USN&WR ranking tied to President's bonus

Parents Forum
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<p>Magazine ranking key item in ASU chief?s bonus
Ryan Gabrielson, Tribune
ASU President Michael Crow is staking $60,000 in bonus cash on a magazine’s college rankings that have never been kind to his university. This year, U.S. News & World Report again lists Arizona State University as a “third-tier” academic institution, deprived of even a numerical rank.</p>

<p>Regardless, when the Arizona Board of Regents last week approved $150,000 in performance bonuses for Crow, it included the expectation that ASU improve in U.S. News’ eyes. </p>

<p>That is among 10 separate goals for improvement set by the regents. Those include increasing freshman retention and the university’s graduation rate, to name a couple. For each goal achieved, Crow is to receive $10,000; if he completes all 10, he gets an extra $50,000. </p>

<p>Not all of the regents said they were comfortable including a magazine ranking with goals like increasing the number of Arizona’s minorities that enroll at ASU. </p>

<p>“We had a long conversation on that, and I guess it’s a perception thing, it’s an image thing that personally I’m not that enamored with,” said Robert Bulla, the board president. “But some folks are.” </p>

<p>And Crow insisted the magazine ranking goal remain, Bulla said. </p>

<p>U.S. News’ rankings are arguably the most widely consumed analysis of the nation’s universities. Within higher education, there is a legion of critics skeptical of the magazine?s methodology. They argue that U.S. News’ measures are hugely subjective and have little to do with the quality of a university’s instruction.</p>

<p>Complete article:
<a href=“http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/86052[/url]”>http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/86052&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I think ASU has a lot of potential. The Phoenix area is attractive to many students. More top students will apply as the school is perceived to have more top students.</p>

<p>There is a tipping point where more and more top students will apply.</p>

<p>$50,000 is inexpensive if the president can get ASU into the top tier.</p>

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<p>I would have thought his base salary of over $600,000 would be enough incentive to work for improvement, but I guess not. </p>

<p>I am also concerned that the evaluation of college presidents’ performance is being handed over to USN&WR. They are being handed more and more power over higher education. Are other schools doing this?</p>

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<p>“I would have thought his base salary of over $600,000 would be enough incentive to work for improvement, but I guess not”</p>

<p>That’s a different issue. </p>

<p>I would think $600,000 would be sufficient.</p>

5

<p>And you are surprised about this why?</p>

<p>A small dip or uptick in the USNWR ankings translates into more or fewer applcants of more or less ability and greater or lesser discount rates (merit or allegedly need only scholarships). The USNWR rankings are exercising a frightening tyranny over an admissions process and higher education community that refuses to differentiate itself in any other way.</p>

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<p>“And you are surprised about this why?”</p>

<p>I guess I’m surprised by the Regents’ move because it shows a lack of savvy. If you have pretenses of being top-tier, you condemn the rankings publicly and pretend that they have no import at your institution, while privately enjoying all the advantages they bring you. They’ve got the formula almost inverted ;)</p>

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<p>It is only when you are at the top of the list that you can affect to disdain it. :-)</p>