the story is about UMass-Boston but it could be (and probably is) about any number of other schools across the country. In Changing Higher Ed Landscape, UMass Boston Gambled
So, Bostonians, this confuses me a little. To those of us from elsewhere the names "University of Massachusetts" and the city of Boston itself conjure images of educational competence, even excellence. You'd think that a school that combines the two would be able to pull in students from somewhere.
That's an excellent article and it shows how changing demographics are forcing traditional programs to change how (going online) and where (not on-campus) degrees are being offered. The demographics of college students is no longer exclusively ages 18-22. Instead, the transition is to students who are much older and who are already employed. The transition in Japan is much more sobering. Due to declining birth rates (due to abortions), Japan is trying to figure out how to fill emptying college classrooms, in lieu of closing universities. There are not enough traditional-age students to fill on-campus Japanese universities.
UMass-Boston has always sort of been the stepchild of the UMass system. For many years it was the only commuter campus (although they recently built dorms), it was built next to what at the time was a notorious public housing project (Columbia Point, since gentrified to a mixed-use private complex), and because it was essentially a replacement for Boston State College (although the 2 coexisted for several years), it marketed itself initially to students from the city and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, they tried to improve/reinvent themselves as a major research university, and they just didn't have the location or the campus to pull it off. Add in that the UMass system itself is an absolute cesspool of nepotism and corruption (the administrative payroll is completely packed with useless ex-politician hacks), and this isn't surprising. Out-of-state students aren't beating down the doors to get accepted like they are with the Amherst, Lowell, and even Dartmouth campuses, and the demographics of the Boston alumni don't lend themselves very well to large donations. That's my take on it, anyway.
The combination might be the source of the problem. (One of the sources, anyway.) "University of Massachusetts" kind of suggests 'research university', if only because universities with the name "University of..." followed by the name of a state are generally flagship public universities (or university systems) for that state. But... the Boston area is a tremendously crowded market for research universities. Harvard, MIT, Tufts, BU, BC, Brandeis, Northeastern... There are more in Worcester and Providence isn't that far away either. In other words there are lots of doctoral research universities in the area and some of them are among the country's most prestigious. So a school like U. Mass. Boston will have a lot of work ahead of it if it doesn't want to remain down at the bottom of the list in terms of prestige and applicant desirability.
Okay, I get that. I don't think that people in the area will be immediately impressed. But when it comes to marketing online to people throughout the country and around the world, I'd think that would work for them. (But then I hear what Bruce is saying as well....)
Here's one program I like that is run out of UMass-Boston Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking | www.umassonline.net
