What's the matter with Rockhurst and UMKC?

[earthling]

The problem with public schools (partly funded by state money) is that they may be expected to provide core education as a priority for state residents. Some are so focused on the research aspect that the administrators/staff might put core education on the backburner and make the school less accessible to state residents. UT Austin is apparently in that boat right now. There was an article about that situation with UT about a month ago - can't find it.

It can work with public schools but is trickier to pull off if it becomes more of a research university (with usually <2% success rate of research) than a core education university for state residents - that is partly state funded.

[pash]

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[pash]

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[earthling]

^Pretty much agree with you as there are many situations where it can work. Just saying when it's public it's trickier and I like the UMKC approach collaborating with private institutions rather than getting too obsessed with high risk research with little return and putting core education on backburner (like UT Austin is accused of - my younger brother went there btw as undergrad, but decided on Ohio State for grad school). We need more private institutions collaborating with UMKC rather than UMKC itself becoming dominantly a research university. Is another approach anyway.

I do agree that UT Austin has _perception_ of a great university due to research, but in reality out of thousands of research items, only a few have panned out. And the state partly funds the university while it somewhat relatively ignores state residents. UT Austin should probably become a private university at this point as it likely could get by w/out state funding.

[pstokely]

Most major research universities are public, and most funding for research comes in the form of federal grants.

Private universities, particularly those that haven't already build up billion-dollar endowments, have no advantage in producing research. Really, they are saddled with a major disadvantage: undergraduate students paying top dollar to attend expect access to big-name professors, and so tenure-track faculty at private universities often have more substantial teaching obligations than their counterparts at public universities. Research faculty at public schools can often get away with minimal interaction with undergrads, and sometimes have no undergrad teaching obligations at all.

most freshmen level classes are taught by grad students at publics

[IraGlacialis]

In the case of the sciences, the only way a school is going to attract a big name professor is if there is research to be had, so that point is moot. Also if research is had, and names are made, there are usually both non-profit and corporate sponsors ready to chip in.

I don't think I follow. ...

I was just giving a counterpoint to the idea that private universities have no advantage in producing research, when research really is the only reason a big name science/engineering professor would go there.
The last sentence was just how private school are able to get the money without state funding.

Looking over your later posts, I think that we are actually in general agreement. While it would be nice to have a research university in the area, there are already quite a few in the area already. KU next door, Mizzou and K-State within a stone's throw in either direction.

What would be better is a research institute, be it a museum or lab, that may offer grad programs on the side. Or simply expanding what we have. There is really no need to slap on more undergraduate schools.

[FangKC]

How Colleges are Reviving Downtown

The downtown college campus plays an essential role in linking town and gown. Having a downtown college campus that plugs students into the city’s beating heart can alleviate strained relations due to the often-transient nature of students. For example, students at college campuses in Manhattan will be likelier to stay put because they’re plugged-in to internship and professional development opportunities in New York City. Economic reasons aside, they probably won’t leave for somewhere more recreationally desirable.

Connecting higher education to downtown reaffirms the city’s role as a central marketplace for ideas, talent, entrepreneurial activity, and everything else that we find makes cities successful in this era.

http://www.ceosforcities.org/blog/how-c ... -downtown/

[aknowledgeableperson]

I am not sure why one would gripe about Rockhurst University. Up until the 60's the high school and college shared the same campus. Because of a need for more space the Jesuits could have had the college move out south, like Avila away from St. Teresa's on Main. Instead they moved the high school and kept the college at its old site. That was a major commitment to the area. Yes, the relationship between the school and the neighborhood hasn't always been on the best of terms but the campus had to grow or the college moved.
Not sure how Rockhurst and the other Jesuit colleges in the nation have grown or not grown over the last 50 years but from what I can tell its quality of education has not changed.

[aknowledgeableperson]

How Colleges are Reviving Downtown

The Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese may have found a way to fill up the empty floors in its 10-story headquarters.

A nonprofit organization in Fort Worth, Texas, wants to open a small Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas City and is looking at leasing part of the historic building at 20 W. Ninth St. that now houses the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocesan chancery. The diocese bought the former New York Life building in 2010.

A nonprofit organization in Fort Worth, Texas, wants to open a small Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas City and is looking at leasing part of the historic building at 20 W. Ninth St. that now houses the diocesan chancery. The diocese bought the former New York Life building in 2010.

“This would be a private college,” said Jude Huntz, chancellor of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese. “They would rent the space from us. I think they would fit in nicely with the other colleges here, and it would be a benefit to downtown to have more people down here.”

The Walsingham Society of Christian Culture and Western Civilization contacted diocesan officials last year to talk about its plan to establish Christ College in Kansas City, Huntz said.

Brinton Smith, president of the Walsingham Society, described Christ College in an email to The Kansas City Star as “a Catholic, seminar-based, Great Books course of study.”

“Our intent is to start small and expand as needed,” Smith said. “We are interested in leasing space for the school in Kansas City, and have looked at several locations.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/26/41 ... rylink=cpy

[aknowledgeableperson]

Rockhurst University is planning a new classroom and faculty office building that is scheduled to break ground next spring and be completed by fall 2015.

The project was approved by the university board of trustees and will be built in what is now a parking lot south of the campus bell tower. When completed, the plan calls for historic Sedgwick Hall to be remodeled to accommodate administrative offices.

The new building is part of a 20-year master plan developed for the 55-acre campus at 52nd Street and Troost Avenue in 2011.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/25/43 ... rylink=cpy

[Zorobabel]

Any renders, anyone?

[chaglang]

Rockhurst University is planning a new classroom and faculty office building that is scheduled to break ground next spring and be completed by fall 2015.

The project was approved by the university board of trustees and will be built in what is now a parking lot south of the campus bell tower. When completed, the plan calls for historic Sedgwick Hall to be remodeled to accommodate administrative offices.

The new building is part of a 20-year master plan developed for the 55-acre campus at 52nd Street and Troost Avenue in 2011.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/25/43 ... rylink=cpy

This is good. I worked on the survey for the master plan. The university was somewhat skeptical of the idea of densifying campus, if it meant losing parking. At the time I think they would have preferred to raze more houses to make room for a new building. It was pointed out that the old quad between Sedgwick and Massman is everyone's favorite part of campus, and they could do a series of those by building in the middle of campus as opposed to on the periphery. Glad to see that clicked for them.

Sedgwick's in need of serious stabilization. There's something going on underground along that block of Troost. Sedgwick and the newer art gallery have both experienced a lot more subsidence than they should have.

[KCMax]

Breaking ground this week.

Rockhurst University starting $25 million classroom building

The project is the latest phase of a $54 million master plan launched in 2010. The campaign began after the college received a $10 million gift, the largest in its history, from an anonymous donor. A $9 million, 423-space parking garage was completed at 51st Street and Troost in 2012.

The next phase calls for converting a 500-seat auditorium into a theater with production facilities to accommodate events on the 55-acre campus.

[normalthings]

Plans filed for a 224 unit student housing project at Rockhurst.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

Where would that go? The site they on Troost they just razed?

[DaveKCMO]

https://twitter.com/kckansascity/status ... 4720247812
https://www.rockhurst.edu/news/06-25-20 ... -boulevard

[normalthings]

Tiki Taco building on Troost near Rockhurst

[normalthings]

My hot take on UMKC going forward- I think the streetcar is gonna be a game changer.

I say this as someone who chose to do all 4 years at UMKC undergrad and passed on KU. In 2025, if UMKC can start marketing itself as a city school with free transit on campus with easy access to internships…they should then start sucking away alot of kids who would be KU/KSU students. The free streetcar + downtown internship access + urban life is something Lawrence and Manhattan cannot even come close to competing with. You could be be on campus and get to your internship downtown and Westport all without a car…for free. If they capitalize on this to students, they could start really competing with KU for undergrad students.

Aside from the obvious increase in funding for engineering-related programs and developing more tech & research connections.... UMKC needs to tackle facilities. There are some nicer structures (Business School, Student Union) but renovations and new construction is needed.

I absolutely think UMKC needs to shift from commuter to a residential school. Replacing the Oak Dorms (or whatever was bulldozed) with a denser and walkable community is step 1. That was proposed in the new master plan but there were no firm plans for replacement. Google claims 6% of UMKC students live in college-owned. Would like to see closer to 100% of first years and 50-75% of second years living on campus.

[AlkaliAxel]

My hot take on UMKC going forward- I think the streetcar is gonna be a game changer.

I say this as someone who chose to do all 4 years at UMKC undergrad and passed on KU. In 2025, if UMKC can start marketing itself as a city school with free transit on campus with easy access to internships…they should then start sucking away alot of kids who would be KU/KSU students. The free streetcar + downtown internship access + urban life is something Lawrence and Manhattan cannot even come close to competing with. You could be be on campus and get to your internship downtown and Westport all without a car…for free. If they capitalize on this to students, they could start really competing with KU for undergrad students.

Aside from the obvious increase in funding for engineering-related programs and developing more tech & research connections.... UMKC needs to tackle facilities. There are some nicer structures (Business School, Student Union) but renovations and new construction is needed.

I absolutely think UMKC needs to shift from commuter to a residential school. Replacing the Oak Dorms (or whatever was bulldozed) with a denser and walkable community is step 1. That was proposed in the new master plan but there were no firm plans for replacement. Google claims 6% of UMKC students live in college-owned. Would like to see closer to 100% of first years and 50-75% of second years living on campus.

I concur with this assessment. It's time to shift away from being a commuter school. UMKC just needs to pressing its advantages over Lawrence or any other small-ass college town out there. I do think word will get about streetcar impact for students and it'll move the needle against KU/KSU.

Advantages: CHEAPER, free streetcar transit right on campus, the ability to get from apartment in Plaza/Midtown to classroom/internship without a car, much closer proximity to internships/jobs, closer proximity to city & entertainment/sports

KU advantages: better Greek life and some marginally better programs

IF UMKC can market their numerous advantages correctly, they should be able to get alot of students away from KU (specifically ones who don't care about the frat life). They need to start talking about the impact streetcar can have for college students!! More students = more money

[beautyfromashes]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... nsas-city/

"There are some lingering questions with Kansas City's (formerly UMKC) facilities that need to be ironed out in the coming months to firm up its status as a legitimate candidate."

I think UMKC probably realizes this. It's been mentioned as a major need (and quickly) for membership to the Missouri Valley Conference, which would be a major upgrade for the university and good for the city.