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The thrill of the (prestige) chase?
From yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education, Peter Schmidt writes that the pursuit of the US News & World Report ranking holy grail has not significantly improved the quality of most schools. In fact, according to research presented at a panel of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the quest for a "prestige" can have a homogenizing effect on many colleges, with a comparative neglect of academic improvement. Rather than trying to improve one's position on the US News list by increasing the applicant pool, building state-of-the-art dorms, or bolstering intercollegiate athletics, Professor Robert Hendrickson urges colleges to concentrate on improving academic programs and then "let the chips fall where they may."
This is welcome advice at a time when efforts to climb the rankings ladder have often blinded schools to their true mission--fostering academic excellence. The good news is that schools that make concerted efforts to reform their curriculum and strengthen their commitment to teaching will be noticed. As our post on the renaissance of the City University of New York highlighted, when institutions help ensure academic rigor at their institution, good students follow. That's what deserves top billing in our book.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on November 11, 2008 at November 11, 2008 10:17 AM
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