UM-ANN ARBOR or UVA? - Page 3

Globalist · 05-10-2008, 06:04 PM

Yeah, you can't blame them. That's why you should hire an alum as the president. You have him/her for life. UVA's president got his BA, MA, and Ph.D. at UVa. He knew he wanted to be the President of UVa since he was a freshman. Ha! I had no idea what I wanted to do my freshman year.

K9Leader · 05-11-2008, 11:04 AM

This was in my local paper this morning and has an interesting relevance to this discussion:

Quote:

For UD, a bold plan to achieve first rank
Harker outlines vision of a school on par with best public universities
By RACHEL KIPP, The News Journal

NEWARK -- Standing before more than 1,000 alumni and friends Saturday, University of Delaware President Patrick Harker announced a bold new agenda for the state's largest public university, the first step in a plan designed to stake a claim as one of the nation's best colleges.

Few comments irk Harker more than hearing that UD is a "hidden gem" or a "best-kept secret." His proposals are designed to raise the school's image in the minds of students, parents, legislators, donors and businesses.

His vision includes construction of top-notch research and academic facilities; more cutting-edge research; a larger and more vibrant population of graduate and professional students; innovative financial aid programs to help qualified Delawareans more easily pay for their education and a campus that embraces "green" technology in thought and practice.

In achieving these goals, the university will follow paths taken by schools with reputations to which they aspire -- including the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan -- and it will become more aggressive about marketing the school's strengths. A year from now, Harker intends to kick off a major fundraising campaign.

President Harker came to UD last summer from UPenn, where he was Dean of the Wharton School. Just thought it interesting the two specific examples were UVa and Michigan.

Alexandre · 05-11-2008, 11:23 AM

Delaware has much to work with. It is one of the oldest universities in the US, founded all the way back in 1743. The town of Newrk, Delaware is quite quaint and charming and the campus is fun and happening. Most important of all, Delware has one of the coolest football uniforms!

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z.../016133764.jpg

Ok, so the colors are off, but the design is so gosh darn cool!

K9Leader · 05-11-2008, 01:33 PM

Alexandre:
Dave Nelson, a Michigan assistant coach, brought the helmet design with him when he became UD head coach in the 1950s. The colors, royal blue and gold, had been in use for many years, though.

imaparasite · 05-11-2008, 01:40 PM

hawkette hates Michigan. Look at Alexandre's data.

evil_asian_dictator · 05-11-2008, 01:46 PM

Hawkette has expressed no opinions-either for or against-Michigan. She just relies upon certain statistics and rankings that usually don't make UM look that great in comparison to the other top privates.

Alexandre · 05-11-2008, 02:08 PM

EAD, although I do not pretend to know her motives, Hakette has an agenda. Not that I care. We are all entitled to our opinions.

hawkette · 05-11-2008, 04:18 PM

An agenda?? Anti-U Michigan??

Here is what I posted earlier in this thread in comparing U Michigan to U Virginia:

"In terms of prestige, it's six of one, half-dozen of the other....

The reality is that top students will do very well from either and you can have an exceptional experience from either. As public universities go, both take large numbers of out-of-state stuents (about 33% at each). Both have strong undergraduate programs across a wide range of fields and alumni of each feel passionately about their school.

For the record, in USNWR rankings dating back to 1991, U Virginia has ranked ahead of U Michigan in every year."

and this is followed by the usual litany of data comparisons.

You U Michigan guys/gals are so sensitive. For nearly 20 years, U Michigan has never...not once...ranked ahead of U Virginia and yet I accord the school equal prestige in my opening sentence. It's not I who have an agenda....

Alexandre · 05-11-2008, 08:39 PM

Hawkette, there is nothing wrong with disliking a school. It doesn't even have to be personal. Michigan obviously does not operate the way you feel a top university should. We each have an ideal. Like I said, we are all entitled to our opinion.

hawkette · 05-11-2008, 08:53 PM

Nothing to do with disliking the school or the way that it operates. LOL. Not sure where you got that.

I just have a different opinion of the school. It's very good and certainly well liked in academia, but unlike you and other U Michigan partisans, I don't place the school and its student body in the highest echelons in the real world and I think that the data very much supports my view.

I also think that U Michigan's undergraduate student profile and its commitment and resources to undergraduates lags that of many of the colleges that you repeatedly (and IMO, inaccurately) claim are its peers. IMO, the true elite colleges all have better students on average, superior learning environments for undergraduates as measured by things like Faculty Resources, and greater financial resources as measured on a per capita basis.

Alexandre · 05-11-2008, 09:04 PM

Hawkette, we each have a picture in our heads of what an "ideal" university should be like. I always have anyway, ever since I was in high school. You do too. I am not going to go into the details of what constitutes an ideal university since we each have our take on this subject, but it is evident that there are varrying, and often conflicting, points of views.

Out of curiosity, can you please provide us with the data supporting your view that Michigan as a school does not belong in the higher echelons in the real world? I have always maintained that in academe and in the real world, Michigan does in fact belong in the upper echelons. There is ample evidence supporting that view coming out of academe, but I have not seen a great many from the real world.

sunny750 · 05-11-2008, 09:25 PM

both of them are terrific. UVA has got a kick ass business program, so does Michigan..but judging by Business Week Rankings, UVA is just a point behind Wharton. and if you are thinking of psychology i would go with Michigan..but thats my opinion...

Alexandre · 05-11-2008, 09:33 PM

sunny, Businessweek is just of of two rankings. The USNWR is the other. According to the USNWR, Michigan (Ross) is ranked #3 and UVa (McIntire) is ranked #9. Either way, both schools have amazing undergraduate business programs, similar in size and in approach to undergraduate Business education.

barrons · 05-11-2008, 09:52 PM

When you get to a certain level per capita becomes far less important. UM has some of the best libraries, museums, labs and every other facility known to ANY university in the US. Just because they are spread over more students really does not matter much. Also there are virtually as many top level students as any private school in the country as the top 25% or about 6500 students equals the size of many of the so-called top undergrads. And these will be concentrated in the better majors in the Honors program, sciences, engineering and business. You are at no loss for top competition and people to hang with if SAT score is really a measure of interesting and fun people.

I have yet to see the article that says having 30 students in a class at the college level is any worse than 15 or 20. You are essentially taking through your hat without a shred of peer reviewed evidence. On any given day there is much more going on on the UM campus than at Dartmouth, Duke and a whole lot of similar schools. I have been to them all and you can see just by the posters and the activity lists.

And the Bweek rankings are as bunk as the Times international rankings.

evil_asian_dictator · 05-11-2008, 10:28 PM

I agree with you barrons if you feel the same way if we were talking about Harvard or Yale instead of Dartmouth and Duke. Otherwise, I would say you were biased and are trying to make UM look better in comparison to the top privates.