"The nation's premiere university"

[dawg80]

Who would make such a claim? Harvard? MIT? Stanford? Perhaps some large land-grant school that offers good academics and other stuff? Nah! why, it's little ole NSU!

Yes, NSU, in Natchitoches, unveiled their new strategic plan, that includes the mantra to make NSU "the nation's premiere university." At the recent welcome back lunch the whole faculty/staff was asked to chant that ridiculous statement over and over. Well, they have made a good start of it, I can honestly say that NSU is the "premiere university" in Natchitoches Parish. Have to start somewhere, eh.

On a more serious note, Dr. Jim Henderson is proving to be a disappointment. I think he has exhausted whatever good ideas he brought with him from BPCC. The honeymoon period is over. Like a new head coach, who was successful in his previous job, Henderson brought a lot of hope and promise to NSU. But, the bloom is off that rose. Questionable personnel decisions is rocking his administration. Yeah, budget woes is making it harder to be successful, but that makes his decision-making more critical. Little room for error, and he is fumbling badly in that arena.

Oh well! not that anyone on this forum will care. But, NSU does spend OUR tax dollars, so it does affect all of us. And it is relevant as we, in Louisiana, look at the whole higher ed landscape.

On another, sadder, note, last week Jimmy Long was killed in an auto accident. If you are familiar with Louisiana politics you know about the Long family and its legacy. And, Mr. Jimmy, as he was affectionately called, was a member of the Board of Regents and VERY influential in the politics of higher ed. For the record, when I spoke to him years ago about the Tech-LSUS merger, he was strongly in favor of it. He told me, paraphrasing: as an NSU Demon supporter I hate Louisiana Tech! (he said with a smile), as someone charged with managing Louisiana's universities, I know what Tech has accomplished and it makes perfect sense, for the good of northwest Louisiana, for Tech to takeover LSUS. Unfortunately (he added), our LSU friends will never allow it.

[The Historian]

The problem for NSU is that their on-campus enrollment continues to dwindle. As the competition grows in the on-line segment, NSU will have to find other avenues to survive. More than most other schools in the state the rug can be pulled out from NSU very quickly. And NSU wouldn't have the type of political protection Southern and Grambling enjoy.

[Dawgpix]

Today's tweet from Bulldog Recruiting:

BULLDOGS17‏@LATechFBRecruit

#LATech is the top rated public university in @Conference_USA per @Forbes America's Top Colleges! #WeAreLATech

[Tech77]

"The nation's premiere university"

That's too crazy to even laugh at

[tenacious_dog]

I get loving your school but good grief. This is one of those things that make you say, "What were they thinking?"

Feel a little embarrassed for them...but not really.

[The Historian]

Who would make such a claim? Harvard? MIT? Stanford? Perhaps some large land-grant school that offers good academics and other stuff? Nah! why, it's little ole NSU!

Yes, NSU, in Natchitoches, unveiled their new strategic plan, that includes the mantra to make NSU "the nation's premiere university." At the recent welcome back lunch the whole faculty/staff was asked to chant that ridiculous statement over and over. Well, they have made a good start of it, I can honestly say that NSU is the "premiere university" in Natchitoches Parish. Have to start somewhere, eh.

When I first read this I actually thought you were joking. Did this actually happen?

[Blue Dawg]

At least they're thinking big. At Tech, the official slogan is "Best University in Lincoln Parish on I-20 East of Grambling and West of Choudrant."

[Russdawg]

At least they're thinking big. At Tech, the official slogan is "Best University in Lincoln Parish on I-20 East of Grambling and West of Choudrant."

Clever, Blue Dawg.

[Woof!]

Maybe the "other" Northwestern.

[Avi8r]

Any word on fall enrollment for tech

[johnnylightnin]

Any word on fall enrollment for tech

TMac suggested on Fletcher's show Tuesday that is "should top 13,000."

[dawg80]

When I first read this I actually thought you were joking. Did this actually happen?

Yes.

[Dowty]

Go home, NSU. You're drunk.

[Dawg06]

The problem for NSU is that their on-campus enrollment continues to dwindle. As the competition grows in the on-line segment, NSU will have to find other avenues to survive. More than most other schools in the state the rug can be pulled out from NSU very quickly. And NSU wouldn't have the type of political protection Southern and Grambling enjoy.

I've been saying this exact thing for a while. The last I looked at the stats, NWST only had a little over 3K students enrolled on their main campus. Even NWST's nursing enrollment on their Shreveport and CenLa campuses have dwindled. NWST's online program is the only thing keeping their doors open in Natchitoches. As the online education competition increases, why would people get their online degree from NWST when they can get it from a more respected institution while sitting on the same couch? NWST online is a short term fix but will create long term viability issues.

[TechAlum05]

I've been saying this exact thing for a while. The last I looked at the stats, NWST only had a little over 3K students enrolled on their main campus. Even NWST's nursing enrollment on their Shreveport and CenLa campuses have dwindled. NWST's online program is the only thing keeping their doors open in Natchitoches. As the online education competition increases, why would people get their online degree from NWST when they can get it from a more respected institution while sitting on the same couch? NWST online is a short term fix but will create long term viability issues.

Similar to the issues at LSU Shreveport the last few years. The online degree program led to overall enrollment increasing a little, but the undergraduate on-campus enrollment still declined every year since 2012 when LSUS-Louisiana Tech merger plan was stopped in State House.