Butler prez talks university's finances, future as challenges loom

Experts say smaller, private colleges and universities could be in trouble in the coming years as demographic trends mean there will be fewer students to fill an increasing number of spots at schools.

Butler University James Danko tells podcast host Mason King that the school is taking those concerns seriously and is rethinking who it's serving, how it's distinguishing its offerings and the way it's preparing to innovate as technology changes education.

The school is in a good financial position, Danko says, but it's working to build up its endowment (which is smaller than some of its peers and larger than others). That's just one of the goals of the Butler Beyond campaign, which is aiming to raise $250 million that will also fund building projects and additional scholarships.

To learn more about Danko, read Samm Quinn's profile of the Butler president. To learn more about the challenges facing universities as demographics change, read Quinn's story about what universities are doing to prepare to compete.