RPI Issues in the news

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Hi,

I’m currently a senior looking into colleges and RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) looks very good to me for a variety of reasons. However, as I’ve looked into it I’ve found news stories about huge amounts of debt, controversy over the administration’s student union takeover, and authoritarian management. I’m assuming that these news stories were greatly over dramatized, but I wanted to get some opinions just to be sure.

Do these issues actually cause a significant problem for students or is it mostly unnoticeable in everyday life?
Thanks for your time!

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I just know the President of RPI has always been controversial.

I’d be surprised if the school was in genuine financial risk.

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@simba9 Yeah I’ve heard that too. I’ve also heard that she’s adding alot to keep the school modern so I have no idea what to think about her…

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I live in the same region as RPI and I am an alum.
I also know professors and students from RPI.

The President of RPI is not especially well-liked by students or faculty. She has worked hard to increase RPI’s visibility, and you see the results in rankings. She has taken on tremendous debt to do so, which is why the bond rating has fallen. Unlike Presidents of other small schools I know, she makes no effort to connect with the students. She has dissolved the Faculty Senate and is currently trying to take over the 100+ year student union organization which manages student activities. I don’t know what the motivation is to do this.

Having said this, you would get a fantastic education at RPI. These issues would not be something you think about on a daily basis (unless you were part of the student union I guess). If you ask this on the RPI forum, you will get students telling you it’s a great school. That would be your answer.

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The RPI president is the highest paid in the country. She is controversial but in terms of an education its neither here nor there. You would get a fabulous education at RPI and the students I know who have graduated from there land great jobs. One of the best things to do as an RPI student is to go to hockey games and cheer with your classmates saying just horrible but hilarious things! (Like “ugly Parent” and"Clarkson still sucks") Its really fun to see all the engineer types cheering the hockey players. Downtown Troy also has a lot of neat, independent bars and restaurants as well as some beautiful architecture and a fun culture. If you want to get out of Troy for a day Saratoga is close by as well as a jaunt up to the Adirondacks for endless outdoor experiences.

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My son is an undergrad there now. None of these things affect his experience, and should not be a factor.
As far as financial stability, this school has some extremely successful alumni, who can and do contribute, which should tell you a couple of things. One that there is appreciation for the education, and two that the financial stability issue is not so threatening. Look up the list of alumni on the wiki page, that alone should convince you this school has had a huge impact in the STEM world.

Note this is the oldest tech school in the US and as such, needs to spend $ to modernize. Doing so without debt is tough, but alumni donations seem to be helping as well. The president is a self-promoter, no doubt, but she does seem to be helping the school move up in the world as far as recognition, which is needed.

PS Have child at another better known, higher “ranked” school and feel my RPI student is getting a better education.

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@VMT @Empireapple @blevine Thank you all for your input! I’ll definitely be applying!

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The Capital District has many things to offer but this time of year there are several farms around that offer really nice outings to pick apples, hayrides, farmer’s markets…all very close. Every RPI graduate I know is a solid person who is quite successful. I also know students who have received terrific aid and scholarships. You can’t go wrong with RPI. (sorry…just had a little more to add…was thinking about your post later in the day after my first response)

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One of my sons just came back from visiting a friend at RPI. His first comment was that our entire living room could fit into his friend’s dorm room with space left over for the kitchen and dining room (and I have a 4 bed room, center hall colonial of just under 3000 square feet, so my house isn’t tiny).

The student we know up there is very happy. He has had great summer job experiences (paid, not internships) and is extremely happy with his education. He is challenged intellectually and is working hard and doing well. This is a kid who is very bright but not brilliant. He was kind of a shy kid before he went there, but he has blossomed. He is involved in a number of activities and really loves it. I hear the same thing from his parents and from other kids in their group who have visited. My middle sons are now planning another visit up there!

I don’t know too much about the president, but this boy’s mom, who is a friend of mine, has not expressed concern about this aspect of the school, at least to me, and we talk about college all the time since our 2017 sons are friends.

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My DS is a student at RPI and I don’t give a flip about any of those issues… ( DS doesn’t seem to either.) He is getting a great education and loves the school. I have visited the campus twice and found it to be beautiful. I’m not sure where that huge dorm room is located but my DS is comfortable and really likes his randomly-selected roommates.

Dr. Jackson has a tech, no-nonsense driven vibe, has a great science/tech reputation, and kicks butt at fundraising. She has my respect, even without the presidential warmth. Is she still the highest paid? I know she was a few years back when she received her 10-year deferred compensation payment, but that’s not base pay.

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I’ve had a long-time relationship with RPI as an alum and faculty member. The faculty and the involved portion of the student population are generally unhappy with the president. Yes, the school has spent inordinate sums of money on new buildings (the $200 million EMPAC for example) which has impacted its bond rating. But you are unlikely to sense much of that as a student unless you have a particularly candid professor.

I would not select RPI without visiting Troy. The campus itself is not bad, but the area around it and Troy in general is depressed which could be a significant turn-off. If I were looking at regional undergraduate engineering schools in the northeast I would also consider WPI and Northeastern. They have more focus on undergraduates and more vibrant campus life than RPI. Jackson has emphasized the graduate programs since she arrived at RPI which tends to reduce the interaction between faculty and undergraduates as professors scramble to grow research contracts.

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WPI and RPI are often mentioned together in the northeast. They are both old, well established engineering schools in the same geographic location, but they really do not have the same ethos. Either school will prepare you very well in the STEM fields.

You might want to review the differences between philosophies and specific vehicles used to develop your undergraduate growth at https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/wpi-plan. RPI has a solid, more traditional approach.

Aside from a major, what else are you expecting out of college? This question deserves attention also.

If you want a more flexible attitude, you might also look at Tufts University at http://engineering.tufts.edu/ or even travel to Harvey Mudd college at https://www.hmc.edu/

Good luck, but its not all luck! :bz

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Yes - I agree with @retiredfarmer. Having degrees from both schools I can say that they are very different. The quarter system and project-based learning at WPI is very unique, but the level of engagement between the faculty and students is significantly higher than at RPI. WPI and RPI are mentioned together a lot because historically they have competed for the same students from the northeast and had a greater focus on a practical engineering education relative to MIT, the other obvious engineering school in the region.

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FWIW, one of my sons turned down WPI and Northeastern for RPI. That said, IMO opinion, he would have been happy at any of them. RPI just made a bit more financial sense for us, and there were some less crucial non-academic differences. I will say all engineering schools are rigorous, RPI a bit more than others.

As to the comments from above about getting more attention at other schools, my son has had good interaction with his profs, better than at another major northeastern school where my eldest child attends. That said, WPI being so small and undergrad focused would be good in that respect.
All 3 are better known historically for undergrad education. And I am sure all would like to improve their research and therefore grad programs. Every tour of every school they will talk about undergrad research.

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I’d say that the issues going on just show much the student body cares. We’re not going to stop until our Union is again student run, for example. All of these issues surfaced because of a very active student government, student newspaper, and student-run Union (for now). For reference, RPI is the last private university that currently, again for now, has a student-run Union. Every other university has done away with the system and their students didn’t do anything about it. RPI is different, we’ve protested the decisions, petitioned the Board of Trustees, and continue to fight to maintain our rights.

Granted, the school is not at all going to the poor house to the speak. They just raised $400,000,000 in a 6 month period and are seeking an additional $600,000,000 for the capital campaign to increase the endowment. None of this affects the student experience in my opinion, being a current sophomore. I’ve loved my time here at RPI so far and do not at all regret my decision to come here. It’s really a phenomenal education and student body.

Sure, the school may have a bit more debt than it should, but that’s been getting paid off. The school’s total assets are over $1.4 billion, endowment over $600,000,000 as of last year (before the $400 million raised in the campaign) and the operational budget is gigantic (over $250 million). The school also does over $100 million in research every year, the goal is to bring that to $250 million over the next 10 years. And, again, the campaign has the potential to push the endowment above $1 billion over then next few years. Also, all universities have debt as I’ve mentioned in prior posts. Ivies have billions in debt, it’s just a matter of if the university can pay it back, which isn’t an issue in this case.

Capital Campaign #2: https://news.rpi.edu/content/2017/10/16/rensselaer-launches-1-billion-capital-campaign

Last Capital Campaign: https://news.rpi.edu/luwakkey/2501

Recent copy of the student paper: https://poly.rpi.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Rensselaer-Polytechnic-October-18-2017-V2.pdf