Nova Southeastern - Another perspective

Without trying to be defensive about NSU ...

NSU has been a frequent topic of discussion on this news group. As a graduate of the school I have been vocal, albeit somewhat biased, on the topic. Much of the conversation has centered around NSU's US News 4th tier standing and low 1.7 rating on academic reputation. As noted this ranking is based on their undergraduate programs - a relatively small part of their offerings and not the aspect of greatest interest to this group.

As I browsed a book store tonight I came across the latest edition (8th) of the Gourman/Princeton college ranking guide. Although some may argue with the book's methodology, it provides an interesting perspective on NSU. Gourman/Princeton provides more detailed graduate school rankings than US News or other publications.

A number of NSU programs are ranked in the guide. Some of NSU's medical specialty programs (optometry and pharmacy) receive "strong" rankings. What I found more interesting was NSU's graduate education and overall graduate program ranking. Note that graduate education is the largest NSU program and the one that has attracted the most attention by critics.

NSU's education program is rated at .28 to .4 on three dimensions using Gourman's methodology. On the overall graduate school scale NSU scored a 2.28. These aren't all that high (Harvard is a 4.97, for example), but are quite comparable to a number of lesser known schools - Northern Arizona, Northern Michigan and Middle Tennesse State, for example.

The point I'd make is that Gourman's rankings seem consistent with what I've tried to say about NSU for a long time. The school isn't Harvard or even a medium grade state university. But it isn't a degree mill, either. No one I've heard of on this news group has attacked Northern Michigan or Middle Tennesse State as being inadequate or a sham. Yet a number of mid-career teachers advance their careers by attending these schools to earn a masters or doctorate degree. This is no differnt than NSU. NSU conducts their programs across the nation and has a larger graduate enrollment, but the focus is about the same.

Thanks - Andy

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Andy Borchers, DBA
NSU (1996)

 

I'm not going to get a doctorate (after finishing a masters), but if I did, it would be through NSU. They have a lot to offer, including scheduling of classes.

My baby brother (10 years my junior) went to Georgia Tech e.g. the finest schools. He did so at the behest of our parents. He played the academic game and is now a professor in the Tennesse university system. But I'm just an ordinary Joe and I'm not playing that game.

 

Andy,

Stay away from the Gourman Report. It has been slammed, and appropriately so, for its so-called methodology. Indeed, U.S. News'methodology looks positively first-rate when compared to that of the Gourman Report. See, for example, Jeffrey Selingo, "A Self-Published College Guide Goes Big-Time, and Educators Cry Foul," Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 7, 1997, p. A45; and David Webster, "Who is Jack Gourman and Why is He Saying All Those Things About My College?," Change, Nov.-Dec. 1984, p. 14. Both pieces go into detail about HUGE credibility problems with the Gourman Report.

Princeton Review lost credibility by affiliating with the Gourman Report.

NSU is no degree mill. And U.S. News' rankings are problematic. But it's a mistake to defend NSU by relying on such bogus rankings.

 

It might be a mistake to cite the Gourman report, but it is one that seems to be commonly made.

I just did a Google search for 'Gourman Report' and found seemingly countless sites. I tired after looking at the first three pages, but they contained promotional websites from assorted departments at Pittsburg, McMaster, Duke, Polytechnic, Alfred, Berkeley, TX A&M, Johns Hopkins, Indiana, Ohio State, Bridgeport, and Michigan, all bragging about their standings in the Gourman Report.

So apparently somebody is reading the thing.

 

While many academic institutions seem to oppose the existence of such rankings, they'll always mention them with pride when their institution is highly ranked...

Mark

 

True, Gourman gets cited. But that doesn't mean that it's a legitimate ranking system. Go into his books and try to identify his methodology. Ask yourself how one person, a retired Cal State university professor, can claim to authoritatively assess and rank virtually every academic department and institution of higher learning in the country. I may disagree with U.S. News, but at least their criteria are transparent. Gourman, however, has never made his methods clear. He is vague and evasive every time he has been interviewed.