Your degree is from an unranked university...

[LindellWest]

11 hours ago, Glorydays2013 said:

Just a list of recent F-ups under this admin

Clocktower

Med School certification

Med School admissions being rigged

Sit 2

US news rankings declining (tentative)

the countless behind the scenes mess ups around the university

I am sure there are more

 

 

If anyone still has contactvwith someone who works at SLU or works for SLU you would understand and know how badly this place is being managed. Its shameful. 

 

Lest we forget the rollout of the new mascot..... That was some great national press. Fred is starting to rack up an impressive list of failures. 

[Old guy]

2 hours ago, 73Billiken said:

Just another reason for the Society of Jesus Rapid Response Team for Failed Leadership to be dispatched from Rome............

The Society of Jesus Rapid Response Team for Failed Leadership is already mobilized and its members are busy applying a fix. They meet every day in Rome to pray a Novena for the solution of the issues that ail SLU.

[LindellWest]

4 minutes ago, Old guy said:

The Society of Jesus Rapid Response Team for Failed Leadership is already mobilized and its members are busy applying a fix. They meet every day in Rome to pray a Novena for the solution of the issues that ail SLU.

I understand its blue font, but at this point I’d take it. Maybe St Jude would be a good choice for choice for Fred’s leadership

[RiseAndGrind]

13 hours ago, disgruntledbilliken said:

We are on a list with Oklahoma City University, Randolph University, Drury University, Dakota Wesleyan University....embarrasing.

 

Article: https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blog/articles/2018-08-22/updates-to-8-schools-2018-best-colleges-rankings-data

 

E-mail from Pestello pasted below:

Dear Members of the SLU Community,

 

I write this evening to share with you some concerning information that has come to our attention within the past 24 hours. This information regards an error in our reporting for the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.

 

This past spring, we made a mistake in our submission to U.S. News. The University received no rankings gain in this error. Our 2018 U.S. News Best College rankings — which many students and families consult — were accurate. Our error did not help our numbers.

 

Yesterday, U.S. News emailed us to say their data analysts found a discrepancy in the six-year graduation rate numbers SLU reported for the 2010 entering class/cohort in 2018 versus what we reported in 2017. SLU was one of eight colleges and universities that received such notifications. As a result, U.S. News immediately listed all of them, including SLU, as “unranked” on the 2018 U.S. News profile until clarifications are made.

 

For reference, institutions submit six-year graduation rate numbers two years at a time. For example, in 2017, we submitted six-year graduation rates for the 2009 and 2010 freshman cohorts (first-time college, full-time, degree-seeking freshman). In 2018, we submitted graduation rates for the 2010 and 2011 cohorts.

 

The University leadership team gathered to review our data submissions for the past two years, and here is what was discovered:

 

1.      There was an unintentional error made this spring in SLU’s reporting of the 2010 cohort six-year graduation rate. We reported it was 74 percent when in fact it should have been reported as 77 percent — as it had been reported in 2017.

 

2.      This kind of mistake is inexcusable, and we must own it and correct it.

 

The leadership team has reached out to U.S. News to explain the error and to correct the record. However, we are not sure at this point how this error might affect the 2019 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings that will be released in early September.

 

The University will undertake an extensive review of our processes, conducted by an impartial, external organization, and institute new procedures.

 

I apologize that we made this mistake and for any possible negative reflection this may have on the outstanding work done by our faculty, staff, and students.

 

I regret sharing this as our new students come to campus, our upperclass students return, and our faculty start a new semester, but I believe it is essential for me to make you aware of this issue and know that it may get media attention in the days ahead.

 

I thank each of you for your many contributions to Saint Louis University.

 

Sincerely,

 

Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.

President

Does the email really say: “here is what we discovered .... this is inexcusable.”

That’s either poorly drafted or apparently messing things up has just now become inexcusable  

[papal]

Is Pestello saying that the 2010-2011 graduation cohort is 74%?  The correction letter is confusing and doesn't clarify whether there are any repercussion's for ther mistakes . By the way, he is wasting more money by hiring an outside firm to evaluate the problem instead of taking the bull by the horn himself.

Edited August 24, 2018 by papal
added additional statement

[billiken_roy]

plain and simple pesty is a trainwreck on all fronts.   way over his head.   and the fact that the BoT has not reacted after so many examples of ineptness only proves we need a new BoT or at least a new leader there as well.   come on.  we all paid a lot of money for the "prestige" of a slu diploma.   make it worth something.  

[billikenfan05]

43 minutes ago, LindellWest said:

Lest we forget the rollout of the new mascot..... That was some great national press. Fred is starting to rack up an impressive list of failures. 

Pestello blows goats but that was Athletic Department Fuok up

[kmbilliken]

How can a mistake like this not get Pesty fired? What does he bring to the table? Does the BoT just not want to go through the hassle of finding a new President?

[disgruntledbilliken]

31 minutes ago, kmbilliken said:

How can a mistake like this not get Pesty fired? What does he bring to the table? Does the BoT just not want to go through the hassle of finding a new President?

I'm just speculating here, but I think that to an older generation, things like rankings don't matter. It is just a little boo boo that we own up to, and move on. "Who cares, its just one rankings list," I assume is their mentality. 

In some regard they are right-SLU is no more a good or bad school with or without the "NR" by they name. But, for high school upperclassmen, it matters. For undergrads, its embarrassing. For parents, it must be infuriating. Let's say your child is debating between Marquette, SLU, and Dayton. Overall pretty similar institutions. SLU and Marquette are basically tied in the rankings and are higher than Dayton, so Dayton is crossed off the list. You like Marquette, but you prefer not to be in the cold. You choose SLU. 

You get to SLU, and on move-in day, you find out they are unranked due to a screw up! As a parent, I am infuriated that I am paying that amount of money. Was ranking the end all be all in this decision? No. But it did play a part in very very very expensive life decision. 

Edited August 24, 2018 by disgruntledbilliken

[jimbofive]

Thanks, Fred, YOU FUOKASS.

[jimbofive]

Tuition, room and board at SLU is just shy of $58k a year.  Let that soak in.  $240k for a degree in whatever.

My wife went to dental school for $220k.

[SLU_Nick]

I assume that SLU gives out a lot of scholarships so that 58k figure is not realized by most, but man.  That is so much money.  I'd rather just be a welder and not have the debt.  Am I right @BrownIndian @brownindians ? 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

16 minutes ago, SLU_Nick said:

I assume that SLU gives out a lot of scholarships so that 58k figure is not realized by most, but man.  That is so much money.  I'd rather just be a welder and not have the debt.  Am I right @BrownIndian @brownindians ? 

Unlike other schools my family has attended, SLU certainly does not go out of their way to help students looking to close any financing gap. At least they did not when I was there. 

[ARon]

57 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Unlike other schools my family has attended, SLU certainly does not go out of their way to help students looking to close any financing gap. At least they did not when I was there. 

It depends.  I let my admission rep know I was having to seriously consider SPUMAC even though I’d rather go to SLU because MU was offering a better value once all financial aid was considered. 

Later that week he let us know they “found” another $5,000 in scholarship money I qualified for.

All of these universities are competing for students anymore and a kid can work that competition to their advantage.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

11 minutes ago, ARon said:

It depends.  I let my admission rep know I was having to seriously consider SPUMAC even though I’d rather go to SLU because MU was offering a better value once all financial aid was considered. 

Later that week he let us know they “found” another $5,000 in scholarship money I qualified for.

All of these universities are competing for students anymore and a kid can work that competition to their advantage.

I did the same thing. They told me to go find the money and let them know by the deadline. I think the guy told me to go take out a second private loan  

[Spoon-Balls]

16 minutes ago, ARon said:

It depends.  I let my admission rep know I was having to seriously consider SPUMAC even though I’d rather go to SLU because MU was offering a better value once all financial aid was considered. 

Later that week he let us know they “found” another $5,000 in scholarship money I qualified for.

All of these universities are competing for students anymore and a kid can work that competition to their advantage.

I think that's what a lot of this conversation about SLU and Universities in general boils down to. All universities are dealing with the same crisis right now: a significant shortage of college students in the near and long term future. It is currently a national arms race to bolster facilities, attract as many students as possible from a smaller pool, and outlast other comparable universities. Prices continue to soar because universities have to keep building newer and shinier things that attract high school kids on their campus visits. Many universities that aren't able to compete will eventually be shutting their doors.

I agree that SLU has a lot of problems right now, but I think a lot of universities everywhere have already realized that they have similar problems... The only way SLU can overcome these issues longterm is by establishing stronger leadership at the BoT level. Right now they are dropping the ball. 

[milwaukeebill]

 

1 hour ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Unlike other schools my family has attended, SLU certainly does not go out of their way to help students looking to close any financing gap. At least they did not when I was there. 

I received far more money from SLU then I did from anywhere else.

[cgeldmacher]

I think it is interesting that all these folks at the various departments at SLU are fretting about the budget problems when it was the faculty in those same department that ran Biondi out of town because he was trying to do things to fix the pending budget problem.  Guess what faculty, you made your bed, now sleep in it.  Because of their unwillingness to see what the administration under Biondi saw was coming, we now all have to deal with Pestello.  Thanks, guys.

[Glorydays2013]

4 hours ago, LindellWest said:

Lest we forget the rollout of the new mascot..... That was some great national press. Fred is starting to rack up an impressive list of failures. 

I actually like the new mascot. Grew on me

[Pistol]

31 minutes ago, milwaukeebill said:

I received far more money from SLU then I did from anywhere else.

Same. I was really close to going to Richmond but that extra money was enough of an incentive to go to SLU.

The fact that this email comes shortly after the University announced its largest fundraising year in history probably softens the blow a bit. Fundraising is one of the primary jobs of a school president; sending numbers to US News isn't. Someone several rungs down the ladder messed up, and while it's embarrassing for him and the school, I'd rather he sent the email and owned it than just ignoring it and waiting for people to ask.

The school is in solid financial shape currently, regardless of the current fundraising campaign, FWIW.

[Glorydays2013]

Slu is in big trouble if colleges are forced to show income per major of their alumni. 

So many stupid degrees being handed out to students who in my experience only got in because the major needed bodies and money. 

Then those kids turn to be the troublemakers on campus and in student government 

[billikenfan05]

15 minutes ago, Glorydays2013 said:

I actually like the new mascot. Grew on me

He's talking about the half gray half white billiken mascot costume.....

[Glorydays2013]

59 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

He's talking about the half gray half white billiken mascot costume.....

wow already forgot about that

[billikenfan05]

It looks like there will be NO homecoming soccer game. Neither the men nor women are playing at home this weekend. I always felt like the soccer game was a unique aspect of our homecoming weekend. I don’t get it.

[Spoon-Balls]

28 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

It looks like there will be NO homecoming soccer game. Neither the men nor women are playing at home this weekend. I always felt like the soccer game was a unique aspect of our homecoming weekend. I don’t get it.

Considering how poor the turnout for homecoming was last year, it seems like the administration just doesn’t even care at this point.