<p>After reading Father McShane's goals for Fordham by 2016, I am really excited but I also wonder how reasonable these goals are. What do you think? Is it really likely, or even possible, that Fordham could be in the US News top 25 by 2016? Could Fordham be the leading Catholic University by 2016, equalling or surpassing Georgetown and Notre Dame in prestige? If not, what do you expect to be the result of this effort; will Fordham break the US News top 50 or 40, or significantly increase its endowment, etc.?</p>
<p>Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>i really don’t think it will crack the top 25, but it definitely will be top 50. i just can’t see it surpassing notre dame or georgetown.</p>
<p>Do you think Fordham could pass Boston College? Also, is it reasonable to expect Fordham’s endowment to hit $2 billion by 2016, even after taking a big hit in the ongoing financial crisis?</p>
<p>Your question is somewhat rhetorical. His immediate goal is to raise 500 million, of which 266 million is already in the bag. Most of the money to date has gone to improving programs and salaries of professors, and the last half of the fund raising will primarily go to new buildings. Fr. McShane, I think, believes “if you build it they will come” and hopes that Fordham’s rankings will improve, not for ranking purposes alone, but to truly make Fordham a top or the top Catholic university in the nation within a decade. Whether we get there or not is dependent on factors he cannot completely control: the economy at large, admissions statistics, who applies and comes to Fordham and what students do when they get there.</p>
<p>There is much work that needs to be done. They can start with athletics as far as I am concerned.</p>
<p>Regardless, there is no absolute goal (outside of raising the money). Its more the journey of improvement…always striving to be better, to renew and to look forward.</p>
<p>Best to shoot for the moon and fall among stars then shoot for mediocrity and fall in filth.</p>
<p>To do that… they’d have to pass NYU. Not happening.</p>
<p>AMGLeague, you know the Romans said the same thing when it came to their empire… and look what happened.</p>