Future of Emory University's Ranking?

bernie12
Sun, 03 Feb 2019 05:18:17 +0000

@ryandryu : Uhmm…well it is possible to do well without engineering IF you have great marketing and several really strong undergraduate programs and super elite graduate programs. Basically Emory would have to follow a Chicago model to increase and this is hard work because Emory is a noob among serious AAU research Universities (it has come to pack a punch really fast: Look at when the top tier privates joined AAU: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities) It can either market better and invest in making more departments even better than today and increase the undergraduate rankings, OR it can stay stagnant in the rankings and develop as more a niche strength school (right now Emory is really strong in biological sciences at the undergraduate level, now has a new chem curriculum, has a QTM department almost on fire, and also an elite undergraduate program) that has HUGE impact in terms of the types of students and leaders it produces.

This has been the model of several LACs and places like Georgia Tech (Georgia Tech ranks between 35-38 in USNWR, but in the areas that matter, the individual departmental rankings, they are all top 5-10 and several at 1-2. And the impact of Georgia Tech graduates as well as their tight relationship with industry is really clear) and Carnegie Mellon. I think Emory should focus more on productivity than it should rank. We have seen “certain schools” (you may know who I am talking about) who have increased their rank (hint: They used to rank like Emory) by heavy marketing and stats whoring, but their post-grad production and outcomes are essentially equal to or worse than Emory (and WUSTL for that matter which has decreased in rankings but has gotten better outcomes than the schools above it. For example, both it and Emory produced Rhodes, Truman, and Marshall Scholars in the last 5 years whereas an upwardly mobile peer did not or did so in lesser numbers) in several areas. This is something you should really think about. Emory should aim to continually increase its output by training students well, not playing a numbers game for the rankings. If Emory does continue to improve in important ways and it reflects in increased popularity, and rankings, great, but if not, cool too. Chicago was famous among employers and academics when it was ranked where Emory was/is now. It didn’t need to be in the top 10 to have truly top notch programs and serious students that went on to lead things in a manner that those at higher ranked peers couldn’t. Be concerned about IMPACT, not rankings. How will you allow your Emory education to help you and others have the impact you want to have and achieve your goals? That is what matters.

I would also advise or at least encouraged you to be engaged with the College and greater university and help it move forward/shape its future in whatever ways you can. That is what lots of the older, super elite schools/programs of very high rank and lower rank have that Emory needs to develop among undergraduates. Be aware of what is going on and your role in it. Demand excellence in every sphere of your undergraduate life (and no, we can’t just do “quality of life” complaints. We have to hold academic quality accountable too. It is not merely a vacation) and even after you graduate when you have time. You can take a look at some of the things it is working on now to improve its impact and experiences of Emory affiliates
Emory developing strategic pillars: https://provost.emory.edu/work/strategic-framework.html
Emory College (largest undergraduate unit) planning and documents can be found here: http://college.emory.edu/main/administration/strategic-planning/index.html

Either way, being in the know and understanding some of the details of its goals can help you understand a bigger picture more important than any year’s ranking. Big picture is necessary to keep it healthy and help it make REAL progress, and not just signal to USNWR. I know this is hard to grasp without being there yet, and because so many people conflate rankings with other things that they should not be, but just keep all of this in mind.