How much longer will Kent be Chancellor?

[elimunelson]

This is a weird (irrational) take. How would your life be any different right now if Syracuse was still ranked in the 40s or 50s? How does the rankings slide negatively impact your life moving forward?

cmon. stop with the grand standing. Everyone wants a better/more impressive degree. i'm not going to play this game of "yeah it doesn't matter". Of course it matters. We all have egos jeesh.

my life wouldn't be 1% better or worse but as someone who chose Syracuse, i'd prefer it to be better academically ranked. Why is this remotely a hot take.

 

[elimunelson]

I mean, I guess that's a problem if you just have your car to brag about it. If you just like your car and how it makes your life better, it's the same one you always had.

I learned a lot at SU and it helped launch me into a really great career. I can cry about how other people might view my degree while I'm sitting in the 48v heated nappa leather seats of my actual Mercedes.

Ok let the school become unacredited now then. i mean at some point the argument is it went from a mercedes to a bike with no wheels. You want to see your school improve, not reduce its place in the academic world.

it's certainly gauche to discuss this stuff but it matters since someone started a thread about Kent and how he's tanked the academics and the hoops team. I mean i'm just saying the quiet part outloud

 

[oldpinepoint]

Eventually some of these private schools will get rolled into the SUNY system.

 

[OttosShoes]

Ok let the school become unacredited now then. i mean at some point the argument is it went from a mercedes to a bike with no wheels. You want to see your school improve, not reduce its place in the academic world.

I definitely did not say that, and were accreditation at risk that would obviously be a much more important issue.

As it is, the school has effectively traded a little bit of prestige to become more welcoming at a time when many colleges are going out of business as students question if they even want to go to college. Not ideal, but neither is the college degree climate, and that's a pretty reasonable tradeoff if you ask me.

 

[SoBristol]

A key might be "be in a growing state/area". Arizona and Florida have more than doubled their population, that probably helped Florida State and Arizona State jump in rankings. Way bigger pool of possible student for them to pull from now than in 1984. Then declining or stable population in the northeast is going to affect a big city school less, which is why BC is in better shape than Syracuse.

Right - that is the challenge. How has the city of Syracuse changed in national rankings in the past 25 years (or the county, or upstate generally)? Population, economy, % of kids in poverty. There are plenty of positives about upstate and the Finger Lakes, but the shifts in demographics and economic growth favor the south and west.

 

[Eric15]

Right - that is the challenge. How has the city of Syracuse changed in national rankings in the past 25 years (or the county, or upstate generally)? Population, economy, % of kids in poverty. There are plenty of positives about upstate and the Finger Lakes, but the shifts in demographics and economic growth favor the south and west.

Syracuse has literally the highest childhood poverty rate of any city in America. But that’s a conversation for another thread.

Syracuse has nation’s worst child poverty rate: ‘We don’t want to be first for that’

Advocates see more people working but still poor: “As hard as they are working, there isn’t that safety net."

www.syracuse.com

 

[Willy75]

Ok let the school become unacredited now then. i mean at some point the argument is it went from a mercedes to a bike with no wheels. You want to see your school improve, not reduce its place in the academic world.

it's certainly gauche to discuss this stuff but it matters since someone started a thread about Kent and how he's tanked the academics and the hoops team. I mean i'm just saying the quiet part outloud

I don’t think it’s gauche to discuss these topics at all, if only because SU is constantly beseeching alums for donations.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

cmon. stop with the grand standing. Everyone wants a better/more impressive degree. i'm not going to play this game of "yeah it doesn't matter". Of course it matters. We all have egos jeesh.

my life wouldn't be 1% better or worse but as someone who chose Syracuse, i'd prefer it to be better academically ranked. Why is this remotely a hot take.

I'm not grandstanding. You said you were "outraged." That's a bit much.

I appreciate your acknowledgment that it's really a vanity thing which is, something I agree, we all suffer from to varying degrees. I'd prefer is Syracuse was ranked higher also.

 

[baggerbob]

Eventually some of these private schools will get rolled into the SUNY system.

In reality that is where Syracuse should go with Micron coming in and other businesses coming in to be where they are. Get the forestry school. Get a nursing school and get something going with Upstate.
No one really cares about Cornell or Columbia outside of the graduates of those schools, the average American really doesn't
care if those schools exist.
The State needs to have good publicity no matter where it cones from. I bet most Americans don't know what State Cornell and Columbia are in.
The do know the state Syracuse is in.

 

[SuFTW]

Same with University of Maryland where my kids will likely/hopefully go. Used to be an afterthought and now it's an academic powerhouse and is much harder to get into.

Strongly consider having them apply for an honors program where the students live in Prince Frederick dorm. One of the few or maybe the only freshman dorm with air conditioning. Prince Frederick was miles nicer than other freshman dorms.

Living

Prince Frederick Hall is where DCC lives and learns.By bringing a diverse group of students together in a single building, DCC creates the conditions for innovative problem solving and dynamic lear…

dcc.umd.edu

 

[SoBristol]

Syracuse has literally the highest childhood poverty rate of any city in America. But that’s a conversation for another thread.

Syracuse has nation’s worst child poverty rate: ‘We don’t want to be first for that’

Advocates see more people working but still poor: “As hard as they are working, there isn’t that safety net."

www.syracuse.com

Poverty be a long conversation wherever.

But the point is that the city’s social environment by many measures has declined and that is a headwind for SU. SU has been improving its own campus, has recognized the need to upgrade the housing it offers students. Putting $$ into athletics. Running a Capital campaign (although its endowment per student lags many private schools). Meanwhile, the city of Syracuse . . .

 

[RaoulDuke]

Anyone have any idea what the expectations for his stay are? It would appear he has to be close to retirement. Our continuous fall in the rankings coupled with the demise of the basketball program which some claim he has helped accelerate signal it could be time for a change. He’s arguably been worse than Nancy.

did he take over right after mister yellow fingers left? I can't remember ...

 

[GoSU96]

That would make sense...if the entire "rust belt" didn't experience the exact same thing.

Its almost like there were national government decisions which negatively impacted an entire region by incentivizing businesses which were the primary employers in those areas to close up shop and move...blaming the businesses alone guarantees that you cannot possibly develop viable solutions. (as an addendum, blaming one political party is also a recipe for disaster, as this has been going on for 50 years - so its almost like its a problem both parties have contributed to, and currently have no solutions for...)

No I meant air conditioning opened up making the south more habitable.

 

[elimunelson]

I'm not grandstanding. You said you were "outraged." That's a bit much.

I appreciate your acknowledgment that it's really a vanity thing which is, something I agree, we all suffer from to varying degrees. I'd prefer is Syracuse was ranked higher also.

we're all vain to some degree. And I am outraged because the university has done a poor job with retaining its ranking. Again, it may not matter if the kids graduating are performing at levels similar to the kids from Cornell, BC, etc

The school meant a tremendous amount to me. I have no ill will towards my time on the Hill and i wouldn't trade it for Harvard but i like to see it be a more desirable destination after I leave.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If only I was college age, I'd be happy to apply and take one for the team.

We all could apply.

 

[Millhouse]

Yea, I'd say that people who say that they dont care about rankings are the ones who aren't doing so well. Basically everyone in academia that I've spoken to cares about them.

FWIW, RPI/UR are also dropping like rocks in NYS. The SUNYs (Binghamton, Stony Brook, UB) are doing ok I think -- maybe even improving a bit. The Ivy's and NYU are in a different league.

Us news added some new criteria boosting schools with more first generation college students iirc

Which is quite goofy and bumped up a bunch of state schools

 

[CuseFan]

I see the university trying to reverse the slide, and improve ratings and scoring. I met with the new Dean of Engineering and Computer Science back in December (and went to a basketball game with him - he is a big fan of hoops and football btw), and also toured the expanded and remodeled engineering and CS buildings. The enhancements and expansion is awesome - with the goal of doubling the staff, professors, facilities, and student body. This plan was in place before Micron, and has accelerated and expanded further with Micron. As a CS grad, I have to say that I was very impressed and would have LOVED to have some of the facilities that are in place now, yet what is to come in the next 1-2 years.

I really hope the vision becomes reality, and it's on the way. I do care about ratings and have enormous pride in my school, and would like to see SU back where it belongs.

 

[JRHEETER]

The SUNY schools not playing big time sports has always seemed odd to me. Does anyone know the history of why that is the case?

I believe, and this is just a guess, that because they don’t have a “main” campus like other state schools.

Penn State, Ohio State, etc all have a main campus

 

[tptcuse]

I believe, and this is just a guess, that because they don’t have a “main” campus like other state schools.

Penn State, Ohio State, etc all have a main campus

It would be interesting to know. Does California have a main campus?

 

[Willy75]

It would be interesting to know. Does California have a main campus?

Cal Berkeley

 

[dan7800]

I believe, and this is just a guess, that because they don’t have a “main” campus like other state schools.

Penn State, Ohio State, etc all have a main campus

NY is one of only like 2 states that doesn't conform the the University of St and State State model.

California is set up with ?4? flagship campuses, but they're obviously huge.

I believe that the SUNY system has got it wrong. Penn St. for instance has a great system. You can attend any of the many campuses around the state, and you get a Penn St. degree. You attend SUNY Cobelskill and nobody knows where/what that is.

The state of Florida has a great system as well, especially for the price.

 

[OttosShoes]

The SUNY schools not playing big time sports has always seemed odd to me. Does anyone know the history of why that is the case?

This is by design; state schools of course receive tax-dollar grants. Some states are more OK with that investment risk than others; 2023 FSU for example ran a deficit, I can't imagine it improved in 2024--pretty wild if Mike Norvell's salary is subsidized with tax dollars for him to go 2-10.

As far as Buffalo, they were more or less promoted like an association football team. D1 by happenstance.
SUNY Weighs the Value of Division I Sports (Published 2009)

 

[BillSU]

I see the university trying to reverse the slide, and improve ratings and scoring. I met with the new Dean of Engineering and Computer Science back in December (and went to a basketball game with him - he is a big fan of hoops and football btw), and also toured the expanded and remodeled engineering and CS buildings. The enhancements and expansion is awesome - with the goal of doubling the staff, professors, facilities, and student body. This plan was in place before Micron, and has accelerated and expanded further with Micron. As a CS grad, I have to say that I was very impressed and would have LOVED to have some of the facilities that are in place now, yet what is to come in the next 1-2 years.

I really hope the vision becomes reality, and it's on the way. I do care about ratings and have enormous pride in my school, and would like to see SU back where it belongs.

I’m glad to see someone with a positive view of this University. But I think what really matters most is not the coolest building or new classrooms.

I think it is how hard you want your degree and how hard you work at getting it. To me, it was the best thing that could ever happen. I was an Industrial Design, five year major, (took me six), and the classrooms I was educated in at the time were in the basement of the old gym next to the pool.

The instructors had all worked in I.D. and were aces – the Dean of the school had his own design business in Syracuse, and was President of The Industrial Society of America, a great man who sat my classmates down one night before Christmas vacation and showed us how to make a great gin and tonic and how to properly light and smoke a cigar. Otherwise he was a tough, 5’ 8” dynamo who demanded great things from his instructors and students. You want a great U, get great teachers.

Before the commencement date was on the calendar, I had been interviewed by two different companies who flew me to their locations and was hired by both. And, wherever I went, Syracuse was recognized as a great school.

One of the most important things I did to advance myself and meet people who could help me when I graduated was to intern two summers with General Electric who had a design center in Syracuse and for the University itself doing design work. I would say that doing that was one of the most important decisions I ever made. I was living in married student housing and needed the money to help support a wife and two very young children.

I’m very proud of Syracuse, its academics and sports programs. I have had a very successful career and it’s still going. Don’t complain about ratings. Get your kids to go to the school and expect the best out of them and the school.

 

[FasterCuse]

I don’t think it will happen with Upstate Medical so close by, but Syracuse really needs to add a medical school with tons of research to move up these rankings. I think it’s been discussed before but they should merge or take over SUNY Upstate Medical program.

 

[CU44SE]

College tuition has just gone absolutely crazy. Something has to change with higher education. And if/when that happens, I would assume Private universities will be in a world of hurt.

I don’t know enough about this. But I do wonder if Syracuse would ever merge to become a state school if and when the time comes.