<p>Hi, I posted this in a new thread before I found this one which seems more relevant so accept my apologies for the cross-posting. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any input or ideas as to the relative strength of the University of Washington international studies program? I was interested in their accelerated, 10-month Master’s program (the only reason I’d been looking at it was because of the accelerated program; I’ve had trouble finding a wide selection of other accelerated programs), however, I have some real trepidation about the relative quality of the school after reading their website.</p>
<p>I’m specifically talking about their “Advisory Board” (<a href=“http://jsis.washington.edu/jackson/board.shtml”>http://jsis.washington.edu/jackson/board.shtml</a>) which just seems to be a bunch of middle managers from exclusively Seattle-based companies. This raises some red flags to me that the local yokels are the best they can get to sit on their advisory board. Also, the bios of their board members are pretty strangely written. For instance: </p>
<p>“William T. Robinson is a pilot, as well as an attorney with business in Russia. He is competent although not fluent in Russian. Bill is very involved with the Rural Development Institute (RDI) and is on their board. He has even done some fundraising for them.”</p>
<p>As far as I can tell from this bio, Mr. Robinson owns the Rosetta Stone “Intro to Russian” course and sold some raffle tickets for the RDI. </p>
<p>There’s another fellow whose bio simply mentions he manages a chain of 8 dry cleaners and is a longtime basketball season ticket holder. I don’t want to sound aloof, but I frankly don’t know how much I would learn from an IS program being advised by a dry cleaner. </p>
<p>Their “diplomat in residence” has a very vague summary of his career that doesn’t mention any details about his diplomatic postings other than a few city names. I’m not sure if his terminal position was as charge d’affairs in Bukina Fasso or what. </p>
<p>Finally, there are several pretty glaring spelling and grammar errors on their site, which I think should be a big red flag as well. </p>
<p>Am I reading too much into this and this is really a stellar, top-flight school, or is it basically a peer institution with Norwich University (which is how they present themselves)? </p>