In a biological context, a metamorphosis refers to a dramatic change in a body form from an infantile stage to an organism’s adult stage. One may conjure an image of tadpoles growing into frogs, or eggs transforming into butterflies.
In a more practical context, however, a metamorphosis can be used to refer to a complete change of something. In an article published Aug. 9 by The Boston Globe, they refer to Northeastern’s growth as a “metamorphosis” considering how it managed to shake its long-standing reputation as a commuter school and become a widely-recognized university circa the 2010s.
This change kickstarted in 1991, when Northeastern faced a budget gap of $17 million, as reported by The Globe. This was a pivotal moment for the school that acted as a catalyst for a change in strategy in order to bring in more money: More acceptances for students from high-income families. More students from outside of Massachusetts and the United States. Higher tuition and fees.
The landscape of Northeastern in 2024 versus the early 1990s almost seems like two different schools. Today, our newest, shiniest buildings including the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex and EXP, each with budgets north of $200 million, house modern equipment and science labs. The number of campuses beyond Boston have mushroomed in the past decade. Application numbers continue to climb as the acceptance rate drops, reaching an all-time low of 5.2% in fall 2024.
In short, their plan to save the school worked. But in a town saturated with higher education institutions like Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern still needed to work to differentiate itself. The co-op program was — and still is — an ace in its pocket. With the co-op program entering its 115th year in 2024, the school continues to stand out by building work experience into undergraduate and graduate degrees.
With a cemented legacy in providing work experience, administrators started their expansion campaign. The only other campus property Northeastern owned prior to 2011 was the Marine Science Center in Nahant, which opened in 1967. 2011 marked the beginning of the school’s first satellite campus when it opened its doors in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, Northeastern has 13 campuses, as well as the newly-acquired Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.
This theme of acquisitions and expansions raises important concerns about the fabric of our school. A college’s growth doesn’t scale indefinitely without losing quality and attention to students. A school has to balance growth with fulfilling obligations to students that are already here. Too much growth can undermine the promise that the university makes to its accepted students.
This manifests itself in the quality of the housing, dining, academic buildings and more that are significant determinants of the quality of life students have. Northeastern students on the Boston campus are no strangers to overcrowding, especially when it comes to housing. As I read about expansions outside of Boston while my classmates and I continue to squeeze into forced doubles, triples and even quadruples, or live in hotel rooms, I can’t help but feel slighted.
At some point, overexpansion goes against the approach that helped Northeastern grow in the first place: Higher tuition, fewer students admitted. As it stands, Northeastern’s tuition seemingly cannot get any higher than its whopping price tag of $64,000. However, a college can’t be a chain or a franchise while maintaining its status as a selective institution. That being said, the most effective way to rake in more money is to admit more students.
Moreover, expansions of this magnitude require more connections to employers if we are to continue to participate in meaningful co-op opportunities, which begs the question of whether we can maintain the same high standards for all of our affiliates. Are we prepared to lower our standards to sustain the interest in the school?
Northeastern prides itself on the idea of experiential learning. And to me, the success of the co-op program speaks for itself. But as for the expansion, I continue to see it as a means to mitigate overcrowding with the added bonus of experiencing other places. But at some point, we’ve taken our adult form and cannot metamorphize any further.
Zoe MacDiarmid is a second-year cell and molecular biology major and deputy campus editor for The News. She can be reached at [email protected].
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