FB: American Rivers Conference

[Klompen]

Actually I meant attracting for whatever reason, as in getting them interested enough to enroll.  Not saying it is sports that is attracting them, talking about the whole potential student population and not equating it in any way, shape or form to field of dreams.  Though maybe you thought that because I mentioned the new uniforms and scoreboard.  Probably just using enrolling or matriculating would be better word choices.  Whatever the case may be, Central is going down in enrollment because they are not attracting, extracting, enrolling or matriculating enough students.   

It is too bad because the first cuts always seem to go to the administrative/facilities side and I have heard of people having to justify the existence of their jobs and that is never a good situation, there are some really excellent people there and the powers that be need to get their act together. 

Oh, BTW, the football numbers in the freshmen class look great.  Shows who is doing their job when it comes to helping enrollment, so maybe field of dreams isn't so far off after all.

[Willie University]

It was a joke saying that you can't just attract students anymore, you have to extract them

[Klompen]

ZOOOOOM - Right over my head!  LOL  Must be that flight program at UD.   

[Gzim]

Coe has actually had it's 3 largest freshmen classes the last 3 years so they aren't having problems getting students. I think a lot boils down to location and opportunities around campus (internships,job opps, etc). I don't think it would be stretch to say that Central's values, which were once a big attraction, are becoming a little less appealing than they used to be as well. I'm not sure that student-athletes value the conservative approach as much anymore. Cedar Rapids offers a lot of post graduate opportunities and I've heard that admissions really pushes that. Not sure if those same things are available or are as easily accessible at some of the schools in the conference.

[hazzben]

Coe has actually had it's 3 largest freshmen classes the last 3 years so they aren't having problems getting students. I think a lot boils down to location and opportunities around campus (internships,job opps, etc). I don't think it would be stretch to say that Central's values, which were once a big attraction, are becoming a little less appealing than they used to be as well. I'm not sure that student-athletes value the conservative approach as much anymore. Cedar Rapids offers a lot of post graduate opportunities and I've heard that admissions really pushes that. Not sure if those same things are available or are as easily accessible at some of the schools in the conference.

I can't speak to Central's values, but I do know that there are plenty of conservative schools (either politically, theologically or both) that have had significant and sustained enrollment increases. It's just a little anecdotal to read into one school's enrollment downturn an across the board assessment of the attractiveness/viability of conservative v. progressive schools. Especially when most evidence (here and here) points to the other causes we've discussed.

[Klompen]

I don't think it is Central's values or even the job opportunities as much as the size of Pella and various entertainment opportunities that can't compete with schools in more metropolitan areas.  I see a lot of former Central students living in Pella that did not originally come from Pella, but getting them here without the added attractions can be a bit harder.  On the other hand, lack of entertainment means plenty of study time.   

[doolittledog]

What are enrollments at IIAC schools compared to 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago?  High school class sizes aren't what they once were.  Are we just at critical mass now? 

[notlongago]

Whoever brought up academics should be banned, they ruined the vibe of this board. This is a discussion for February or march haha

[Outside the Crate]

Central has done well in enrollment before and they will do well in the future.  All the negative press about rising college costs, the size of loans, and poor employment prospects has been a daily challenge for private colleges this year.  The media have been tenacious on these subjects and the administration in DC hasn't got a clue (the Republicans don't either).  Most colleges have suffered some from this very negative environment.  The irony, of course, is that net price for private colleges has not gone up for ten years and most have 95% plus employed within six months.
     One other thing:  Frankly, we do not have sufficient information to really know what's happening on any of the IIAC college campuses with regard to enrollment -- including Central. Decades ago, one could simply look at the number of first-year students and draw conclusions that were quite reliable.  Now, given aggressive marketing, one has to know net tuition revenue more than enrollment, and this information is rarely shared with the public.  Anyone can recruit lots of students if one gives huge scholarships.  Word on the street is that Coe has been particularly aggressive in this regard, and that may account for their enrollment as much as anything else that has been mentioned.  But, again, that's just rumors, and I can guarantee that no one at Coe is going to reveal their net tuition revenue!

[doolittledog]

This board will get fixated on these topics from time to time.  It wasn't too long ago it was all the talk on here (and in some local papers) questioning if Wartburg was in financial trouble due to a high debt load.  I believe it might have been Outside the Crate that set some levity to the conversation back then as well 

I can remember in the past we would talk enrollment, endowments, annual giving...all kinds of things, of course, like notlongago suggested, conversation for February, not the football season (though, with only Central playing this weekend, it's kind of like the off season) 

[Willie University]

I think conversation getting off topic is due to a couple factors:

1.) No one has any real clue how things are going to shape up in the IIAC this year until we start playing each other

2.) Usually (as was common with wartburg faithful for a number of years), when 1-2 team(s) are the clear cut favorites, fans from those teams jump out of the woodwork to brag about how good their team is or to let posters from others schools know how bad their teams are.

3.) With so many question marks right now, everyone is keeping it pretty caustiously quiet so far as to not have to put their entire leg in their mouth versus just their foot 

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

[notlongago]

Ugly, sloppy, cold, wet half by central, but holding a 14-6 lead.

[notlongago]

Dutch dominate statically, but can't seem to close out scoring opportunities. Hopefully they can button everything up and recovery from injuries sustained today before the big match up with DBQ next. That game will most likely knock one team out of contention for the title and set the other up well.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

I think a lot boils down to location and opportunities around campus (internships,job opps, etc).

Ask Curt Menefee how valuable his internship at KCRG was.

Way to go Coe today.

Well scheduled bye week.

Get ready for conference play.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

I try to get to Central's homecomings as often as I can.  This one was fun but there was some strange weather.  It must have been rough for the coaches.  There were a couple of times when they had to make go for it or kick decisions and if you looked at the tassels on the tops of the goal posts they were blowing one way on south side of the field and the other way on the north.  Since Central won the day was tolerable.  I would be pretty miserable if I had sat through that for a loss.  And just to turn the conversation back to football, I was happy to see the Central pass rush getting pressure on the Albion QB.  That may be the key to beating Dubuque.