Harvard newspaper doesn't want a 4th sorority

[SWTXBelle]

Plus - WHAT KIND OF STUDENTS DO WE WANT? Football fans? We have MORE than enough students - in fact, we have too many. TX State currently cannot house all of its freshmen, nor can they offer enough upper level courses. My daughter might have to stay an extra YEAR if she cannot get into a necessary class next spring. While building continues apace on the stadium, they've cut the bus to her apartment and cut work/study programs.
Priorities - they are screwed up.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Plus - WHAT KIND OF STUDENTS DO WE WANT? Football fans? We have MORE than enough students - in fact, we have too many. TX State currently cannot house all of its freshmen, nor can they offer enough upper level courses. My daughter might have to stay an extra YEAR if she cannot get into a necessary class next spring. While building continues apace on the stadium, they've cut the bus to her apartment and cut work/study programs.
Priorities - they are screwed up.

@ bold #1 - I don't think that's necessarily football's fault. UTA (no football program) is in a similar situation, with enrollment jumping from ~26,000 to ~33,000 in a matter of about 2 years. I think this is related to the economy rather than the athletic program. However...

@ bold #2 = awful.

[SWTXBelle]

My point is that the argument that we need football to attract students doesn't work, since we already have too many students. The University has x amount of money - where does it go? If it is going to rebuild the stadium and to support athletics, it's not there to hire the faculty to teach upper level courses, for example.

They sold the name change to us by stating "It won't cost any money! We have $250,000 in private donations". Um, if we have $250,000 to use to improve the school, I think it could have been better spent on scholarships rather than changing signs and buying stationery. Yep, that's what it went to - to facilitate the name change.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

My point is that the argument that we need football to attract students doesn't work, since we already have too many students. The University has x amount of money - where does it go? If it is going to rebuild the stadium and to support athletics, it's not there to hire the faculty to teach upper level courses, for example.

They sold the name change to us by stating "It won't cost any money! We have $250,000 in private donations". Um, if we have $250,000 to use to improve the school, I think it could have been better spent on scholarships rather than changing signs and buying stationery. Yep, that's what it went to - to facilitate the name change.

Admittedly, I didn't read the entire thread, but the post that I saw re: football attracting students didn't say that we NEED football to attract students. I read it as "Football can cause the number of applications for admission to increase."

If we're concerned about overcrowding, I think there needs to be a change in admissions (like UT).

[Munchkin03]

Does Texas have an automatic merit scholarship program like Florida (Bright Futures)? If so, then that would totally explain the jump in enrollment--families who wouldn't otherwise send a kid to college are able to do so, and families with money are sending their children to in-state schools instead of private or out-of-state publics.

It's across the state in Florida too--it's not just UF and FSU which are bulging at the seams, but schools that are less known as football powerhouses or who don't have football teams at all.

[AOII Angel]

Going to D-1 didn't effect admissions for ULM. Going from D-2 to D-1 actually DECREASED attendance significantly at home games (which were almost non-existent in the early years after the change. We were actually National Champions as D-2 but never have a winning season as D-1. That doesn't bring in students. It does, however, bring in money. LSU paid us a lot of money to lose to them at home this year. A group of sorority sisters and I went to the game, but we all rooted for LSU. (Hey, we've all been lifelong LSU fans, and ULM has done everything in their power to kill off any alumni support of their football program.) The only exciting thing about the football program in recent years was the surprise win over Bama three or four years ago in Saban's first year.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Does Texas have an automatic merit scholarship program like Florida (Bright Futures)? If so, then that would totally explain the jump in enrollment--families who wouldn't otherwise send a kid to college are able to do so, and families with money are sending their children to in-state schools instead of private or out-of-state publics.

It's across the state in Florida too--it's not just UF and FSU which are bulging at the seams, but schools that are less known as football powerhouses or who don't have football teams at all.

Nope, no automatic merit scholarships - and because of the UT/A&M auto-admit program for top 10% (or 8 - they may have changed it) of public school grads more and more quality students are going OUT of state. You would not believe the number of Katy senior women going to Auburn, Bama, LSU and OK schools - if you look at the Katy Panhellenic records you can pinpoint when the 10% rule came into effect because of the jump in out of state students.

[knight_shadow]

When I was applying, the Top 10% rule applied to all publics, not just UT and A+M. Did that change?

[Low C Sharp]

Just to stir the pot, I'll add that Harvard allows single-sex organizations not only in the athletic arena, but also for singing/musical theater groups. The rationale is the same as with athletics: a biological, physical difference between men and women that relates directly to the activity at hand. In practical terms, certain activities -- ice hockey, singing high-voice repertoire -- can't work unless the group is single-sex.

Discuss.
________
WHITE WIDOW SEEDS

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Just to stir the pot, I'll add that Harvard allows single-sex organizations not only in the athletic arena, but also for singing/musical theater groups. The rationale is the same as with athletics: a biological, physical difference between men and women that relates directly to the activity at hand. In practical terms, certain activities -- ice hockey, singing high-voice repertoire -- can't work unless the group is single-sex.

Discuss.

Georgetown says the same thing, yet the school also allows Knights of Columbus.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Georgetown says the same thing, yet the school also allows Knights of Columbus.

I’m pretty sure some of them might be baritones.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Just to stir the pot, I'll add that Harvard allows single-sex organizations not only in the athletic arena, but also for singing/musical theater groups. The rationale is the same as with athletics: a biological, physical difference between men and women that relates directly to the activity at hand. In practical terms, certain activities -- ice hockey, singing high-voice repertoire -- can't work unless the group is single-sex.

Discuss.

Our school had a male only acapella group. I don't know enough about the school's policies to be able to say whether they skirted the rules or followed them specifically. The question may come down to, "Are they student organizations or are they teams." And since the acapella group competed, they may have been able to abide by different rules. Just a guess though.

ETA: There's an anti-discrimination clause (and a "must have a Jesuit mission clause") but in the same section they use an example of a men's club sports team without any sort of explanation for why the exception would be made. I'm tempted to email the VP of Student Life just to ask. Throw my totally worthless alumna weight around or something.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

That's kinda cool. I could see how this would be really appealing to some women, because not everyone wants to live in a chapter house, but not having a space at all is a bummer, too.

The Crimson mentions meeting spaces / social spaces acquired by fraternities and sororities in the following article:

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/20...es-sigma-rush/

Excerpt:

“. . . Greek leaders . . . [said] that the purchase of spaces by fraternities and sororities may have contributed to increased interest.

Sigma Chi has had a house on Arrow Street for ten years and Sigma Alpha Epsilon recently purchased an apartment on Harvard Street, according to the fraternities’ respective presidents.

Delta Gamma said on its Facebook page that it acquired an apartment last year and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma said that the group is in the process of purchasing its own space.

Phillip J. Morris ’12, president of SAE, said that it was possible that the club’s recent acquisition of a social space contributed to the increase in rush numbers this year.

Morris also attributed the increase in rush numbers to the collaborative efforts of both fraternities and sororities to expand the Greek presence on campus.”
. . .

Comment or question: are apartment and house prices in the areas around the Square still high-to-breathtakingly high? Or have the Great Recession and burst housing bubble created greater affordability?

[LadyLonghorn]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

When I was applying, the Top 10% rule applied to all publics, not just UT and A+M. Did that change?

It does apply to all of them. However the vast majority of those who are able to get admitted that way want to go to UT and A&M. So there are a much smaller number of spots available at those schools for freshmen to be admitted under other criteria.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

It does apply to all of them. However the vast majority of those who are able to get admitted that way want to go to UT and A&M. So there are a much smaller number of spots available at those schools for freshmen to be admitted under other criteria.

@ the bold - Yea, I know that. I was just confused by her wording. Thanks.