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General => General Division III issues => Topic started by: smedindy on February 10, 2020, 04:29:53 PM

Title: Concordia U - Portland Closing
Post by: smedindy on February 10, 2020, 04:29:53 PM
Not D3, but D2 and formerly NAIA. It definitely will affect the NWC and others!

https://www.cu-portland.edu/closure
Title: Re: Concordia U - Portland Closing
Post by: Bishopleftiesdad on February 11, 2020, 10:13:29 AM
Always sad news.
Title: Re: Concordia U - Portland Closing
Post by: Ron Boerger on February 11, 2020, 11:21:31 AM
From brief perusals it looks like they tried to make a major move into online programs through a partnership with something called HotChalk, the Dept. of Education went after it and there was a $1 million settlement a few years ago, then they went on a spending binge on facilities (including "a new, 34-unit apartment building for graduate and married students in the hip Alberta Arts District" and providing land and $15.5 million to refurbish a Portland public school), all while having a very small (unpublished) endowment.  Looks like the school is sadly a victim of poor planning and lack of (or too many competing) vision(s). 
Title: Re: Concordia U - Portland Closing
Post by: Ron Boerger on February 11, 2020, 11:44:14 AM
And from Oregonlive.com (https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2020/02/portlands-concordia-university-will-close-at-end-of-spring-semester.html)

QuoteThe surviving colleges are eyeing Concordia's 5,000 students hungrily. By Monday afternoon, George Fox University had put together a package of incentives for Concordia students who transfer to the Newberg school, including a $5,000 grant and waived application fees.

A $5K discount is pretty insignificant in the world of private colleges, so it's smart to go after these students.

Title: Re: Concordia U - Portland Closing
Post by: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on February 11, 2020, 02:27:46 PM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on February 11, 2020, 11:21:31 AM
From brief perusals it looks like they tried to make a major move into online programs through a partnership with something called HotChalk, the Dept. of Education went after it and there was a $1 million settlement a few years ago, then they went on a spending binge on facilities (including "a new, 34-unit apartment building for graduate and married students in the hip Alberta Arts District" and providing land and $15.5 million to refurbish a Portland public school), all while having a very small (unpublished) endowment.  Looks like the school is sadly a victim of poor planning and lack of (or too many competing) vision(s).

Top be fair, they also lost something like $30m in revenue in a very short period of time. It wasn't just about spending, but also what they were bringing in ... it dropped in a major way.

That said, from what I am reading and understanding .. it doesn't seem like they have made any efforts to stop the bleeding ... like getting rid of a law school that wasn't even accredited until last year (after being open for a number of years). There were ways I am sure they could have found that revenue drop and stopped it in it's tracks first. Seemed they didn't want to.