What's the matter with Rockhurst and UMKC?

[Cratedigger]

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.

Oh cool. That would be huge for UMKC.

Are the new facilities needed training facilities? Or does the MVC want an update to Municipal Auditorium?

[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.

Oh cool. That would be huge for UMKC.

Are the new facilities needed training facilities? Or does the MVC want an update to Municipal Auditorium?

I don't believe they've said what they require and I don't know if it's for basketball or other sports.

[dukuboy1]

I would say of the UM systems schools, UMKC is most likely 2nd behind Mizzou in total programs offers and success of graduates, etc. UMSL (IMO) is a glorified Community College. Obviously Wash U is the cream of the crop in all of MO universities & colleges. I think that if UMKC could secure steady funding via an endowment and donations it needs to go the SLU route and become it's own thing outside of the UM system. I'm sure that will lead to a funding gap, of which I'm not sure how it would be solved. But honestly I'm not sure how much money the state allocates to UMKC. I would think it would serve bot the state and UMKC better to go the non-state funded route. I'm sure MO would love to invest those dollars in their other state schools and UMKC could unshackle itself from public funding and look to take more direction of their institution. But again I do not know all of the details & nuances of what is involved.

My dad was a professor at UMKC from 1977 until about 2010, still on faculty, though not teaching. He really enjoyed it but admittedly there was good & bad.

[dukuboy1]

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

I believe it was mentioned in a past before but a "research triangle" of sorts with UMKC/KC, KU, and KState would be awesome. Also might be a great way to get some bi-state cooperation, as majority of KU & KState grads come to KC Metro to careers. Focus on the idea of health sciences (medicine, pharmacy, etc.) then look at agribusiness and animals sciences and create the epicenter for agriculture science in the entire Midwest. Perhaps even look to develop a new focus on transportation/logistics & improved supply chain delivery. Again taking advantage of our central US location & growth of such logistics centers in our area.

I'd love to include Mizzou in this, as KC at it's heart is MO, but Mizzou seems to align itself more with STL and points East in MO than KC. Which I think KC knows and takes advantage of the KU, KState, relationships.

[AlkaliAxel]

I'd love to include Mizzou in this, as KC at it's heart is MO, but Mizzou seems to align itself more with STL and points East in MO than KC. Which I think KC knows and takes advantage of the KU, KState, relationships.

From what I can tell, most of the Mizzou grads in KC are ones who were already from KC in the first place. That's why, I concur, Mizzou doesn't seem like it will broadly align with KC.

KSU & KU, on the other hand, bring in alot more people from out of state to KC, and also Wichita, small towns, etc. Reason is because KC is the biggest city they can look towards until Denver. Mizzou obv isn't in that camp.

To wrap this point around, you're absolutely right that UMKC, KU, KSU should partner together and make a research triangle with KC as the base.

As mentioned earlier- put a train in a straight line between KC, Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan.

[dukuboy1]

high speed rail to Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, would be great idea. Especially let's say you could get to Manhattan in say 30-40 minutes from when you left KC. If Lawrence was a 10 minute trip and Topeka say 12-15min trip it changes the dynamics of the region immensely. You could have ppl living in KC who work for KU & KSU, and vice versa. Not sure how much it would hurt the those communities but I assume those who live in Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, prefer to live there and would stay knowing they could work in KC but return home with little or no issue. Certainly would improve "tourist" travel within the region knowing you could take a train to each campus on game day, etc. But I really like the idea linking the region together with KC as the Central Hub

[Anthony_Hugo98]

high speed rail to Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, would be great idea. Especially let's say you could get to Manhattan in say 30-40 minutes from when you left KC. If Lawrence was a 10 minute trip and Topeka say 12-15min trip it changes the dynamics of the region immensely. You could have ppl living in KC who work for KU & KSU, and vice versa. Not sure how much it would hurt the those communities but I assume those who live in Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, prefer to live there and would stay knowing they could work in KC but return home with little or no issue. Certainly would improve "tourist" travel within the region knowing you could take a train to each campus on game day, etc. But I really like the idea linking the region together with KC as the Central Hub

HSR doesn’t make sense for a route like that. The cost to flesh out a system, even of this little length, would vastly exceed any revenue it could ever hope to bring in.

[Cratedigger]

St Louis School in Rockhurst's DII conference is moving to D1

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... ion-i.html

As part of its move to the Division I ranks, Lindenwood will become a member of the Brentwood, Tennessee-based Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), starting with the 2022-23 academic year. It will be one of two St. Louis-area colleges in the OVC, joining Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The OVC’s membership also includes Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Lindenwood said Wednesday it will begin the Division I transition starting with the 2022-23 academic year and that it expects its first full year of membership at the NCAA's top level will be in 2026-27.

Worth noting that their enrollment is signifigantly higher than Rockhurst's