This week’s theme: “challenging the enrollment spin”.

I have a set of colleges on today’s show that would like us to believe that they are winning the higher education enrollment game. Yet, in every case their enrollment data is selective and short-term.

They ignore mostly pathetic graduation rates and don’t even begin to share their troublesome financial picture. All the while trying to paint a rosy picture that their college is not like all of the other colleges in dire financial straights.

Financial truths are more valuable than spin and other narratives. Each of these colleges have substantive financial challenges that they are hiding from their students, their faculty, their communities and probably more.

Show notes: (links to stories in this podcast+

Budget cuts: What schools have announced them—and who may be next

Overall enrollment up at Missouri Southern State University

University of Illinois announces plans for new 400-bed residence hall

McNeese State University (LA) sees largest enrollment increase in two decades

UNO enrollment is down again. What does that mean for the university?

Bethel University (MN) LI post

YSU digs into fall enrollment numbers (Youngstown State)