The University of Missouri continues its free fall after the Black Lives Matter protests. “Mizzou” has now lost almost a quarter of its freshman class. That is devastating for any academic institution and Mizzou is reportedly closing dorms due to lack of students.
We followed the controversy over the actions of Professor Melissa Click who notoriously led attacks on a student journalist as part of protests. The school sacked Click, but her actions and the aftermath have now threatened the entire school. The school furthered the controversy with the resignation of the President and Chancellor and made various changes to accommodate the BLM protesters. I have spoken to people at Mizzou who say that they do not feel that they can speak honestly about the BLM demands or their view of Click in fear of being called out as racists or microaggressors. Notably, most of the faculty have been strangely silent in the midst of the changes. New controversies have arisen in recent protests or memorials, such as the effort to hold a memorial for the recent massacre at a gay night club.
What is clear is that the school is still reeling from the loss of reputation and uncertainty of its future viability. One only have to look around at the empty dorms to see what happens when a university abandons core values and controls over its academic mission. This year the entering class will be just 4,799 students — that is a nose bleed of over 1400 students. The problem for struggling schools is that it can trigger a downward spiral as uncertainty breeds greater uncertainty over the value of its educational program — and the value of its degree.
The good news is that the school has a high retention rate of over 80 percent and that rate has only slightly fallen. Moreover, the score profile includes the same 26 ACT score from the prior year. The concern is that, faced with a shrinking applicant pool, the school might be forced to reduce its entry qualifications, which can fuel additional concerns over its standing.
Missouri has a proud history as the state’s leading public university. While I have serious concerns over free speech on campus (including the campus police calling for students to notify them of any “hurtful” comments of other students), the school will recover in my view so long as the faculty returns the focus to academic excellence and discourse.
Thank you prospective MIzzou students for voting with your feet. Take your college loan money(Peace be upon you, O Heavenly Taxpayers) and go to a school where you can exercise your First Amendment right to free expression. You might even learn something in the process.
Why would sane white people want to send their kids to a college which knuckles under to black racists??? I mean college-educated liberal white people maybe, but even they are reluctant to send their kiddies to schools where the low class type blacks run free. That’s why you don’t see them sending their kids to inner city schools.
Stick a fork in Mizzou.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
As a parent, I would not feel like this campus was a safe place. It also is not preparatory for the real world, appears to encourage racism and divisiveness against Caucasians, and is more preoccupied with protests than academics. They also seem to be completely at the mercy of entitled, spoiled students making demand after demand.
A degree from this university mean that an employer can assume they would need a safe space, bubbles, and a teddy bare to function in the work place? And even then, they would probably spend the work day screaming at their coworkers.
CLOSE THEM ALL DOWN, THE MAJORITY COME OUT WITH USELESS MAJORS ANY WAY. BRING BACK THE DRAFT, THEY WILL GET THE BEST EDUCATION THE WORLD CAN GIVE THEM. “safe space” WHAT JOKE. MAKE SURE A COUPLE OF YOU LIBS HERE ROPE OFF AN AREA IN YOUR LIVING ROOMS FOR GUESTS TO GO WHEN THEY FEEL “unsafe”.
Wacko wacko what you say? How bout lettin you out today? Ain’t no reason for you to stay. For, everybody is far away. Get you back on your feet again! Back on your feet again. Open the door. Let you free. Back on your feet again!
Cal is a wacko.
Mizzou’s appeal is just becoming ‘more selective.’
Agreeing with Do Glover,
Instead of presuming themselves to be standard bearer of what constitutes a “legitimate” education, brick and mortar colleges and universities have continued the inertia of being too full of themselves, where at one time they were the only game in town as to quality education.
As modern times have descended upon and around them, the internet is doing to them what has done to many other informationally based industries and services, making them less and less relevant.
But instead of moderating their haughtiness, and catering to a newly empowered student customer base, they go the opposite direction, and impose inane sexual conduct rules that threaten the very reason why students are there, impose stifling speech rules and constraints, pick sides in political sentiment and favoritism, chill the avenues of criticism and complaints from both faculty and students, intrude upon a students’ personal life and preferences outside of their schooling activities.
So, they go along with blinders on, and false importance in a changing world, and then wonder why they lose a huge part of their incoming student application.
People just don’t need that kind of headache, when they can go online to learn what they want, or go to schools that are a lot more socio-technologically savvy.
“…the school will recover in my view so long as the faculty returns the focus to academic excellence and discourse.”
Not likely.
No one except the lunatic Click was fired.
Heads did not roll.
The school has done nothing solid to fix the core problem: SJWism.
No, it is a certainty that SJWs still run the place and, as is their habit, they will double down.
How do I know?
1. There is a new Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) at the University of Missouri.
2. There is a “vice chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at Mizzou.
3. They are indoctrinating faculty and staff via the “four-week online diversity course (Diversity 101)
4. Other 4-year universities in Missouri reported an increase in students. (White flight rarely reverses.)
5. Out of state students have no reason to consider Mizzou over any other state school (except for journalism, which is now tainted.)
6. University of Missouri Curator David Steelman, discussing the falling enrollment numbers at Mizzou, said the protests were “blown way out of proportion” and were really “not that big a deal.” (Listen at Thursday, August 25th 9:40; at the 3:27 mark).
On the plus side, a Mizzou committee recommended a Policy on Use of University Facilities and Grounds which advised:
Camping wouldn’t be allowed on university grounds.
Protesters wouldn’t be able to occupy buildings after they close.
Protesters wouldn’t be able to disturb or interfere with university lectures, meetings, instruction or public events.
Bans the use of sound amplification devices, such as a megaphone.
Photography is allowed in traditional public forums or other public spaces.
Lists areas where protests are allowed with a permit, where spontaneous protests may not be held, and areas where no demonstrations will be allowed.
Make a distinction between legal protests and dissent and civil disobedience, defined as willful violations of law or policy intended to force change.
College enrollment has been declining across the country, as it should. Online education can provide access to top professors for millions of people around the world, full interaction between students and information providers, ease of access, up to the minute information, a smorgasbord of resources, customized pacing and review options, and on-the-job training. Sorry, but grass and dirt campuses are for sports, socializing, sex, propaganda/special interest promotion, constraint of free speech and free press, and strict hierarchy. If you want to learn, the internet provides a universe of up to the minute information at the tap of a plastic key.
When protesters can through vocal and aggressive techniques shut down free speech, fear of violence cannot be far behind. I would think that parents considering colleges would avoid UM not only because of the free speech issue but also because of concerns about physical safety.
The hypocrisy of those who claim the right to free soeach and tolerance when simultaneously suppressing the free speech of others and being intolerant of any opposing or even differing view is jaw dropping. Unfortunately, these movements are growing stronger and have migrated from college campuses to the rest of society.
The problem is even worse – social justice warriors see UM as their kind of place. “Normal” students see this as a place to avoid (why go to a school where the potential for conflict is so high?).
Think about interviewing for your first job with this school on your resume. Interviewers will ask about the school out of curiosity, but will already have a negative perception of the school.
You missed what may be the most important aspect of this story.
Mizzou is a nothing special, average state university with ONE and only one outstanding department, Journalism. This event devastated that department’s reputation. Northwestern & Columbia are looking on & reaping the benefits, but it’s a darn shame. A state university with a Journalism school equal to two of the best private universities in North America was brought down by a spineless administration, a callow professor, and an imbecilic student body blind to what has occurred.
Do you know what it costs to go to that friggin so called University? Over ten thousand dollars in tuition.
It has a history of being some dumb frat place and no semblance of higher education. Went in dumb, come out dumb too, hustlin round Atlanta in the Mizzou shoes, etc.
Reblogged this on Matthews' Blog.
A college education is far too much of a financial investment to risk on an institution with a questionable reputation and uncertain future. There are thousands of solid colleges competing for students, so yes, I would look elsewhere rather than tying my child’s fate to a disruptive and negative educational environment.
Reap what you sow.
What are chances of the public winning a lawsuit against the Board and President for financial damages resulting from gross negligence?
Any legislator w/potential to fire administrators, and who failed to do so, needs to be removed from office.