growth. NIU just doesn’t have the big time donors and support to grow these programs. Losing portal transfers to other comparable schools in both football and basketball says a lot.

(03-26-2024 09:13 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 07:57 AM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Not even going to read the article.

If NIU was playing the way they did from 2010-2014 right now we would have been in the AAC already. When they lost cincy and everyone to the big 12

Realignment is about football, markets and then more of that.

They were never going to AAC. Pipedream.

They never fit the mold of items like metro area/location, endowment, notoriety, multi-sport success over time. Not every member has all, but they have multiple.

The threads are there. Let's not re-write history.

Funny, because I think some believed NIU was above AAC. B12 or bust as NIU had it all.

Come to think of it, perhaps that is the biggest reason the belief that the 2 in charge of academics and sports "ruined it all."

Newsflash, NIU never had it other than football and some high enrollment for a time. The downfall was decades in the making. This group is what, 15 years old? The threads are there.

Don't care about AAC or B12 talk that was not going to happen. The decline in the University started with the mistake of hiring Doug Baker then accelerated after Freeman was installed. This has been over the past 10 years. You can't wipe this away with oh we only had high enrollment for a few years comment. That argument is weak. NIU spent decades at 20+k before those two losers arrived.

(03-26-2024 09:13 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 07:57 AM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Not even going to read the article.

If NIU was playing the way they did from 2010-2014 right now we would have been in the AAC already. When they lost cincy and everyone to the big 12

Realignment is about football, markets and then more of that.

They were never going to AAC. Pipedream.

They never fit the mold of items like metro area/location, endowment, notoriety, multi-sport success over time. Not every member has all, but they have multiple.

The threads are there. Let's not re-write history.

Funny, because I think some believed NIU was above AAC. B12 or bust as NIU had it all.

Come to think of it, perhaps that is the biggest reason the belief that the 2 in charge of academics and sports "ruined it all."

Newsflash, NIU never had it other than football and some high enrollment for a time. The downfall was decades in the making. This group is what, 15 years old? The threads are there.

Agreed.

The AAC wasn't adding schools because they kicked azz at football.

They added:

UAB - Enrollment: 22,500, Endowment: $711M, Birmingham pop: 200k
FAU - Enrollment: 30,100, Endowment: $285M, Boca Raton pop: 97k (Miami metro: 6.138M)
Charlotte - Enrollment: 29,551, Endowment $314M, Charlotte pop: 875k
North Texas - Enrollment: 47k, Endowment: $292M, Denton pop: 140k (D-FW: 7.6M)
Rice - Enrollment: 8k, Endowment: $7.814B, Houston pop: 2.3M
UTSA - Enrollment: 34,742, Endowment: $277M, San Antonio pop: 1.434M


Let's compare that to:

NIU - Enrollment: 15,649, Endowment: $99.8M, DeKalb pop: 40k (which is down)

Simply put, NIU wasn't getting an invite. Some of those schools are good at football and some of them are not, but what they do have is (in some form or fashion), bodies and money.

Rice is the only outlier due to enrollment but they have a zillion dollars in their bank account, are a historic university and are located within the boundaries of the 4th largest city in America. They were also probably tabbed as a replacement for losing Houston.

(03-26-2024 06:35 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Pretty sure we were higher up this list before President Freeman and Sean Frazier got their inept hands on our University, how do we shed both of those clowns ASAP?

How to reverse this? I can't see us realistically going back over 20k students in the next decade if Freeman keeps trying to maintain her desired racial enrollment ratios. She's proven that she can't tangibly grow overall enrollment and increase ratios to HSI levels as well. She tried to manufacture an HSI were none existed prior and its killing enrollment. ISU and UIC have both regained some size while NIU withers.

Why not just open the doors wide, go back over 20k students, enjoy and promote robust diversity but not strangle the incoming pipeline with crazy exacted racial-ratio stresses weighing down the process? How dumb is she (and we) going to feel if she dampens a decade of NIU enrollment efforts with her ill-conceived pursuit and then the limited HSI governmental perks dry up?

Hoping logic, and a new president, take over soon at NIU.

Thanks President Freeman...

I'm a current Sophomore at NIU, for background info I like using this board to find links relating to Huskie Athletics. This thought process is so delusional. Lisa Freeman is not the one thing killing this university.

NIU is not what it was 15 years ago because the surrounding community is dwindling. There are less college bars, eateries, and spaces for students to hangout. Plus, being so close to Chicago and its suburbs means going home on the weekends is so convenient not a new thing). Illinois as a whole is also shrinking and so are the in-state students.

Racial diversity is NOT killing NIU, it is quite it's saving grace right now. More people are comfortable attending NIU than ever, it's such an accepting campus community. Maybe that's just indifference from students who are just tired from school.

However, your notion of accepting 6k more students is insane. The school quite literally cannot handle that. They barely just opened Neptune North last year and are now making all the rooms doubles. That means they can accept 150 more students for housing than this year. NIU doesn't have the funds to just accept a bunch more students who might not be up to a University workload and have them fail after a semester, leaving housing empty.

The best the university can do is lower its $18 million deficit, renovate Grant A & B, accept 600 more students and then raise its commuter population. Unless you have $100 million dollars you'd like to donate to build in your honor, this school will just have to marginally grow again. Which I think it will.

(03-26-2024 09:58 AM)radishbeet Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 06:35 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Pretty sure we were higher up this list before President Freeman and Sean Frazier got their inept hands on our University, how do we shed both of those clowns ASAP?

How to reverse this? I can't see us realistically going back over 20k students in the next decade if Freeman keeps trying to maintain her desired racial enrollment ratios. She's proven that she can't tangibly grow overall enrollment and increase ratios to HSI levels as well. She tried to manufacture an HSI were none existed prior and its killing enrollment. ISU and UIC have both regained some size while NIU withers.

Why not just open the doors wide, go back over 20k students, enjoy and promote robust diversity but not strangle the incoming pipeline with crazy exacted racial-ratio stresses weighing down the process? How dumb is she (and we) going to feel if she dampens a decade of NIU enrollment efforts with her ill-conceived pursuit and then the limited HSI governmental perks dry up?

Hoping logic, and a new president, take over soon at NIU.

Thanks President Freeman...

I'm a current Sophomore at NIU, for background info I like using this board to find links relating to Huskie Athletics. This thought process is so delusional. Lisa Freeman is not the one thing killing this university.

NIU is not what it was 15 years ago because the surrounding community is dwindling. There are less college bars, eateries, and spaces for students to hangout. Plus, being so close to Chicago and its suburbs means going home on the weekends is so convenient not a new thing). Illinois as a whole is also shrinking and so are the in-state students.

Racial diversity is NOT killing NIU, it is quite it's saving grace right now. More people are comfortable attending NIU than ever, it's such an accepting campus community. Maybe that's just indifference from students who are just tired from school.

However, your notion of accepting 6k more students is insane. The school quite literally cannot handle that. They barely just opened Neptune North last year and are now making all the rooms doubles. That means they can accept 150 more students for housing than this year. NIU doesn't have the funds to just accept a bunch more students who might not be up to a University workload and have them fail after a semester, leaving housing empty.

The best the university can do is lower its $18 million deficit, renovate Grant A & B, accept 600 more students and then raise its commuter population. Unless you have $100 million dollars you'd like to donate to build in your honor, this school will just have to marginally grow again. Which I think it will.

Diversity is great, I made sure to note that in my statement.

The point is that 3 of our closest in-state peers - UIC, Illinois State, and U of I have all made tangible enrollment gains over the last 4-5 years, while NIU under Freeman has failed to do so, constantly bleeding students or celebrating a rare break even here and there. She is either horrible at enrollment, or her quest to have the HSI-necessary ratios are causing her to fail with (or purposely ignore) the other racial enrollment sectors.

To your points, the "surrounding community is dwindling" because NIU is dwindling. NIU at 21k students as opposed to 15k would naturally mean more open bars, more eateries, more money in the NIU coffers to reopen dorms, and students not families in Dekalb apartment housing intended for such. The university and Dekalb both are simply less healthy with Freeman's emaciated enrollment numbers.

An unhealthy Dekalb isn't causing lower enrollment - Freeman's low enrollment is causing Dekalb to be unhealthy.

Part of the problem I think is that NIU was notably short if the 25% hispanic student ratio, and Freeman decided to launch her scheme regardless. I think she has manufactured a 25% ratio now, but by literally just a handful of students, and I'm guessing she will drop overall enrollment more or freeze it to hold on to her slim margins if she pleases.

None of this is logical in my opinion, as whatever benefits come from HSI status would simply be met or bettered by the additional monies coming from an organically larger (diverse but ratio-free) enrollment.

Her student ratio gerrymandering project will be additionally tragic for NIU if the HSI perks are ever lessened by the government, if we fail to maintain the 25% ratio and lose our status and benefits in that manner.

Let's stay on the diversity wagon, but dear god deliver a president who can replenish our enrollment numbers (like ISU, UIC, U of I leadership has), and an AD that brings fresh energy and actual momentum and results to the position.

I think it tells it all when alums on here say (me included) I would not send my kid to NIU at this point. Completely due to the how the campus is, community is and overall direction of the school.

(03-26-2024 01:43 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 09:58 AM)radishbeet Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 06:35 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Pretty sure we were higher up this list before President Freeman and Sean Frazier got their inept hands on our University, how do we shed both of those clowns ASAP?

How to reverse this? I can't see us realistically going back over 20k students in the next decade if Freeman keeps trying to maintain her desired racial enrollment ratios. She's proven that she can't tangibly grow overall enrollment and increase ratios to HSI levels as well. She tried to manufacture an HSI were none existed prior and its killing enrollment. ISU and UIC have both regained some size while NIU withers.

Why not just open the doors wide, go back over 20k students, enjoy and promote robust diversity but not strangle the incoming pipeline with crazy exacted racial-ratio stresses weighing down the process? How dumb is she (and we) going to feel if she dampens a decade of NIU enrollment efforts with her ill-conceived pursuit and then the limited HSI governmental perks dry up?

Hoping logic, and a new president, take over soon at NIU.

Thanks President Freeman...

I'm a current Sophomore at NIU, for background info I like using this board to find links relating to Huskie Athletics. This thought process is so delusional. Lisa Freeman is not the one thing killing this university.

NIU is not what it was 15 years ago because the surrounding community is dwindling. There are less college bars, eateries, and spaces for students to hangout. Plus, being so close to Chicago and its suburbs means going home on the weekends is so convenient not a new thing). Illinois as a whole is also shrinking and so are the in-state students.

Racial diversity is NOT killing NIU, it is quite it's saving grace right now. More people are comfortable attending NIU than ever, it's such an accepting campus community. Maybe that's just indifference from students who are just tired from school.

However, your notion of accepting 6k more students is insane. The school quite literally cannot handle that. They barely just opened Neptune North last year and are now making all the rooms doubles. That means they can accept 150 more students for housing than this year. NIU doesn't have the funds to just accept a bunch more students who might not be up to a University workload and have them fail after a semester, leaving housing empty.

The best the university can do is lower its $18 million deficit, renovate Grant A & B, accept 600 more students and then raise its commuter population. Unless you have $100 million dollars you'd like to donate to build in your honor, this school will just have to marginally grow again. Which I think it will.

Diversity is great, I made sure to note that in my statement.

The point is that 3 of our closest in-state peers - UIC, Illinois State, and U of I have all made tangible enrollment gains over the last 4-5 years, while NIU under Freeman has failed to do so, constantly bleeding students or celebrating a rare break even here and there. She is either horrible at enrollment, or her quest to have the HSI-necessary ratios are causing her to fail with (or purposely ignore) the other racial enrollment sectors.

To your points, the "surrounding community is dwindling" because NIU is dwindling. NIU at 21k students as opposed to 15k would naturally mean more open bars, more eateries, more money in the NIU coffers to reopen dorms, and students not families in Dekalb apartment housing intended for such. The university and Dekalb both are simply less healthy with Freeman's emaciated enrollment numbers.

An unhealthy Dekalb isn't causing lower enrollment - Freeman's low enrollment is causing Dekalb to be unhealthy.

Part of the problem I think is that NIU was notably short if the 25% hispanic student ratio, and Freeman decided to launch her scheme regardless. I think she has manufactured a 25% ratio now, but by literally just a handful of students, and I'm guessing she will drop overall enrollment more or freeze it to hold on to her slim margins if she pleases.

None of this is logical in my opinion, as whatever benefits come from HSI status would simply be met or bettered by the additional monies coming from an organically larger (diverse but ratio-free) enrollment.

Her student ratio gerrymandering project will be additionally tragic for NIU if the HSI perks are ever lessened by the government, if we fail to maintain the 25% ratio and lose our status and benefits in that manner.

Let's stay on the diversity wagon, but dear god deliver a president who can replenish our enrollment numbers (like ISU, UIC, U of I leadership has), and an AD that brings fresh energy and actual momentum and results to the position.

I find this much more reasonable. I will say from an AD standpoint that he has to become serious or go, but the university is complacent at best in everything.

As for HSI, I don't think it's for the financial support at all. The marketability of it will introduce more Hispanic students (who usually cannot afford out of state schools, like myself) to come to NIU and bring enrollment up.

The school has no clear image in marketing, it is just a state school in many prospective student's eyes. We're generic as can be, we have good engineering for a good price and should be advertising our programs more. Business is solid, Engineering is solid, Computer Science is solid for a public university (behind UIC & UIUC) Nursing is Solid and other liberal arts programs are acceptable.

But let's face it, the average NIU student does not come from a well off family (myself included) and well that drives most well off students away out of state or to nicer universities.

How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students.

Apologize for sounding a big aggressive in the first post, I have been reading here for a while and people are just so irrational when discussing this place they don't even go to anymore

(03-26-2024 10:01 PM)radishbeet Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 01:43 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 09:58 AM)radishbeet Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 06:35 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Pretty sure we were higher up this list before President Freeman and Sean Frazier got their inept hands on our University, how do we shed both of those clowns ASAP?

How to reverse this? I can't see us realistically going back over 20k students in the next decade if Freeman keeps trying to maintain her desired racial enrollment ratios. She's proven that she can't tangibly grow overall enrollment and increase ratios to HSI levels as well. She tried to manufacture an HSI were none existed prior and its killing enrollment. ISU and UIC have both regained some size while NIU withers.

Why not just open the doors wide, go back over 20k students, enjoy and promote robust diversity but not strangle the incoming pipeline with crazy exacted racial-ratio stresses weighing down the process? How dumb is she (and we) going to feel if she dampens a decade of NIU enrollment efforts with her ill-conceived pursuit and then the limited HSI governmental perks dry up?

Hoping logic, and a new president, take over soon at NIU.

Thanks President Freeman...

I'm a current Sophomore at NIU, for background info I like using this board to find links relating to Huskie Athletics. This thought process is so delusional. Lisa Freeman is not the one thing killing this university.

NIU is not what it was 15 years ago because the surrounding community is dwindling. There are less college bars, eateries, and spaces for students to hangout. Plus, being so close to Chicago and its suburbs means going home on the weekends is so convenient not a new thing). Illinois as a whole is also shrinking and so are the in-state students.

Racial diversity is NOT killing NIU, it is quite it's saving grace right now. More people are comfortable attending NIU than ever, it's such an accepting campus community. Maybe that's just indifference from students who are just tired from school.

However, your notion of accepting 6k more students is insane. The school quite literally cannot handle that. They barely just opened Neptune North last year and are now making all the rooms doubles. That means they can accept 150 more students for housing than this year. NIU doesn't have the funds to just accept a bunch more students who might not be up to a University workload and have them fail after a semester, leaving housing empty.

The best the university can do is lower its $18 million deficit, renovate Grant A & B, accept 600 more students and then raise its commuter population. Unless you have $100 million dollars you'd like to donate to build in your honor, this school will just have to marginally grow again. Which I think it will.

Diversity is great, I made sure to note that in my statement.

The point is that 3 of our closest in-state peers - UIC, Illinois State, and U of I have all made tangible enrollment gains over the last 4-5 years, while NIU under Freeman has failed to do so, constantly bleeding students or celebrating a rare break even here and there. She is either horrible at enrollment, or her quest to have the HSI-necessary ratios are causing her to fail with (or purposely ignore) the other racial enrollment sectors.

To your points, the "surrounding community is dwindling" because NIU is dwindling. NIU at 21k students as opposed to 15k would naturally mean more open bars, more eateries, more money in the NIU coffers to reopen dorms, and students not families in Dekalb apartment housing intended for such. The university and Dekalb both are simply less healthy with Freeman's emaciated enrollment numbers.

An unhealthy Dekalb isn't causing lower enrollment - Freeman's low enrollment is causing Dekalb to be unhealthy.

Part of the problem I think is that NIU was notably short if the 25% hispanic student ratio, and Freeman decided to launch her scheme regardless. I think she has manufactured a 25% ratio now, but by literally just a handful of students, and I'm guessing she will drop overall enrollment more or freeze it to hold on to her slim margins if she pleases.

None of this is logical in my opinion, as whatever benefits come from HSI status would simply be met or bettered by the additional monies coming from an organically larger (diverse but ratio-free) enrollment.

Her student ratio gerrymandering project will be additionally tragic for NIU if the HSI perks are ever lessened by the government, if we fail to maintain the 25% ratio and lose our status and benefits in that manner.

Let's stay on the diversity wagon, but dear god deliver a president who can replenish our enrollment numbers (like ISU, UIC, U of I leadership has), and an AD that brings fresh energy and actual momentum and results to the position.

I find this much more reasonable. I will say from an AD standpoint that he has to become serious or go, but the university is complacent at best in everything.

As for HSI, I don't think it's for the financial support at all. The marketability of it will introduce more Hispanic students (who usually cannot afford out of state schools, like myself) to come to NIU and bring enrollment up.

The school has no clear image in marketing, it is just a state school in many prospective student's eyes. We're generic as can be, we have good engineering for a good price and should be advertising our programs more. Business is solid, Engineering is solid, Computer Science is solid for a public university (behind UIC & UIUC) Nursing is Solid and other liberal arts programs are acceptable.

But let's face it, the average NIU student does not come from a well off family (myself included) and well that drives most well off students away out of state or to nicer universities.

How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students.

Apologize for sounding a big aggressive in the first post, I have been reading here for a while and people are just so irrational when discussing this place they don't even go to anymore

Irrational? I graduated in 2010 and most of us here have watched the university do a 180 over the last 10 years for the worst. Driving through the last 5 years it almost looks like the hood in some areas, basic up keep of the outside of buildings with paint and just keeping it clean lack at a lot of the facilities and the crime rate has consistently risen. Add that to numerous overpaid professors that have the TA teach and upper management that keep getting raises for nothing, is setting up for even more money issues at a cash strapped place.

Why would anyone want to send their kid there when they can go to Iowa for example. cheaper and receive a better overall college experience and the programs are rated better across the board with more offerings.

'How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students."

Once again, more students = more money to open more dorm rooms, and the apartments are already there and waiting. Scale back up over several years just as they have at UIC, ISU etc.. It starts with adding an additional 400-800 new freshman on to the norm next fall, which Freeman has failed to do year after year. Her plan is not working.

Every point everyone makes on each of these enrollment threads screams NEW LEADERSHIP and NEW DIRECTION. I really wish alumni were more vocal about that, seems like most are very unhappy with the current direction of the university. I emailed the trustees a few months back as mentioned on this platform. I got zero response from any of them, but a friend on the inside said it caused a bit of chatter in the ranks. Feel free to join in.

(03-27-2024 07:07 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  'How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students."

Once again, more students = more money to open more dorm rooms, and the apartments are already there and waiting. Scale back up over several years just as they have at UIC, ISU etc.. It starts with adding an additional 400-800 new freshman on to the norm next fall, which Freeman has failed to do year after year. Her plan is not working.

Every point everyone makes on each of these enrollment threads screams NEW LEADERSHIP and NEW DIRECTION. I really wish alumni were more vocal about that, seems like most are very unhappy with the current direction of the university. I emailed the trustees a few months back as mentioned on this platform. I got zero response from any of them, but a friend on the inside said it caused a bit of chatter in the ranks. Feel free to join in.

"But let's face it, the average NIU student does not come from a well off family (myself included) and well that drives most well off students away out of state or to nicer universities."

This quote got me. You state that we should shut up because we went to NIU a long time ago. That is correct, but what you state was not the case even 25 years ago. NIU was a solid number 2 to U of I in those days not the out of state schools or UIC or ISU. NIU drew students from the good suburban public and Catholic high schools in big numbers from solid middle class families, and it was not the only place the students could afford. Maybe it has turned into that based on the past corrupt leaders like Eddie Williams and the current clueless NIU Administration and BOT that allows this debacle to continue.

Having students from diverse economic and societal groups is great, but solely basing your recruitment on DEI goals that do not mirror the general population is a losing strategy.

HJ, I agree with you. When do we age out on the ability to talk about the potential shortcomings we see, hear or read about regarding NIU? Being older also gives us the perspective of having sent our kids to different schools and observed their college experience. While "well off" is highly subjective most of the kids I knew were as HuskieJ said from solid middle class families. There are too many issues to include in this forum but one thing I have never agreed with is the University's focus on first in family to go to college. In my view that is rather constraining and screams if you're not the FIF then you should go elsewhere. Out of state universities offering a better financial deal is now the norm, then come up with better financial packages! As filmmaker writes it points in the direction of NEEDED: NEW LEADERSHIP AND NEW DIRECTION.

Welcome to the board, Radish. Great to have the student perspective here.

(03-27-2024 07:07 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  'How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students."

Once again, more students = more money to open more dorm rooms, and the apartments are already there and waiting. Scale back up over several years just as they have at UIC, ISU etc.. It starts with adding an additional 400-800 new freshman on to the norm next fall, which Freeman has failed to do year after year. Her plan is not working.

Every point everyone makes on each of these enrollment threads screams NEW LEADERSHIP and NEW DIRECTION. I really wish alumni were more vocal about that, seems like most are very unhappy with the current direction of the university. I emailed the trustees a few months back as mentioned on this platform. I got zero response from any of them, but a friend on the inside said it caused a bit of chatter in the ranks. Feel free to join in.

You were part of the largest freshman class of 2022? From at least 1984 to 1991 each and every single freshman class was well over 3,000, including 3,900+ in 1985. So, no, you weren’t in the largest freshman class. The charts in this enrollment summary start in 1984, and I am sure it was 3,000+ even before that.

https://www.niu.edu/effectiveness/_files...8-2019.pdf

(03-28-2024 07:26 PM)HuskieDave Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 07:07 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  'How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students."

Once again, more students = more money to open more dorm rooms, and the apartments are already there and waiting. Scale back up over several years just as they have at UIC, ISU etc.. It starts with adding an additional 400-800 new freshman on to the norm next fall, which Freeman has failed to do year after year. Her plan is not working.

Every point everyone makes on each of these enrollment threads screams NEW LEADERSHIP and NEW DIRECTION. I really wish alumni were more vocal about that, seems like most are very unhappy with the current direction of the university. I emailed the trustees a few months back as mentioned on this platform. I got zero response from any of them, but a friend on the inside said it caused a bit of chatter in the ranks. Feel free to join in.

You were part of the largest freshman class of 2,200? From 1984 to 1993 each and every single freshman class well over 3,000, including 3,900+ in 1985. So, no, you weren’t in the largest freshman class.

I thin he means the freshman class that came into NIU in the year 2022. I have no idea how many were in the incoming class.

(03-28-2024 07:29 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 07:26 PM)HuskieDave Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 07:07 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  'How would NIU substantially raise enrollment? I'm still part of the biggest freshman class (2022). They don't have the funds to increase class sections, renovate dorms, or pay their instructors enough. Our department keeps getting classes slashed despite the CS student body being 950+ students."

Once again, more students = more money to open more dorm rooms, and the apartments are already there and waiting. Scale back up over several years just as they have at UIC, ISU etc.. It starts with adding an additional 400-800 new freshman on to the norm next fall, which Freeman has failed to do year after year. Her plan is not working.

Every point everyone makes on each of these enrollment threads screams NEW LEADERSHIP and NEW DIRECTION. I really wish alumni were more vocal about that, seems like most are very unhappy with the current direction of the university. I emailed the trustees a few months back as mentioned on this platform. I got zero response from any of them, but a friend on the inside said it caused a bit of chatter in the ranks. Feel free to join in.

You were part of the largest freshman class of 2,200? From 1984 to 1993 each and every single freshman class well over 3,000, including 3,900+ in 1985. So, no, you weren’t in the largest freshman class.

I thin he means the freshman class that came into NIU in the year 2022. I have no idea how many were in the incoming class.

Yeah, I re-read his post and agree with that, so I edited my response, but, no way 2022 is our largest freshman class. Not even close.

NIU had an enrollment over 25k students back in 2004-2006. It's rather alarming that our total enrollment has declined 10k students. John Peters was the last good university president. I remember when he was one of the top 3 candidates for the University of Tennessee president vacancy.

Then for some reason NIU had an infatuation with all things university of Idaho. We were playing them in football and hired their then vice president (Doug Baker).