Does Dallas deserve more than SMU

[Digetydog]

According to the NACUBO, SMU had the 31st largest college endowment in 1990 (based on market value):
http://www.nacubo.org/documents/1990%20Total%20Market%20Values.pdf

In 2011, SMU had the 61st largest college endowment (based on market value):
http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2011NCSEPublicTablesEndowmentMarketValues319.pdf

Excellent post, but the "facts" can be misleading without more information.
1) some schools have been accused of hoarding money because a "big" endowment is seen as a good. Allegedly, they aren't using the income from the endowment for the benefit of the students. How much money does SMU give out in financial aid (need and merit) relative to our peers?
2) Location matters: $1 billion goes farther in Texas than in NYC.
3) SMU has spent an enormous amount of money rebuilding the campus. Other schools haven't done the same thing.

All in, I think Turner has done a great job at fixing the mess that Pye and Shields made of the place.

[friarwolf]

Turner has actually raised approximately 1.1BB. First campaign raised 500MM and this one is already at 650MM..........

[gostangs]

stallion i think you could help out by writing a quick check for 100m towards the endowment. Lets see it!

[Oliver]

All of the comments about being nationally thought of as a Bible school or as Southern Missouri, Santa Monica, Saint Mary's, etc. are why branding in athletics are so important.

To change the perception we need to win big games and make headlines. Preform well on national TV and make sure we are labeled, branded as, referred to as "SMU" as much as possible. Such a shame that it took so long for Turner and the Admin. to realize the importance of committing to tier 1 athletics.

[gostangs]

there will be a TON of national and international press on the Bush library opening in 90 days. Hope our PR people are ready to swing into action and feed the hungry press

[MV pony]

Some really good comments, but I would add this.

As far back as the '70's I remember hearing, 'Southern Methodist University is neither Southern, nor Methodist, nor a University'. Point being even back then we were not viewd as a religious school. Seriously doubt the word 'Methodist' is holding us back.

I said 30 years ago we were #54, it was actually closer to 33 years, and that is only when I began tracking it. This building boom we are experiencing started some 7 years ago?, that does not explain the prior 25 years.

ES, you are right about the power of compounding, but you can only take that argument so far. Stanford was founded only 20 years before us. Now I do not expect us to be at Stanford's level, but I certainly expected us to be better than #58, or in MexMustang's words, and he is correct, 'not even in Top 100'.

SMT, love your enthusiasm regarding us being Top 40 in ten years, but i don't see it as it is extremely difficult moving up the ladder at this level in such a short time frame. Which kinda leads me back to one of the reasons I posted this. When I had just graduated, I also thought SMU was going to advance academically. It simply hasn't happened yet and I don't exactly know why.

In the Northeast, we are viewed as a Church school.

Nothing wrong with being known as a church school. When I was a kid, every Baptist I knew wanted to go to Baylor. I just wish SMU had that kind of Methodist support. The Methodists I meet these days don't even know that the M stands for Methodist. Just my 2 cents.

[NavyCrimson]

Well said - MV

[couch 'em]

I don't think I've met any Methodists as hardcore in the same way as baptists. They didn't want to go to a church school either.

[Stallion]

Methodist preachers rarely open their mouth to confirm ignorance like a hundred Baptists preachers

[EastStang]

Two points Stallion when you show off your ignorance. Baptist churches are congregationalist and as such each church has its own rules regarding qualifications of a pastor and ordination. Thus, there are Baptist preachers who have no formal seminary training out there and who may or may not have even graduated from high school. Secondly, there are a much greater number of baptist preachers who are seminary trained and are as smart and well read as anyone. I've heard some incredibly stupid sermons at pretty much every denomination you can think of including two memorable ones out of the mouths of Methodist preachers.

[NavyCrimson]

Well said - E'Stang

[lwjr]

Methodist preachers rarely open their mouth to confirm ignorance like a hundred Baptists preachers

I want to re phrase my comment. Stallion your comment surprises me. You usually have a good well thought out post but this is not one of those post.

[Digetydog]

Nothing wrong with being known as a church school. When I was a kid, every Baptist I knew wanted to go to Baylor. I just wish SMU had that kind of Methodist support. The Methodists I meet these days don't even know that the M stands for Methodist. Just my 2 cents.

I disagree.

Simply put, we are not a “church school.” Students seeking an experience similar to what Baylor, BYU, or Notre Dame offer will be disappointed. My sister went to Notre Dame because she is a devout Catholic. I know people who go to Baylor because they are devout Baptists. Mormons flock to BYU because of what it offers them. There is nothing wrong with that. In four years at SMU, I never met a single person who went there for the “Methodist” experience.

[Pony^]

According to the NACUBO, SMU had the 31st largest college endowment in 1990 (based on market value):
http://www.nacubo.org/documents/1990%20Total%20Market%20Values.pdf

In 2011, SMU had the 61st largest college endowment (based on market value):
http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2011NCSEPublicTablesEndowmentMarketValues319.pdf

Excellent post, but the "facts" can be misleading without more information.
1) some schools have been accused of hoarding money because a "big" endowment is seen as a good. Allegedly, they aren't using the income from the endowment for the benefit of the students. How much money does SMU give out in financial aid (need and merit) relative to our peers?
2) Location matters: $1 billion goes farther in Texas than in NYC.
3) SMU has spent an enormous amount of money rebuilding the campus. Other schools haven't done the same thing.

All in, I think Turner has done a great job at fixing the mess that Pye and Shields made of the place.

SMU's endowment ranking started slipping long before the building program began, and has not recovered despite the recent capital campaign. Now we have the 64th largest endowment.

http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2015_NCSE_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf

[NewAgeMustange]

I'm all for the new buildings they look great but even after they are completed. The older builders need to be redone. Science facilities are second rate at best, three plus years at utsw I have yet to come across a smu intern, lots of utd and few Stanford ones. The classrooms across the campus have fallen behind, just compare the cox school to the new engineering school. These are the parts of the campus that parents look at and coment to kids during the tours.

I love smu but the campus is too small to hid building faults that larger university's hide to the public.