Mayville State - Enrollment Problems, Debt

[NanoBison]

Mayville State is apparently $870,000 in the hole. They need to cut programs and staff positions or attract additional students to cover the new costs. Can somebody please tell me why we need to keep this institution open? The two doctorate schools in the state can easily absorb any programs they have.

I think we finally now have a chance to get rid of this school. I'm sure though, there is going to be those wanting to keep the school open to save Mayville-Portland. Band-Aid on a hemmoraging wound. That's all that school is.


Fargo-Forum Article : http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=128487&section=News

[IowaBisonToo]

Just couldn't stay away, could you Nano? ;D They always come crawling back.

Once again, the debate will start. Once again, people will fight like mad to keep that school - along with numerous others - open. Once again, lawmakers will find a way to either put the burden on the taxpayers or through the students. Once again the lawmakers will close their eyes to common sense and make sure they still have jobs come the next election.

Sickening and sadening!

[IowaBison]

Actually, it is possible to kill the school imo; what is needed is a concerted effort.

There is little statewide benefit and signicant local interest. What is needed is a serious grassroots effort.

All that is really needed is a brochure with some about eight facts on it (all relating to $$$) and a couple of tv adds.

[BisonBacker]

Just more proof of what many have been saying all along. Having schools such as Mayville State and VCSU ect are not good ways of spending the States Higher ed money. It's just not fiscally responsible. Unfortunately I don't see one politician with the integrity to just say it like it is and call a spade a spade. Sorry Mayville but it's nothing more then state welfare, no different for the other smaller institutions funded by the state. Wasteful spending.

[IowaBisonToo]

You know, if the student enrollment keeps trending the way it has been, the students will take care of the problem themselves. The lack of students wanting to go to Mayville will be virtually zero and they'll have to close the school. I can't even believe the state is thinking of bailing out MaSU. What a frickin' joke! >:(

[insane_ponderer]

It is pretty obvious that saving the town of mayville by continually bailing out the school to the tune of $800k+ is just not a good idea.

[roadwarrior]

The biggest problem is that the names of state supported schools are in the North Dakota Constitution and it will take an amendment of that to close any one of them. Ellendale was eliminated many years ago that way.

[buffalobilljr]

The biggest problem is that the names of state supported schools are in the North Dakota Constitution and it will take an amendment of that to close any one of them. *Ellendale was eliminated many years ago that way.
The community eventually found an alternative(Trinity Bible School) that may be an excellent way to transition others but it should happen in an evolving not revolutionary sense. But as always Road-You be the man!

[NanoBison]

Has anyone read some of the comments these idiots on the Forum talk are spewing to convince us to keep Mayville State open?

http://www.in-forum.com/talk/index.cfm?id=1857&submit=1

One person actually said, "close NDSU, you already have MSUM and Concordia". Yes, close NDSU....
Some other morons suggested closing UND as well. I may not like UND, but they have a good impact on the economy as well...

Sound : *poof* {NDSU disappears}
Gov. Hoeven : "What was that?"
Pres. Chapman : "We just lost $1 billion dollars in the states economy"
Gov. Hoeven : "Oh No !!!"
Sound : *poof*
Gov. Hoeven : "What was that?"
Pres. Kupchella : "Sorry sir, brain fart".

(I know its not on caliber of TransAmBisons stuff, but hey, I try)

[MplsBison]

The biggest problem is that the names of state supported schools are in the North Dakota Constitution and it will take an amendment of that to close any one of them. Ellendale was eliminated many years ago that way.


So keep them open.

Turn Mayville and Valley City into junior colleges..

[NdFaN]

Here is what somebody had to say on the naia football message board on the mayville state deal.

"Mayville is known for the quality teachers it puts out. There is a reason for this. The school has great people there teaching students how to be great teachers. There is no better place to become a teacher in that tri-state area. The problem is the overpaid people in charge of making the campus run. They know not what they are doing. Also, the connectND computer program is a joke. This idea was sold to the universities on the fact it would cost about $2 million and it would combine all campus managing software into one bundle. The running total so far is around $30 million for this project. And it fails all the time. The real problem is with the state board of education there, someone needs to eliminate some of the morons that are on it. As for KJ and going over budget with schoolarship money, that was a complete lack of communication between the people in charge of that money. He was told one thing by a Vice-President, and another by the AD. What had happened was we were told that we could give in state tuition to every out of state kid as long as they were going to be eligable for competition. That was huge, like a $1800 schoolarship for west coast kids, and almost $6000 for non WUE kids. Then season starts and the VP tells him that those kids are not going to get the waiver, so instead of telling all these kids who were already in camp they owed between $1800-$6000 more for school, he put the money they owed onto the football schoolarship dollars. He was given the ok from numerous higher-ups for the out of state tuition waivers. And the president in all of her glory anounced last spring to the boosters at lunch that KJ was now under the gun and had to go .500 to keep his job. He also had to have a roster of 85, and recruit 20 kids from the red river valley. She didn't tell him until about two weeks after the luncheon anouncement. Plus those Phds that run the school gave out full tuition waivers to half the soccer team and built a soccer field. They send people for weeks to Arizona to recruit students to Mayville, North Dakota. Are you serious? I'm sure people are really wanting to leave Arizona to come to Mayville. The school will not close, the people who are making the decisions that are aiding in the destruction of this great small college will soon lose their jobs, and people who actually believe in working for their salary will be hired. I know one thing is for sure, I almost didn't get out of that school because of the incompetentcies of one particular woman who works in a office in old main. But thanks to the intelligence of one great lady with two hot twin daughters, I was ok. There are people there who know what they are doing, and then there are the ones who have been there for a while, they are just riding out the storm until they retire in 4-5 years. If I was the president of MSU, they would get their act together now or I would can everyone who didn't share an office in old main. They had a foundation guy who almost made as much money as the president, and his job was to raise money. His salary was greater than the money he raised, he was canned. They do nothing with that trail county technology center, and that was a big project. I'm just glad we got Coach Ford there now, I know he will take care of those kids. If they would have hired the greatest HS coach in North Dakota History, I would have personally found a new home for every player. And they were seriously considering hiring that guy, he didn't even know about how to get a kid eligable. Ask somebody how much revenue that new Wellness Center generates, nobody even uses it, another $2 million down the tube. There are so many great things about Mayville, but there are those few people in charge of far too many things that ruin it. I type too much."

KJ was their moron head coach the past 4 or 5 seasons and Ford is their new moron head coach who was the D coordinator at MaSU. They truly need to get rid of the football program.

[MplsBison]

Yeah, no wonder Mayville turns out such good teachers.

The students get to have a small, private, liberal arts east coast college experiance at the cost of the ND tax payers.


What a sham.

[NdFaN]

Mayville State seeks tuition cut for out-of-state students
DALE WETZEL
Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. - Hoping to draw more students who will live on campus, Mayville State University is asking to slash nonresident student tuition by 43 percent, a move one official says should help the college's financial problems.

The Board of Higher Education's budget and finance subcommittee endorsed the proposal during a telephone conference call meeting on Monday.

The panel includes three board members - President Pam Kostelecky, Vice President John Q. Paulsen and board member Sue Andrews. The full board, which has eight voting members, will consider the proposal June 15 when it meets at Williston State College.

Students from 30 states who enroll at Mayville are normally billed 2.67 times the normal tuition rate for resident students. That now equals $9,469 annually, compared to the $3,614 charged to North Dakotans.

Steven Bensen, Mayville's vice president for finance, said the higher tuition costs are waived for some students.

However, the school believes it would be a better approach to cut tuition to 1.5 times what North Dakota students are charged, Bensen said. That would reduce the annual bill from $9,469 to $5,421. The discount would not apply to foreign students outside of Canada.

"We're hoping that this will encourage more on-campus students," Bensen said.

North Dakota's public colleges already offer tuition breaks to some out-of-state students through the state's membership in higher education compacts. Students from Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota, and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, qualify for a reduction.

Bensen said Mayville had 12 Texas students in the fall of 2005 who paid the higher rate. Four left before the spring semester began, and four more departed at the end. Mayville's enrollment equals about 625 full-time students.

He said a tuition reduction would help draw students back from Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas.

"What our experience has demonstrated is, a number of those students do have some financial hardships, and this last year, a number of them left because of financial reasons over the course of the year," Bensen said.

Mayville is struggling to cover a budget deficit of almost $900,000. Its enrollment of full-time students has not met expectations, and the school has had to pay soaring fuel bills.

Bensen is projecting that Mayville will have 659 full-time students this fall, and he believes the rate cut will not reduce the school's tuition revenues. Lower tuition costs should draw more out-of-state-students, he said.

"We do not see this as any way, or means, of reducing already limited tuition," he said. "We do not see this as a reduction."

[lakesbison]

****He said a tuition reduction would help draw students back from Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas. **


do they REALLY think kids from those states are gonna flock to mayville??? ha hahaha!!!

Yea Florida and Texas kids.... leave that nice climate and come up here to the frozen tundra!!

omg.... thats funny!

[NanoBison]

$9000 to goto Mayville State from out of state???? Seriously??? Cripes, NDSU is at that for in-state tuition...
Wouldn't it be wiser for students from out of state to simply attend a smaller college in their home state???

[NdFaN]

You guys will love this one on what the higher boards top priorities are :).

Minot State track, Mayville building top building priorities
DALE WETZEL
Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. - Replacing the indoor track at Minot State University's Dome and sprucing up West Hall at Mayville State University are the Board of Higher Education's most urgent construction needs, some board members say.

The board's budget and finance committee, which has three of the board's eight voting members, endorsed a priority list of 10 building projects on Monday. The committee's members are board President Pam Kostelecky, Vice President John Q. Paulsen and board member Sue Andrews.

The list includes projects at nine of the North Dakota university system's 11 public campuses. Only Williston State College and Dickinson State University have no construction initiatives on it.

The full Board of Higher Education will review the list next week. Once it is made final, it will be presented to the 2007 Legislature, and lawmakers will decide how many projects they want to pay for. Several of the initiatives have unsuccessfully sought money from the Legislature for years.

Laura Glatt, the university system's vice chancellor for administrative affairs, said rankings are determined by whether the project is needed to meet health and safety requirements, comply with state or federal laws, or to preserve existing buildings. New construction ranks last in determining priorities, she said.

Replacing the indoor track at the Minot State University Dome is "a safety issue," Glatt said, which helped make it the board's No. 1 priority.

State risk managers have suggested the track's uneven surface be closed to the public for safety reasons, a summary of the track project says.

Minot State has not hosted an indoor track meet for four years, and six local or regional meets scheduled for this spring have been canceled.

"There is significant buckling in the floor, which makes it unsafe for competitive or even recreational use," Glatt said. It would cost $336,400 to replace the track, and the state would supply half the sum.

Mayville State's West Hall, a classroom and office building, ranks No. 2 on the board's priority list. It needs $3.96 million for renovations, which would buy new ventilation and lighting, new bathrooms and an improved telecommunications network, university officials say.

Minot State has the costliest project on the list, a $7 million renovation and addition to Swain Hall, which has a gym, classrooms, offices, a weight room and exercise area, and locker rooms. It is ranked sixth.

A summary of the 10 projects says Swain Hall is badly in need of updating.

"The lighting is inadequate, the original plumbing and heating are outdated, and ventilation is nearly nonexistent," the summary says.

[roadwarrior]

Bensen said Mayville had 12 Texas students in the fall of 2005 who paid the higher rate. Four left before the spring semester began, and four more departed at the end.

These students obviously knew what the tuition was coming in, do you suppose they might not have liked the cold north wind in december?

[roadwarrior]

Replacing the indoor track at the Minot State University Dome is "a safety issue," Glatt said, which helped make it the board's No. 1 priority.

Where oh where is the state money to replace the indoor track at the BSA?

[roadwarrior]

Minot State has the costliest project on the list, a $7 million renovation and addition to Swain Hall, which has a gym, classrooms, offices, a weight room and exercise area, and locker rooms. It is ranked sixth.

This one has got to take the cake! ::)

Swain Hall is to Minot like Bentson Bunker is to NDSU. The old gym where they played basketball before they built the Minot State Dome.

Again where is the state money to help fix up the BSA?

[NanoBison]

That's being payed for by NDSU alumni and supporters (but you already knew that... ;) )

[roadwarrior]

Where are the Beaver Boosters ;D

[kchats]

The board is happy to help Minot State, but they think NDSU should pay for everything on its campus with private donations. I don't even think NDSU asks for much of anything from them anymore.

[BisonBacker]

Why should they, Chapman is right to feel the way he does about the ND Board of Higher education. I don't think he's at all impressed and see's the whole system as being flawed or tainted. I'm not quoteing him or don't have any inside info either, just my interpretations of his comments or lack of comments when it comes to the board. Who can blame him? The system is Broke and no one seems to want to fix it.

[MinotBison]

Minot State has the costliest project on the list, a $7 million renovation and addition to Swain Hall, which has a gym, classrooms, offices, a weight room and exercise area, and locker rooms. It is ranked sixth.

This one has got to take the cake! ::)

Swain Hall is to Minot like Bentson Bunker is to NDSU. *The old gym where they played basketball before they built the Minot State Dome.

Again where is the state money to help fix up the BSA?



Take the cake indeed. Swain Hall is a pile of (horse manure). Why they would want to spend any money on it is beyond me. To say that it is to Minot State what Bentson Bunker is to NDSU is an insult to NDSU and Bentson Bunker.

[kchats]

Some of these construction projects almost appear to be for rubbing NDSU's nose in it. Fixing an old arena with $7 million State money, replacing an indoor track with State money.

When NDSU moved to division I they said you moved now you pay for it without any State assistance. Why can't Minot State raise their own money too? Use the State's money for education and private money for athletics and athletic facilities.

[MplsBison]

Christ's sake.


Can NDSU defect to South Dakota?

[IowaBison]

You guys must have missed the other story in the paper that refers to Mayville's decision to charge all out-of-state students at most 1.5 times in-state tuition.

[NanoBison]

So once this new tuition rate fails to attract new students, are we closer than ever on a push to finally close this institution down?

[mikelsch]

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/14747919.htm
Proposed building projects for North Dakota's university system, listed in priority order. The Board of Higher Education will review the list next week, and submit a final version to the 2007 Legislature.
---
1. New indoor running track at the Minot State University Dome. State risk managers say the track is in such poor shape that it should be closed to the public. Cost: $336,400, of which half would be privately raised.
2. Renovation of Mayville State University's West Hall, a classroom building. The project includes installation of new heating and air conditioning, new toilets, lighting improvements, an upgraded telecommunications network, and repairs to the hall's main entrance. Cost: $3.96 million.
3. Renovations for O'Kelley Hall at the University of North Dakota, a classroom and research building. Work would include improved ventilation, fire protection and access for people with disabilities. About $600,000 in renovations have already been done. Cost: $2.2 million.
4. Wind turbine and electric boiler at Lake Region State College at Devils Lake. The turbine would be capable of generating all the electricity needed at Lake Region, and the boiler would replace an existing boiler that uses natural gas. Cost: $1.67 million.
5. Renovation of Minard Hall, which houses North Dakota State University's College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The project includes heating and air conditioning improvements; new windows, roof, and an elevator; and better handicapped access. Cost: $5 million.
6. Renovation of Swain Hall at Minot State University, and construction of a two-story addition. The project would include exercise and physiology labs, first-aid training stations, a dance studio, expanded classroom space, improved locker rooms and a health center for students and faculty. Cost: $7 million.
7. Replacement of steam lines at the North Dakota State College of Science at Wahpeton. The steam line is part of the campus heating system. Cost: $1.67 million.
8. Replacement of steam lines at Valley City State University, including the main line and lines that branch off into each building. A metering system would be included. Cost: $2.2 million.
9. Replacement of 850 feet of steam lines at Minot State University's Bottineau campus that connect the heating plant and six campus buildings. Cost: $252,000.
10. Renovation of Schafer Hall at Bismarck State College. Project includes asbestos removal, improved lighting, heating and ventilation, and a building addition for use by the college's information technology department. Cost: $543,000.

[IowaBison]

And that, my friends, is the problem with the NDUS.

$2.2 million for UND.
$5 million for NDSU.

Everybody else about $20 million.

We educate 2/3 of the students with 1/3 of the capital spending in this case.

The State is going to pay for Minot's wellness center, while UND and NDSU students paid for theirs with fees.

[NanoBison]

I agree. That's the problem, but nobody ever brings it up, because then NDSU and UND will look like the big bad guys....

[insane_ponderer]

In a way it is still a good thing. I think the less dependence we have on NDUS the better. NDSU is doing just fine as far as money goes. Sure it would be nice to get more from the state, but we don't necessarily need it as we can do it ourselves. What continually bothers me is the complete waste of money that Mayville and to a lesser extent Valley City are.

[IowaBison]

NDSU is doing just fine as far as money goes.

Great to hear.

Do you have the nuts to tell that to a person with a Ph.D. and ten years experience who is making 45k?




I didn't think so.

[MplsBison]

Is there anyway that NDSU or UND can sue the NDUS to get at minimum equal funding (though we deserve the majority of it since we educate the majority of the students in ND)?


The absolute minumum that I would accept is that for every dollar spent at a non NDSU/UND campus one dollar is spent at NDSU/UND. Even though that is complete crap, that is at least somewhat fair.


What we have no is just BS.

[NdFaN]

I was going through the GF Herald online and they have a poll and its "Should North Dakota close any of its colleges or University Campuses?"

44 votes Yes
70 votes No

[IowaBison]

Not surprising given the socialist bent of the readership.

A poll last week on the in-forum site was about 2/3s for closing Mayville.

[NanoBison]

I don't think NDSU or UND should sue the state for funding. It's a lose-lose situation. Even if we get more money, North Dakotans will hate us more than ever becuase we'd be attacking the little guys. The solution for the equity funding issues need to come from within the NDUS, not from the campuses... unfortunately...

I do agree, the current system is BS. I'm glad that the two doctoral schools are able to do as much as we currently can with private funding. Now imagine what we could do if we had the full funding we should?

[insane_ponderer]

NDSU is doing just fine as far as money goes.

Great to hear.

Do you have the nuts to tell that to a person with a Ph.D. and ten years experience who is making 45k?




I didn't think so.

Good point, I didn't think it through quite as much as I should have. What I meant to say was that we don't have the financial difficulties that other schools in the state have. You're right though, NDSU could be doing much better and it would be beneficial to the university employees.