Attacks, Rowdiness Rattling Many at UMass-Amherst - Page 3

jsjs2 · 02-23-2008, 01:21 PM

Allmusic, why are you so opposed to UMass for music? My S is very interested, having auditioned and met some of the professors in the music department. As a parent I am very concerned about everything I have read about the campus in the last few weeks. (We are also OOS and had no idea what the school's reputation was like.) But we left the music building that day with a very positive impression, especially after all of the parent meetings

Lafalum84 · 02-23-2008, 01:52 PM

Readers Digest, March 2008 - has UMass listed under "higher" crime rates (they had 3 categories - lower, moderate and higher). See rd.com for details. They got the data from crime data that the colleges file with the federal Office of Postsecondary Education. (ope.ed.gov/security). RD says 80% of campus crime is student against student, which explains why a rural campus could have a higher crime rate than an urban one.

I have a friend who graduated as a music major from UMass. She is the head of the music dept for our public school district, and was the state Teacher of the Year a few years ago - very successful, and she says she got a great education at UMass. But she graduated in the 1970's.

About 2 years ago there was a big article in the Boston Globe about financial shortfalls and cutbacks at UMass. They interviewed a freshman who had 4 classes, all were huge lecture-style classes. The kid couldn't get a 5th class because everything was filled. The state legislature hasn't provided any capital funding for the state colleges/universities in years - UMass Amherst finally gave up and has been funding its new buildings from its operating budget (again, this is based on my memory from reading recent Globe articles).

But over 10% of last year's graduating class from our suburban public hs is now enrolled at UMass Amherst, and a lot of kids coming out of private/parochial high schools in Eastern Mass go there as well. So there must be something good happening there.

-Allmusic- · 02-23-2008, 02:06 PM

The music department at UMass was top notch in the 70's. Unfortunately, lack of funding has really impacted the department negatively.

We know a lot of music ed grads, who seem, in general, happier than the performance majors. Some instruments may be better than others. I know there are also some happy marching band folks, and I have no doubt there is great earnestness on the part of many of the instructors (my son met with a department chair, who was terrific, but it wouldn't make up for a lacking program).

My son's private teacher has taught at UMass, and basically advised him not to consider the school, despite the fact that he could probably have qualified for additional scholarships, on top of free tuition. This teacher felt that the level of play would not provide enough musical peers for my son to grow as a musician. Current strong music students we know there right now, are trying to transfer out. It might be a great department for less strong musicians.

It's too bad, as I said. You have no idea how much we would have loved for UMass to have been a better choice.

Chedva · 02-23-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

You have no idea how much we would have loved for UMass to have been a better choice.

As a MA resident, who is shelling out big bucks to a private school OOS, all I can say is "Amen!"

midmo · 02-23-2008, 03:56 PM

^^^So, all you Massachusetts residents, your assignment for this weekend is to send some e-mails to the heads of both major parties, to office holders from your districts and to current and potential occupants of statewide offices.

In all the years I lived in MA and our livelihoods depended on UMass, I don't remember public higher education ever being a top priority campaign issue.

Lafalum84 · 02-23-2008, 04:41 PM

Midmo, if you lived here you must know - we only have ONE major party ;-)

midmo · 02-23-2008, 05:31 PM

Now, I know for a fact that you recently had a Republican governor!

-Allmusic- · 02-23-2008, 05:32 PM

...for which we are still suffering.....

pesto · 02-23-2008, 06:00 PM

"Now, I know for a fact that you recently had a Republican governor!"

Ahem! Just for the record, the so-called "People's Republic of Massachusetts" has had, until now, FOUR Republican governors, all in a row -- Weld, Cellucci, Swift, Romney. Swift (the one who got pushed out to make way for presidential aspirant Mitt) is the only one who cared about what happened beyond Route 495, and she didn't last long enough to do anything about UMass.

Lafalum84 · 02-23-2008, 07:09 PM

^^^^ True, true!

Didn't Duval Patrick make increasing aid to the State College & Univ system one of his campaign promises?

pesto · 02-23-2008, 08:42 PM

Who knows what the outcome will be, but there is a press release on his website dated October '07 suggesting his attempt to follow through on his campaign promise:

"Governor Patrick Proposes Historic Investment in Massachusetts Public Colleges and Universities:
Will file a 10-year, $2 billion Higher Education bond bill Wednesday"

Astilbe · 02-23-2008, 09:56 PM

I'm new here and decided to register after reading this thread. My son is an undergrad at UMass-Amherst and is having a good experience. He chose it in spite of having some other very good options. He lives in a part of campus with a quieter reputation and has made friends with quite a few serious students like himself in different disciplines (music, dance, linguistics, natural resources management). His courses are rigorous and class sizes this year are in the 20's -30's. I agree that the state has not given UMass the priority it deserves over time but thanks to its relative affordability demand is up and there are a lot of smart kids there who want to do more than just party. I hope Deval Patrick is serious about addressing the administrative problems. With a new Chancellor maybe the campus climate will improve.

MADad · 02-23-2008, 10:18 PM

Somebody mentioned the Abigail Adams scholarship, awarded to top kids in every HS for performance on state MCAS exams--BIG SCAM!!

It covers free tuition at any state college or university. Tuition is outrageously low ($1700 at UMass-Amherst, a few hundred at state colleges) but the fees are outrageous (over 5K at UM-Amherst). This way politicians could claim they were not raising tuition, but repeatedly jacking up the fees something fierce.

Kids are told if they work hard, free tuition awaits them--but then reality and politics kicks them in the teeth.

Even worse, there are kids who live in NH, just over the border, who attend public HS in MA. Some of them were awarded the Adams scholarship (letter mailed to their NH homes!), then told they could not have the scholarship AFTER they had enrolled at UMass-Lowell. Playing dirty.

toddsmom · 02-24-2008, 06:51 AM

DD is a freshman at UMass we are from NY. She loves it made a nice group
of friends. No problems with classes or professors. She is aware of the
violence I also get e-mails. I suggested some transfer applications just
to be safe. She loves it. I don't know if I should pull her out after spring
semester or see how it goes.

allie'smom · 02-24-2008, 08:25 AM

As another MA parent paying big OOS tuition at a private school, I wish that UMASS had been a better option for D. She qualified for the Adams scholarships, which although small, would have helped. But, the size of the school was the determining factor - it is simply too big. The other UMASS campuses were not an option for her.