SIUC Surge and Why It Won't Work

This is emblematic of what is wrong with SIUC. Once you start having declining sales/students, you can't price cut your way out of the difficulty since someone else can always go lower. Does SIUC think the universities in the states the administration is targeting are going to just stand quietly by and let SIUC poach their students? Nope, they will either cut prices as well or increase the quality of their offerings to keep students. From the administration, all I am hearing is cuts, both in staff and price, nothing about improving the quality of the offering.

Sure, there are instances throughout the campus of individual units increasing the quality of their offerings but no indication of a defining focus or vision from the top.

American's Best Inn Shut Down

The city has shut down the America's Best Inn on the east side of town for violations involving leaky pipes and insect infestations. There's a hearing on Sept. 8th for the owners to show they have fixed the problems. My bet is, we'll see a number of complaints, inspections, closures and re-openings for several years, until the building deteriorates beyond the point of repair, much like the Horizon Inn.

Update: Here're the reviews DaveX refers to in the comments.

SIUC Grant Award

SIUC has won a grant to train additional researchers in the field of watershed science. Looks like it should bring about $3 million in grant money to the university and attract around 20 top PhD candidates. Good job(s).

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This is interesting. The Center for Neighborhood Technology is producing maps comparing overall greenhouse gases produced by a region to greenhouse gases emissions per household. Nothing for southern Illinois, since downstate doesn't exist when most organizaitons look at Illinois, but here's St. Louis.

SIUC a Failure

At least in the eyes of the Sierra Club, it is.

Edit: Ed points out that here is the link to the actual SC post listing the three worst schools, along with comments from people defending them

Fat Patties

Latest on Fat Patties is that Lance Jack is appealing his third denial of a liquor license to the State Liquor Control Commission again. His appeal comes up before the commission the middle of September.

Eagles Having Problems

Seems membership at the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles has been dropping over the last 5 years. I can see why the Illinois smoking ban might hurt their numbers, as well as the decision to not allow video poker in town (thought I've been told you can still find it at a couple of places) but don't see how an increase in the minimum wage would affect membership. I can see how the Eagles might not be able to give away as much money because they have to pay higher wages, but not how it would affect membership.