<p>singersmom, thought I’d comment that residential housing, dining, parking, and transportation are out of the control of the faculty at most large universities. The reporting lines for staff in those areas are separate from the academic lines, until you reach the Presidential level. This is a source of considerable irritation to the faculty, because they have only a weak influence on operations in those areas, and can see the academic enterprises–which they do control–undermined by staff in the “support” areas. In fact, “parking” is often rude to the faculty as well–not speaking of Duke specifically, but of most large universities. </p>
<p>I think this happens because the administrators on the residence/dining/parking/transportation lines imagine that they <em>are</em> running things like a business.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon- the school does not have a cohesive feel to it due to the fact that the housing is so spread out, there is no main cafeteria, and the various schools are so different and intense in their differences. It is a very diverse campus, but to me and for my son, really too diverse, with more non traditional types there than what you would see at a state U where I think my son should have gone</p>
<p>SUNY Buffalo-Dislike South campus housing for freshmen, too many commuters though there is a nice number of kids living on campus, too many New Yorkers and kids from the greater Buffalo area. Campus does not have as many things open on weekends as I would have liked and expected for a school that size. Also the school is not as well regarded and well known as I would have liked. But surprisingly, to me, the facilities, the academics, my son’s experience, the attention my son got all get very high marks. Much higher than I expected. </p>
<p>Colorado College- Having a hard time coming up with negatives with this one because so far son’s experience has been a 10 on a 10 point scale. I don’t like the fact that there are no direct flights from there, but it has not bothered him a whit and the cost of the flights have been surprisingly reasonable. I am unhappy that the football teams was disbanded, because I think it added a bit of a balance to a school that is a little bit to the left like say Bard, Ithaca, Goucher, etc. Also I wish the school were a bit richer in terms of endowment and money to spend. They are definitely much more cost conscious than SUNY Buffalo for all of the clamor about NY state college money cuts and CMU which is notoriously stingy. </p>
<p>Curmudgeon, son visited Rhodes and it was high on his list except for the frat culture that my son felt that he would have wanted to join, but would not make the cut. He could just feel it in his bones. he said. We spend 4 days in Memphis really looking at Rhodes which has to be one of the most gorgeous schools I have ever seen.</p>
<p>CMU again. Poor advising. Lots of grad students teaching intro courses. No general majors so if student is not truly set in direction, it can be a problem.</p>
<p>mafool - if you read my message these are the departments I refer to - those that actually interact with the daily life of a student:</p>
<p>Residential housing, dining and parking and transportation.</p>
<p>Also, I believe your student is in Pratt and mine is in Trinity. Two different entities with totally different employees. Pratt has less students in comparison with Trinity.</p>
<p>The title of this thread is “What’s the one thing wrong with your kid’s college?”</p>
<p>Note I did not refer to academics.</p>