Texas Southern - failing school?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13412]

paywall - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/Texas-Southern-University-admitted-4-000-students-15302088.php

A wide variety of universities are good for the state so it's a plus to have a small university to serve Houston, but TSU is in the news for one scandal after another. I don't track every story about TSU but doesn't every school President leaves in a scandal if not under an indictment?

I realize the political reality in that support for TSU will always come from Austin but at some point the state needs to step in.

Regardless the TSU grads and faculty should be the most upset as continued news like this one completely discount their work, diplomas and jobs. It's very sad that hard-working students are continually let down by their school's administrators.

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Texas Southern University admitted thousands of students who did not meet the college’s academic criteria and awarded a total of $2.1 million in scholarships over a three-year period to hundreds of students who were not qualified...

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The review, ordered by the TSU Board of Regents, revealed that half of the students — or 4,141 of 8,273 — admitted to TSU in the fall semesters of 2017, 2018 and 2019 did not meet TSU’s academic criteria and were admitted “based on a variety of undocumented scenarios.”

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Incoming students must have a 2.5 minimum GPA, and a combined SAT score of 820 or higher if taken before March 2016 or a score of 900 if taken after that date, according to the college. Those who take the ACT must earn a composite score of 17.

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Around 63 percent of students in the fall 2017 cohort and around 49 percent in fall 2018 were no longer enrolled at TSU in fall 2019, according to the report. 

 

[UpperWestside 6136]

They have the Ocean of Soul marching band. That alone is reason enough to keep the doors open.

[tx 3 putt 76375]

1 hour ago, UpperWestside said:

They have the Ocean of Soul marching band. That alone is reason enough to keep the doors open.

this

 

also hits close to home as i frequent the frenchy's on the corner of campus (no racist but damn good fried chicken) 

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3861]

I cannot conceive of a student body that is 50% below 2.5GPA/820SAT.  Google tells me 17 ACT is the 29th percentile.  50% of the students fall below that, evidently.

[TwiceHorn 31274]

It's a shame when an HBCU isn't a paragon of virtue.  Not that it really needs to be a paragon, but when it's a hive of villainy, that sucks.  It not only fails to serve its "community," but becomes a talking point for those so inclined.

Dallas' Paul Quinn, while constantly underfunded and underutilized, seems to be doing a really nice job lately under Mike Sorrell.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13412]

From the outside, it seems TSU exists to funnel student loans, state and federal funds to the tsu employees and graduate a small number of students. Presumably there is some level of education occurring.

I can understand that AA students may to attend a HBCU but why would a high performing high school student want to go to TSU? And as this attitude expands, you get fewer and fewer applications. The only admissions options are a greatly reduced student body or allow in unqualified students.  And I’m using their own definition to say many of the students were unqualified.

I doubt there is a successful playbook for universities that have failed for extended periods and qualified students don’t apply. Realistically you can’t reduce headcount (students, teachers and admins) by 50%.  You can drop some programs but not half the school.

in a corporate setting, wouldn’t you fire senior mgmt and rebrand?

[SaucyJack 3487]

On 5/29/2020 at 8:21 AM, UpperWestside said:

They have the Ocean of Soul marching band. That alone is reason enough to keep the doors open.

For a while, they went under the moniker, “The Ocean that Stole”.

https://apnews.com/8d2190606aae573dc50a943ef5e19f87

[LABEVO 928]

17 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

From the outside, it seems TSU exists to funnel student loans, state and federal funds to the tsu employees and graduate a small number of students. Presumably there is some level of education occurring.

I can understand that AA students may to attend a HBCU but why would a high performing high school student want to go to TSU? And as this attitude expands, you get fewer and fewer applications. The only admissions options are a greatly reduced student body or allow in unqualified students.  And I’m using their own definition to say many of the students were unqualified.

I doubt there is a successful playbook for universities that have failed for extended periods and qualified students don’t apply. Realistically you can’t reduce headcount (students, teachers and admins) by 50%.  You can drop some programs but not half the school.

in a corporate setting, wouldn’t you fire senior mgmt and rebrand?

There is a playbook. A friends family has done it for a couple of universities and made a shit ton of money

[WBT 20421]

On 5/29/2020 at 8:03 AM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Around 63 percent of students in the fall 2017 cohort and around 49 percent in fall 2018 were no longer enrolled at TSU in fall 2019, according to the report. 

Holy shit

[BrazilHorn 6576]

If you open admissions to basically be to someone who is living then how in the world does Texas Southern not have just the absolute best sports teams in the country?

Think of the guys who go to the NFL or NBA from total multi-directional state school or JC. Could TS not recruit these kids. If you don't even have the pretense at "playing school" at least take a run at some titles.