Quote from: GusD on Today at 12:17:11 AMAt most schools today, certainly not all, "the student experience overall" doesn't really depend that much on whether the school has a Greek system in place.

No one said this or anything else to the contrary.

It is one school considering the possibility of adding Greek life.

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 07:39:20 PMBy and large what the kids want is a closer association with fellow team members rather than with a group of individuals they may be friendly with but don't enjoy the brotherhood and camaraderie they derive from being teammates with. [...]

So I've really never heard much, if any, talk about weather a school has a Greek system as being a factor in kids choice of school.

If you were to ask Maryville, I would expect them to say that the Greek life idea was about recruiting students more generally, particularly non-athletes.

Also, I think they would say the calculus is more nuanced than being able to say hey we have Greek life, but instead, it is about bolstering the student experience overall.

Enrollment is shorthand for recruitment and retention.  Do not discount the latter.

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 06:34:25 PMA review of Form 990s, the annual return that tax-exempt organizations must submit to the IRS, reveals that more than 18% of D3 schools had losses in net income in each of the last three years.

This story was discussed two or three weeks ago if you want to go back and look.

Another interview on the future of Division III that is worth a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccc6k0GgcVg

Quote from: jknezek on June 16, 2026, 04:04:50 PMI'm not disputing the "younger" viewpoint, but I think we also have to accept that your colleague is a consultant to a sorority and is going to have a certain point of view because of it.

It is true, just one viewpoint from someone who has a part-time role in promoting Greek life.

She does travel to a lot of small colleges and believes, based on her experience, that Greek life can bolster student life in a way enrollment, retention, etc. That you do not need the Southern mansion experience to sell Greek life as an aspect of the experience.

I am agnostic on Greek life as an enrollment driver, but I do believe that the things an institution offers other than academics are going to be even more important going forward, unfortunately.

Quote from: IC798891 on June 16, 2026, 07:55:02 PMIthaca does not have Greek Life on campus, however, they have many Residential Learning Communities which connect students with shared interests.

I am surprised when I find a college that does not have learning communities, they are that common. But also very different that the Greek letter organizations.

Quote from: jknezek on June 16, 2026, 03:31:40 PMBut it's simply not transferable to small school start up Greek life.

I hear you, though I am just saying what my colleague said.

As part of her role, she travels to chapters around the United States to colleges big and small.

I did read an interesting Substack recently that made the case that a vigorous co-curricular experience would become even more important for small colleges... I've been trying to find it, but have not had any luck.

I am old, and as much as value the opinion of other old guys...

I asked my 26-year old colleague who works in admissions and also works part-time for her sorority as a consultant. She said that Maryville would not be alone in believing that Greek life can be a part of a compelling enrollment strategy.  It is apparently less about drinking and more about TikTok, Instagram or something.

For the vast majority of small colleges and universities, there are few things, if anything, that they can do to create a huge draw.

There has been a widely discussed trend of students looking to go south for college.

For an institution such as Maryville, they may have decided that the Greek letter organizations can help them better capitalize on the trend.

https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2025/10/10/yo-you-got-to-go-why-more-students-from-the-northeast-are-heading-south-for-college/

In 30 years working in higher education, I have never heard of a small college or university purposefully bringing social fraternities or sororities to campus as an enrollment strategy. But for a variety of reasons, I like the idea.

Quote from: CNU85 on June 12, 2026, 08:41:11 AMIndeed it is....no division is immune. Maryland is cutting $104 million between 2025-2027
Kansas - $32 million this year.
Oregon - staff cuts, non-essential travel ban.

In some cases, it is far crazier at the other levels as institutions layoff faculty and staff specifically to pay student athletes.

Quote from: Kuiper on June 10, 2026, 05:49:20 PMHis big mistake was saying this to students reporters at the school newspaper.  He should have saved it for his fellow junior colleagues or started the process of rebuilding his career by lining up glowing recs from Muhlenberg faculty and sending his resume everywhere to try to get a visiting gig somewhere.

Mistake is an understatement.

I do believe it is insane to suggest that he was betrayed by anyone in his PhD program or by people at Muhlenberg, whichever the case may be, though there may be more to the story.

The future of Division III is fewer tenure-track faculty lines, faculty layoffs, and faculty lamenting the lack of communication and transparency (or tough decisions, depending on your perspective) by the administration.

The past is prologue.

It is impossible to know, as many faculty are cross-listed, but I was looking at various Muhlenberg department website and the institution seems surprisingly well resourced or bloated, depending on your perspective.

Maybe I am crazy, but prior to the pandemic, I think the Director's Cup league standings would have mostly had the NESCAC and WIAC as 1 and 2.