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The state of Illinois may want to put a hold on the magical $40 million it granted to Chicago State University last month for a new West Side campus. According to the Tribune,
"Chicago State University is at risk of losing its accreditation because of "remarkably poor" graduation and retention rates, as well as tumultuous leadership and finances, according to the region's accrediting agency."In a letter obtained by the Tribune, the Higher Learning Commission cites several "grave" concerns regarding the future of the South Side school that serves roughly 6,800 students. The most pressing problems derive from managing enrollment, but other issues include a reduction in student financial assistance that led to dropouts and delayed approval of budgets."
CSU's graduation rate - 12.8 percent over six years - makes the city's public high schools look downright wonderful (District-wide the CPS dropout rate is about 12 percent). In the meantime, the university - which does not have a complete board of directors and is dealing with issues concerning its new controversial president - is attempting to figure out how best to spend its grant.
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There are some serious issues as to whether CSU can function as an accredited school. Right now, I do not think it can (I am an educator, but not at CSU). I hope the HLC does it's job, as it seems the main concern of the CSU President is to make sure he can double dip his state pension and salary, and how the local polls can all skim off that highly questionable 40 million dollar grant. Illinois should just close down that entire school now and cut the losses. They are not doing anything useful for their students the way things are run now.
Ah, but CSU is getting $40 million for a west side campus they don't need, want or could even operate courtesy of that idiot Rickey Hendon & the morons of the General Assembly!
Just think of all the west siders that won't graduate from CSU once that campus is up & running!
This question was probably asked and answered 30 years ago, but why is there a need for a Chicago State University? We alright have a might big state university in the city called UIC. There's also Northeastern, a state school on the north side. Was it just decided one day that every part of the city needs a state university? Why not just have one superior school that draws from the entire city?
I have a CSU story. I applied for a teaching gig there a couple years back. It was teaching in liberal arts, pretty basic courses, decent money.
During the interview the person asking the questions got a phone call on their cell, answered it, got up and left the room. I heard them out in the hall laughing. I was getting kind of creeped out and it was making me really nervous. The person came back in, no apologies or explanations, sat down and kept going. The interview itself was ridiculous, asking me questions like "What kind of teacher do I think I am?" and "What makes a good student?" I was waiting for "Here are some crayons, draw a lesson plan for us."
I came back for another interview and this person was even less professional and less organized. They were the head of the department. This one got a call too, but just answered it while I was sitting there. This person also didn't know how the benefits worked, what their hiring time-horizon was or if the position would have a track for tenure. Again, HEAD of DEPARTMENT.
Turned out, they offered me the job. I declined and took my current job, which pays only a little bit better but the folks I work for don't seem like they'd get lost on their own campus.
Ah, so you are employed in academia, huh? This explains a lot about you. Academics like you like to sit in their cozy university settings and trash the outside world. In your mind, you are a selfless public servant surrounded by ignorant masses, who if they only listened to you, would be fine.
You are just like several profs I had in my MBA program. They just sit there and talk about what people are doing wrong and like to think that they could run a business better than anyone else, yet they have never been in a revenue-producing situation in their careers. If you listen to them, they have never made a bad decision and have never made a bad trade. They also rip corporations for pay, hours, layoffs, etc, while they make 100-200k for working six hours per week, plus maybe an hour or two of office hours. And people wonder why tuition keeps going up,up,up.
I see where you are coming from now. This explains a lot about your cynical and hateful attitude, as well as your love for everything government. So what classes do you teach?
To their credit, the students of CSU recognized Watson as a "Political Hack" (their words) when he was hired. Many of them are painfully aware of what a joke CSU is within weeks of their first semester. The smart ones don't come back.
Nich, CSU should not be about the "smart ones" but the ones that are barely hanging on who continue to be totally disserved and ripped off by CSU and all of its past and present Presidents. And shame on the Black community and Pat Quinn for not siding with those students who made a bold progressive stand for their education by protesting the coronation of yet another incompetent yes sir, yes sir Daley House Negro to be "president" of CSU