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Why wouldn't we want both UHV and Victoria College to thrive?
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If you work at an newspaper for any length of time, you'll encounter those who think you're favoring one thing over another.
In the days before school consolidation, the Advocate faced criticism from Victoria High and Stroman High supporters. We also have wrestled at times with balancing coverage of DeTar vs. Citizens hospitals.
The hot topic of late, though, is Victoria College vs. the University of Houston-Victoria. A polite gentleman called me Tuesday to say that day's edition showed how the Advocate was doing a disservice to Victoria College. He's felt for quite a while that the Advocate is favoring UHV, he said. A recent letter writer expressed a similar sentiment.
On Tuesday, we published four stories about Victoria College. The top story on B1 was about the college board raising the tax rate. Alongside it, but with a smaller headline, was a story about the college receiving a $2.8 million grant. Inside were stories about the college being recognized for the high performance of its transfer students and about the college receiving a $150,000 grant for nuclear scholarships.
The caller, whose wife is a college administrator, said we should have emphasized the $2.8 million grant or the transfer recognition over the tax rate. I tried to explain that readers generally care more about taxes than just about anything else the government does.
The caller said he knew our publisher, John Roberts, and all he and his family have done for the community. I agreed and added the Advocate certainly wants both Victoria College and UHV to be successful and to give good coverage of both institutions. They're not in competition to us.
In the interest of full disclosure, I've noted before that my wife works as communications manager at UHV. Also, one of our owners, Catherine McHaney, has served on the Victoria College board of trustees for almost 30 years. We try to keep these conflicts separate from the day-to-day decisions about news coverage.
As a family-owned newspaper, the Victoria Advocate is fully vested in the success of the community. Sometimes that involvement can create awkward situations. The best we can do in those cases is to be open to discuss what we're doing and why.
Just wait until next year when Victoria West and East high schools open. Perhaps I should send one of my children to each school.
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Please remember that VC will not go down like the Titanic. UHV plans on giving the tuition it receives from incoming Freshman to VC for I think 5 years.
September 21, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.VC will benefit and UHV will benefit.
This will be a symbiotic relationship where both institutions will thrive.
Isn't wanting a true 4 year university the natural order of things? I mean as a graduate of both VC and UHV I think I have a little insight, though it was years ago. Isn't the prestige of having a true 4 year university enough? Personally I think VC should learn to adapt or starve. But they won't starve. Those enrolling in UHV will be doing so with the intent of getting a Bachelors degree. That's something you can't get at VC. But there are things at VC you can't get at UHV. Lots of courses in several fields. How is this an issue? It seems more about one institution trying to guard its share of the tax revenue pie. Someone might get left out someday.
It just seems like a no brainer to me. Kind of like starting with two new high schools instead of constantly trying to live in the past, that to be honest was not as glorious as some seem to remember.
September 17, 2009 at 9:53 p.m.The expansion of UHV presents many challenges and opportunities for both institutions. We plan to aggressively examine these issues in the immediate future and the years ahead.
Across the country, the common model is for cities to have both a community college and a four-year university. These institutions have different missions. UHV's president has stated many times that expansion depends on the ability to create a destination university. That's a big goal: Can UHV recruit students from outside the Crossroads region (VC's service area)?
Perhaps the first pressing question is what resources will UH commit toward this expansion? What will be its plans to encourage and accommodate growth? Have other universities such as UT-Tyler managed the process?
Meanwhile, how will VC work with K-12 schools in the Crossroads to increase the graduation rate and expand access to higher education? If more high school students went on to advanced training, VC would have plenty of opportunities for growth as well.
Our new education reporter, Julian Cavazos, has his hands full with a multitude of stories to investigate. We encourage all of you to keep suggesting story angles to pursue.
September 16, 2009 at 9:12 p.m.Bluefish...why would students be enrolled at BOTH institutions when UHV offers freshman and sophomore elvel classes as well? They may be co-enrolled NOW, but not when UHV offers everything they need.
September 16, 2009 at 8:56 p.m.Please remember that there has to be news to cover for the paper to write an article on a subject and downward expansion as been a big deal in the community over the last year or so, so of course it will be covered in the paper. I assume any time there is news to cover at VC that the news paper covers it as well.
September 16, 2009 at 8:16 p.m.As far as VC enrollment is concerned, I would think that the increased enrollment at UHV would help VC. Many of the student athletes (students that would not be in the area if not for UHV) at UHV are enrolled at both VC and UHV, thus increasing enrollment and the caliber of students at both institutions.
The future for VC looks dismal. The downward expansion of UH-V will have both institutions recruiting the same students.
VC will still attract some new students, I suppose. Their lower tuition rates will certainly be an attractive drawing card. My understanding, though, is that UH-V will be offering large numbers of scholarships to help counterbalance that.
What will draw most students to VC rather than UH-V, though, will be the ease of getting in. There are virtually no entry standards, no minimum test scores, no deadlines for applying.
As a result, the quality of student VC attracts will continue to fall. Virtually anybody who walks through the door can enroll. Developmental classes will grow (percentage-wise) in comparison to credit classes. Students spend more and more of their financial aid (including student loans) taking classes that really don't count toward a degree/certificate. As a result, many get frustrated and quit, or simply fail out. They still owe those loans, though...and many of them will default.
More and more money will be poured into "retention efforts" to keep some students who really don't belong in college. VC needs to examine and re-evaluate its recruitment efforts.
There will still be a VC in Victoria's future...but the institution is in for some major changes. For those students who are academically ready for college, and interested in an academic major, then UH-V will be the institution for them.
For those who are not academically ready,and those who are interested in vocational/technical coursework, or for those who can't afford to go to UHV (even though financial aid should help alot) then VC will be the school for them. And that's a very different make-up of students than what they have now.
I think many people who work at VC realize this, and this shows in their letters/phone calls to the newspaper. They are frustrated with the direction VC is headed and probably somewhat fearful as well.
September 16, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.