An Idea: University of Kansas City?

[ComandanteCero]

So, i was reading about the Burnham plan of Chicago and how it basically transformed the city in huge ways, and one of the important institutions to be created out of this plan/strategy was the University of Chicago. Now, we have some great state schools nearby (KU, and to an extent MU), but the only big school in the city UMKC, is not exactly a world renowned institution (not like UChicago, or St. Louis' Washington U, or Atlanta's Emory, or USC, Houston's Rice, etc etc etc). It would be awesome to have a world class private research university in the city. Reason i say private is more because that has it's own vibe and what not and can usually move and develop faster on its own (while charging an arm and a leg), unlike state schools that have to come under the state plans as to where the state will invest (i,e the state decides they'll make Truman U their "prestige liberal arts school" and Mizzou their flagship, and Rolla their engineering school, etc). Another big thing is that if we developed an elite university we could attract the brightest and the best from all over the country (and the world) and hopefully retain a good number of them in the region (thus boosting workforce and general business of the city). So how about it? University of Kansas City!!

[GRID]

Great idea, but did you know that UMKC was the "University of KC" before joining the MO system?

I do agree that KC needs a major urban university...real bad.

[ComandanteCero]

Great idea, but did you know that UMKC was the "University of KC" before joining the MO system?

I do agree that KC needs a major urban university...real bad.

i thought i had heard something like that in another thread, yeah, that's pretty interesting actually. I just looked up UMKC's history and it talks about it's beginnings as a private university as U of KC and what not:

In the 1890s, there was talk of founding a university in Kansas City because of the city's growth, but it was not until the 1920s that talk turned to action. In the postwar decade, the chamber of commerce appointed a committee to consider the possibility of a university in Kansas City. During this time, Lincoln and Lee University also was being established. Named after two leaders of the Civil War (Missouri was a border state), Lincoln and Lee was to be maintained by the Methodist Church. While the plans for the denominational university were being formulated, proponents of a non-political, non-sectarian institution organized and joined a committee that was working for a united university plan. A board of trustees comprising leading businessmen was established and the board proceeded cautiously with its plans.

In 1929, a charter for the University of Kansas City was granted. The dream became a reality when William Volker, a local philanthropist for whom the 93-acre Volker campus is named, presented the board with the 40-acre nucleus of the present campus site in Kansas City's Rockhill district. Volker also provided funds to purchase the former private home of Walter S. Dickey, a wealthy Kansas City manufacturer. The ivy-covered stone mansion, now known as Scofield Hall and situated in the center of the campus, was the fledgling university's first main building.

With a charter and a campus site, the Board of Trustees started a citywide drive for funds. Raising a large endowment in the middle of the Great Depression seemed an impossible goal, but the board persisted, encouraged by the fact that many universities had started with one building, no larger than the handsome Dickey mansion. In 1933, the University of Kansas City announced that classes would begin in October. The board had decided that if 125 students who were qualified to enter either the University of Missouri or the University of Kansas applied to the University of Kansas City, it would mean there were a sufficient number of students in Kansas City who wanted an education at home and the University would go into operation. A faculty of 17 was hired, and on Oct. 2, 1933, 264 students were enrolled. The University of Kansas City, a private, independent university, had begun.

it'd be awesome if a new University of KC were to develop somewhere near downtown, even though i don't know where it would fit...... (er....unless they wanted to go on the suicide mission to the West Bottoms, hehe).

[KC0KEK]

For starters, the school would need a backer with really deep pockets: somebody who could provide the money necessary for top faculty and facilities. In other words, do what Stowers did.

[ComandanteCero]

yeah, any talk/rumor/ spec of a university idea would have to wait for the PAC and the nelson expansion to be completed since they are pretty much absorbing all charity million dollar donations in the city. But a random idea came into my head, wouldn't it be cool, if a university were to move to the West Bottoms (ok this is way out there i know) and it made Kemper its Arena? That would be awesome!! hehe

[trailerkid]

Couldn't we just improve UMKC to become a signature public university (on par with Illinois, UNC-Chapel Hill, or Michigan) rather than try to create a new one. I think some things would have to happen first in just improving the image of UMKC. Having a public feud between faculty and chancellor surely doesn't help...

[ComandanteCero]

that was my first thought, but it seems to really depend on where the state decides to put its money and resources at, and it seems with rising tuition costs and lack of funding it has come to the point where if they decide to put big improvements in one place it comes at the detriment of others. Truman, Rolla and Mizzou have all made names for themselves by concentrating on certain areas (ok, Mizzou no so much, it functions more like the big well funded state school). UMSL and UMKC kind of jog along stuck between not being small enough to focus on just certain programs, and not large enough to get the kind of funding Mizzou gets, they get stuck as degree machines for the mass of people who just want to get a degree and get out. Which feeds into one of UMKC's BIGGEST problems which is that it's bascially a commuter school that seems to have an almost nonexistent ability to create any added cultural, social, economic value to the area around it (atleast not to the degree a university its size both in area and student body should be creating).

So, to me UMKC is kind of like the TSC of KC's educational system. It could use huge revamping and rethinking, even thinning departments or degree tracks that are siphoning resources that should be used to beef their stronger programs (why be mediocre in 150 possible majors, if you can be average in 30, really good in 25, and worldclass in 10?) But regardless of what happens to UMKC it still won't provide the kind of pizzaz KC could use by having a smaller world class private university in an urban or near urban setting. An example is the Kansas City Arts Institute, it's small but incredible, and the kind of students they attract and train are among the best arts graduates in the country, period. KC's progressive arts and culture scene is basically due to the world class students, graduates, faculty and former faculty that are attracted by it and stay in KC. We could have the same thing happen in terms of biotech, business, law, etc with the right kind of well founded tightly handled fast moving university (something a large institution like UMKC can't be at this point). Anywho....i agree though, UMKC has got to get its act together in a bunch of ways.

[trailerkid]

An example is the Kansas City Arts Institute, it's s mall but incredible, and the kind of students they attract and train are among the best arts graduates in the country, period. KC's progressive arts and culture scene is basically due to the world class students, graduates, faculty and former faculty that are attracted by it and stay in KC. We could have the same thing happenin terms of biotech, business, law, etc with the right kind of well founded tightly handled fast moving university (something a large institution like UMKC can't be at this point).

KC still does relatively OK in attracting young creative people due to the proximity of major public schools like KU, MU, NU, OSU, OU, Iowa State, Kstate and the general suckiness of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

[GRID]

Couldn't we just improve UMKC to become a signature public university (on par with Illinois, UNC-Chapel Hill, or Michigan) rather than try to create a new one. I think some things would have to happen first in just improving the image of UMKC. Having a public feud between faculty and chancellor surely doesn't help...

Exactly, the potential is there, it's in a great urban location etc.

I'm not expert on this, but once again, I think KC's lack of pride hurts UMKC. I can elaborate if that does not make sence.

[FangKC]

I think this sort of concept is developing with Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, which is formerly known as University of Health Sciences. It's located near Independence Avenue and Woodland. It's not very far from downtown--about 12-15 blocks from the loop, so it's the closest thing to a downtown university campus. It's a private educational institution, and also part of Kansas City's life sciences consortium.

Granted, it's no Univ. of Chicago; Washington Univ.; Rice; Emory, or USC. But who knows what it might grow into. It's already a private university. Perhaps they could expand on the sciences and technology and create a midwestern version of MIT.

If the university continues to grow, perhaps its campus will as well. It would most likely move south between Woodland and The Paseo, which is mostly vacant lots now. It would be great if Kansas City University expanded enough to meet up with that east side residential housing development plan put forth by McCormick-Baron for a Quality Hill-type neighborhood from the east loop of downtown to the Paseo, and from Admiral Blvd. south to I-70.

A residential neighborhood of professionals, academics, and students so close to downtown would be very beneficial indeed.
-------------------------------------------------------------
New Name Reflects Medical School's Broader Mission in Education and Research
The University of Health Sciences is now Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. The change was announced May 27 by the University's Board of Trustees.

Noting the University's expanded community impact, its role as one of eight key research partners in the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, and its national leadership in medical education and health policy, the Board stated that the new name more accurately reflects the institution's broader mission in education and research. The name change will take effect July 1, 2004.

In making the announcement, President and Chief Executive Officer Karen L. Pletz, J.D., said the University's students, faculty and alumni have much to be proud of. In April, the University established a national Health Policy Institute in Kansas City and a new 45,000 sq.-ft. Center for Biosciences Research will be dedicated in September. "We believe our new name reflects the strength and magnitude of the exciting endeavors our students, faculty and researchers are undertaking every day," President Pletz said.

http://www.uhs.edu/news.asp
http://www.uhs.edu/

---------------------------

The following institutions are partners in the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute:

Midwest Research Institute
Children's Mercy Hospital & Clinics
St. Luke's Medical Center
University of Kansas Medical Center
University of Kansas - Lawrence
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
University of Missouri-Kansas City

[ComandanteCero]

wow, that's pretty cool didn't even realize they existed. I guess that would be a good school to try to help beef up and grow into something cool, especially since they are on the east side of the RCP corridor, which can always use help and they are concentrating on biosciences. They even have the name going, hehe.

[dangerboy]

UMKC can and should be our city's premier urban research university. It's made a lot of progress in the last few years. Despite the complaints about her style, Martha Gillaland has done a good job of positioning the university for the this better future that we are talking about.

Even without improved state funding, UMKC could still be improved with better support from alumni and the local community. Recently the Hall Family Foundation gave $40 million to an out of town school (KU), but gave UMKC less than 10. That's a good example of how our own local community isn't doing as much as at it could for UMKC.

As for a private university, Rockhurst has an excellent academic reputation and could become prominent like St. Louis University. But they don't seem interested in expanding to the size places like SLU or U of Chicago.

[Deleted User]

.

[cdschofield]

UMKC as a whole has a pretty mediocre reputation but the Conservatory of Music, which is 100 years old this year, and the theatre department are nationally renowned. The medical school is one of only a handful in the nation that has the fast track program for the Doogie Howser's of the world. And the parternership with Stower's and the Kansas City Life Sciences Institute should help UMKC's health and biosciences programs build a national reputation. Although not part of UMKC but on the campus is the Linda Hall Library, one of the worlds leading science and technology libraries. So, there is something for UMKC to build upon.

[dangerboy]

UMKC's undergrad med school program is probably going to switch to a traditional post-baccalaureate setup. It was a novel idea, but not really sufficient for their new aspirations for a national reputation.

[AllThingsKC]

On my way to work today, I passed the "University of Phoenix". I see it all the time, but I never really thought about it until today..... U of Phoenix??? In Kansas City? KC needs a "KCU" or "U of KC" in Phoenix!!!

[Tosspot]

On my way to work today, I passed the "University of Phoenix". I see it all the time, but I never really thought about it until today..... U of Phoenix??? In Kansas City? KC needs a "KCU" or "U of KC" in Phoenix!!!

Univ Of Phoenix is all over the United States. They tout themselves as a school for working adults trying to brush up on their credentials, get a bachelor's or master's while working, etc... Nearly all of University of Phoenix's classes are online.

[FangKC]

Tosspot, I'm going to supplement what you've said.

From Univ. of Phx Web site:

"University of Phoenix has grown to be the nation’s largest private university, specializing in the education of working adults by offering degree programs that are highly relevant, accessible, and efficient. With more than 150 campuses and learning centers in 30 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and via the Internet, you can complete your degree no matter where you live, what hours you work, or how often you travel or relocate."

It's sort of become a virtual university, and a "brand" in education, much like DeVry University.

Creating a university seems like a daunting task. However, Univ. of Phoenix started from scratch in 1976, and in 28 years has expanded online, and to major cities in 34 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Calgary and Vancouver in Canada. So it isn't outside the realm of possibility to create a similar Kansas City-based university with a vast network of educational franchises.

[KCMax]

On my way to work today, I passed the "University of Phoenix". I see it all the time, but I never really thought about it until today..... U of Phoenix??? In Kansas City? KC needs a "KCU" or "U of KC" in Phoenix!!!

I believe St. Louis U and Central Michigan also have branch campuses in KC for some reason.

[phxcat]

On my way to work today, I passed the "University of Phoenix". I see it all the time, but I never really thought about it until today..... U of Phoenix??? In Kansas City? KC needs a "KCU" or "U of KC" in Phoenix!!!

One of the other major schools out here (in Phoenix) is Ottowa University (as in Ottowa Kansas)