Thought About RA and National Rankings

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by ternahan, Oct 15, 2004.

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  1. ternahan

    ternahan New Member

    I'm posting this here because it doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. We all know that regionally accredited indicates schools accept each other's credits (theoretically) as equivalent to their own for transferrability consideration.

    I was reading my alumni newsletter from Central Washington University last evening (I graduated with a B.A. when they were a state college, many years ago), and I noted that they stated the university had tied for 12th in the western region for U.S. News and World Reports ranking out of about 62 institutions. The President of CWU mentioned that this was the second time in two years that CWU had made the top grouping in "America's Best Colleges."

    Now I think CWU is probably a finer school than even it was when I graduated there thirty-five years ago.

    I guess my thought is along the lines of how competitive forces cause institutions to rank themselves on the basis of a commerical publication, rather than simply relying on the "gold standard" of accreditation to indicate they provide a quality education.

    It may be that "regional accreditation" simply establishes a minimum and is very unhelpful in determining an institution that stands out from the others, which the U.S. News purports to do. I guess the other thing is that using such surveys allows school leaders to publicize their programs without casting aspersions on their fellow institutions.

    I am wondering if regional accreditation may not sooner or later go the way of the dodo if we have national rankings in fact, rather than name. The competitive nature of american education is exemplified by the fact that even state schools seek to attract scholars from across the country--if only to charge them higher tuition!

    Ternahan
     
  2. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    IMHO, you hit the nail on the head with the above paragraph. It's a positive differentiator.
     
  3. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    I'd agree that RA does no good in highlighting "standout" schools. Both Harvard and Framingham State are RA schools. No one would argue that Framingham is as good as Harvard (although there's absolutely nothing wrong with it either, it's a good local state college). In my own view RA sets a minimum standard (as you said) some schools might barely meet that standard while others might surpass it substantially. Rankings could conceivably do the job you're describing although they'd have to be done better. There are plenty of flaws in the USNews ranking system and plenty of gaps. You can find the "best" university (according to whatever criteria are used) but what if your kid (or you) want to play the cello? What are the top twenty schools for budding classical musicians? You won't find the answer in USNews. What about Microbiology? or Anthropology? Knowing that a school is "the best" or is "number seven" on the USNews listing is not always that helpful for those looking for further detail.
    Also, don't forget that the primary reason that USNews publishes these special editions is that they make a lot of money by doing it. That is their motive. They don't care if your kid makes a good choice, they just want their $4.95 (or whatever).
    Sorry for the cynicism but the real world is knocking at the door.
    Jack
     

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