Dive Brief:
- Mount St. Mary’s University is dealing with a crisis caused by leaked emails and President Simon Newman’s plan to get rid of 20 to 25 low-performing freshmen before they counted toward retention numbers.
- The student newspaper, The Mountain Echo, published excerpts from multiple emails about the plan between Newman and institutional leaders, as well as a graphic analogy in which Newman described his plan to several faculty members as difficult for them because they think of students as “cuddly bunnies” — he said, “You just have to drown the bunnies … put a Glock to their heads.”
- For his part, Newman told the Washington Post that the original article mischaracterized a plan that was meant to better serve students and ensure they find success, possibly at a less selective institution — but a survey Newman wanted to administer to identify struggling students was never used for that purpose, and faculty did not recommend students they thought were at risk of eventually dropping out, as Newman had reportedly wanted.
Dive Insight:
Newman is being slammed for his crass language in discussing the plan as well as the plan itself, which, according to his emails, was meant to increase the school’s retention rate by 4-5%. Inside Higher Ed reports that the Mount’s six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time students is 66%, and it has a 78% retention rate of freshmen. Both rates are higher than national averages, but among its peer schools, significantly higher rates are not uncommon.
Newman came to Mount St. Mary’s as president last year, turning to higher education from a career in private equity and business. This background is becoming increasingly sought after by boards of trustees looking for someone who can improve a range of metrics at struggling institutions.