Universities Weblog

So you want to take a class on cultural anthropology next semester because the topic looks interesting. But you're not sure about the prof. Is she a tough grader? Lots of homework? An easy A?

Take the guesswork out of it by visiting RateMyProfessors.com. You'll find almost 5 million ratings on over 700,000 professors at 5,500 schools.

While you're there, check out the 20 funniest posts. Then add your own.

Though seemingly on its way to a balance in the early 1980s, computer science now has "one of the least gender-balanced fields in American society." With current studies showing that the percentage of women who receive bachelor's degrees in computer science has risen only 8% since 1976, many in the field—and in the classroom—are worried.

The Boston Globe reports:

In a year of heated debate about why there aren't more women in science, the conversation has focused largely on discrimination, the conflicts between the time demands of the scientific career track and family life, and what Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers famously dubbed ''intrinsic Aptitude."

As the popularity of computer science soared in the first half of the 1980s, many university departments became overburdened and more competitive, some professors argue. Introductory classes were taught in a way that emphasized technical minutiae over a broader sense of what was important and exciting about the field, a style catering to the diehard — and overwhelmingly male — techies rather than curious new recruits. The last thing educators, besieged by students, worried about was attracting more, so they didn't see the need to combat the image that took root in popular culture of the male computer geek with poor hygiene and glazed eyes.Is this an alarming trend? Are the reasons for this gap quantifiable? Is this a question of nature, nurture, or both? It continues to be a heated debate with seemingly no end in sight.

(Source: UMass-Amherst)Here's a piece in the boston globe that touches on a troublesome trend: Our nation's flagship state universities, such as UMass-Amherst (featured in the story), are becoming more expensive and enrolling high-achieving students. As a result, they're neglecting the very population they were designed to serve—low-income, first-generation college students who can't afford to attend private schools. Are public universities losing their way?

Read the article and draw your own conclusions.

Choosing a college or university is often a stressful undertaking, especially with the dizzying array of choices available. Students worry: which is the best for me? Will I choose the wrong one?

Numerous reports by the respected The Times Higher Education Supplement may be a help.

There, students can find the top-100 rated schools in the following categories: biomedicine, social science, arts and humanities, technology, and science.

Any help in a decision this big is certainly appreciated. You access the entire list here.

Amid the heat of controversy, Harvard Business School has ended its policy refusing to allow recruiters/employers to learn students' grades.

From Inside Higher Ed:The ban on grade-sharing has been enormously popular with students since it was adopted in 1998. Supporters say that it discouraged (or at least kept to a reasonable level) the kind of cut-throat competition for which business schools are known. With the ban, students said they were more comfortable helping one another or taking difficult courses.

But a memo sent to students by Jay O. Light, the Acting dean, said that the policy was wrong. "Fundamentally, I believe it is inappropriate for HBS to dictate to students what they can and cannot say about their grades during the recruiting process. I believe you and your classmates earn your grades and should be accountable for them, as you will be accountable for your performance in the organizations you will lead in the future," he wrote.What will this mean, if anything, for the stressful nature of employment competition? With nearly 95% of students against the change, should it have happened at all?

Paying back Student Loans is hard enough, but what if you acquire a condition that leaves you unable to work? There may be help for some students.

SallieMae, a leader in student loans, recently unveiled an addendum here for students who experienced disability after taking out loans. It is called the Disability Discharge:

If you are totally and permanently disabled, you may be eligible for cancellation of your loan. This loan relief is called "discharge." A final discharge due to total and permanent disability cancels your obligation (and, if applicable, any endorser's obligation) to repay the balance of your loan. Please note: Your condition must not have existed at the time your loan was made unless your condition has substantially deteriorated so that you are now totally and permanently disabled.Perhaps this will offer hope to some.

(Source: Brown University)Reports of early decision's demise, it seems, were greatly exaggerated. It's still as popular as ever, causing joy and angst in equal measure. Consider this piece from Newsday:

After a one-year lull, "early decision" college applications seem to have picked up again this fall around the country, worrying some experts who think the trend shows the admissions process is starting too early in students' high school years.

There are also indications more students from the Midwest and Southeast are making early decision applications, joining the large numbers of seniors from the hypercompetitive Northeast and West Coast who have led the trend.Of course, not everyone endorses the practice. Here's why:

But some worry that students feel pressured to apply in the fall. Counselors say they're seeing more students apply early hoping it will help them get into a better-known school, not because they've found the perfect fit. [....]

"It's really stunning to see how much students can grow and learn about themselves between the end of junior year and the middle of senior year," said Helen Bodell, counseling director at the Lincoln School in Providence, R.I., where three-quarters of her senior class used early action or early decision this year. "Each one of those months is worth gold. Usually it works out, but usually there's a student you wish weren't in a binding situation."Exception to the rule, I suspect. As long as students can gain an admissions edge by applying early, enough will.

From The New York Times:College counselors at about 200 high schools nationwide, and a few college admissions officers, have joined to ask the college board to give students the option of taking the three parts of the SAT separately, instead of requiring that they take the whole test in one sitting.

The counselors also argued that the current policy unfairly burdened students with unneeded costs and testing. "We believe that it is important that students not have to pay for and take more tests than necessary," they said.

Controversy is already raging over this issue.

Some argue that the SAT should re re-designed, as it is an unfair assessment of a student's ability, especially at so long a length, and may hurt a good student's chances of getting into college.

Others feel that if a student cannot handle the amount of concentration required for this longer test, they would likely not be able to handle the stress of college courses.

It will be interesting to see if any changes are made.

The Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics recently released a study titled "The National Assessment of Adult Literacy."

The study contained some shocking statistics. From Inside Higher Ed:But at a time when colleges and universities are under the microscope and policy makers are increasingly seeking to measure the student "outcomes" that they are producing, the report is hardly a pat on the back for higher education.

"You have the possibility of people going through schools, getting a piece of paper for sitting in class a certain amount, and we don't know whether they're getting what they need. This is a fair sign that there are some problems here."You can read the complete study here.Is one study enough to raise alarms? Is this a quirk, or an ongoing trend that needs to be addressed? Should students be worried about the continuing devaluing of a higher education? What do you think?

In a shining example of what college students are capable of, DePauw students moved beyond the classroom to create an intelligent and moving documentary entitled "Putnam county's Newest Nightmare: The Methamphetamine Epidemic."

Students were concerned about the growing problem of methamphetamines on college campuses, and were surprised to find out how accessible it is:

I also did not have to go far to find the sources of the problem. All the ingredients needed to make meth can be found within a 10-minute drive from the Putnam County Courthouse. On an afternoon drive on rural county roads, we found roadside workers who had stumbled upon a discarded meth lab. A late-night ride along with sheriff's deputies patrolling the highway produced a meth bust after the car was stopped for a minor traffic violation.You can view the complete article at the Indy Star website.