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We just broke into the third tier in US News & World Report's ranking of "National" Universities. This puts us in the same company as Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, UAB, Louisville, Rutgers, etc.,
It separates us from ULL, Southern Miss, Memphis, Houston, North texas, UTEP, etc. You gotta love it!
Hopefully the budget cuts won't knock us out next year.
http://rankings.usnews.com/best-coll...c_final_tier+3
woot
:thumbsup:
elite
Doing my part!
I believe we were third tier breifly a few years ago with LSU. then we dropped back to fourth tier and LSU made first tier. Glad to see us move back to 3rd tier. Great news.
Definitely. Key will be to stay this time. I think we will.
So how does it look in the UL System?
Tier 3
Louisiana Tech
Tier 4
UL-Lafayette
Unranked...
the rest of the schools.
Yep.
This is the biggest news item to hit this board since the I Bowl invite. Probably before. This needs more love.
Except for the fact that these rankings are driven more to sell magazines, not to actually rate the universities.Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminaire
Still nice press. I'm proud of my university.
Don't go injecting facts into the party, again!Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
Right. But its all relative.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
Rightly or wrongly, people look at these things. Even, oh, I don't know, 3-letter funding agencies that I may or may not work for.
I believe the rest of the ULS schools are in a category called "Masters" Universities. McNeese and Northwestern State are in the third tier in the South in that category, and the rest are in the fourth.Quote:
Originally Posted by qng001
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
What you say is true, but of the various rankings, US News is the most reputable.
ELITEness....:icon_razz:
We were dropped from third tier a few years ago, but the only reason why LSU made it to 1st tier was because US News combined 1st and 2nd and they got in as one of the last first tier schools.Quote:
Originally Posted by detltu
I did know that. I believe they were #100. First tier used to be top 50 and everything else was basically listed alphabetically. I was still surprised when we dropped back to 4th tier later. Glad to be back in the third tier.Quote:
Originally Posted by dmcguirt23
YepYepYep
Go Dogs!
Go Tech!
.Quote:
Originally Posted by FishingBack
believe uno (knock) was in 4th tier, this is really great pub for tech.
with the tucker commission in place this is great news. another selling point for tech over other louisiana schools and with no texas or arkansas schools in the area this can be a big boost for admissions.
don't underestimate how much kids and parents put into these rankings.
perception IS reality.
mikedog must be an accounting major :icon_razz:
Excellent news!Quote:
Originally Posted by LT
I hope so. Hopefully the metrics used include any hits we are taking due to the budget cuts, and is not based on the surge we got from that "surplus" a couple of years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by CChandler
:drummer::guitarist::banana::banana::banana::banan a::banana:
WAC Academic Standings
1. Hawaii (Tier 3, National)
1. Idaho (Tier 3, National)
1. Louisiana Tech (Tier 3, National)
1. Nevada (Tier 3, National)
1. Utah State (Tier 3, National)
6. New Mexico State (Tier 4, National)
7. Fresno State (#38, Master's, West)
7. San Jose State (#38, Master's, West)
9. Boise State (#57, Master's, West)
ULM is ranked as a Tier 4 MASTER'S University in the SOUTH REGION. :dunce::indian_ch::huh::indian_br:
TECH is ranked as a Tier 3 NATIONAL University. :book2::idea2::thumbsup:
If that doesn't scream E L I T E, I don't know what can. :D
I believe the people in admissions said that they saw a marked increase in applications when we were third tier.Quote:
Originally Posted by hisaw
Admissions are good, but didn't Dan say that we are not aiming to be too large. There is some type of self imposed cap, isn't there? I hope I am wrong, but I remember seeing that.Quote:
Originally Posted by detltu
Great news!
There is a self imposed cap but we aren't hitting it right now. Also more applications means we can be more selective with our admissions which is factored into the rankings.Quote:
Originally Posted by champion110
Awesome news.
Thanks for the clarification. I like being selective and getting better students and I even like growing at a rate that we can keep up with, but I don't like a self imposed cap. I would like for Tech to grow a little faster and get some more size to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by detltu
I would hate for the growth to come at the expense of the student-teacher relationships and family feel of the University.Quote:
Originally Posted by champion110
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guisslapp
I understand that, but growth has to happen. I put that I didn't want to grow faster than we could accomodate. La. Tech has the potential to be a much larger university. If we can keep academic standards high and the ratio low, it is good thing. Tech is in a prime spot right now to really knock out any other college in N. Louisiana.
Besides, on the athletic side, wouldn't you LOVE to see a huge student body, more alumni, and the dollars that follow that?
I like the idea of a cap but we are nowhere near where I would like it. I have said before that I think 12,000 undergrads is a good number. Right now we are under 12,000 total enrollment. I would like to see us grow our graduate programs significantly.
You are right about that. When I say a cap on admissions I mean that as a near term goal. I would love the money and athletic benefits that would come with increased enrollment.Quote:
Originally Posted by champion110
While Tier 3 is obviously better than Tier 4, I would like to see Tech ranked equivalent (or higher than) with LSU. What programs are holding us back?Quote:
Originally Posted by rabiddawg
It is not just about programs (probably hurts us in their metrics because we dont have a lot of post grad schools with LSU having them all). Student debt upon graduation (plus fo us), selectivity/acceptance rate is probably a metric, student "happiness" is a metric through surveys. Endowment size is probably used (negative for us), I believe diversity is a metric (probably lacking there). Number of programs offered is probably a metric that hurts us given our lack of professional schools. So, it is more than just the quality of the programs you have.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
Two major pushes need to be made.
(1) Increasing the endowment. We really, badly need to be at least in the ~200m range.
(2) Increasing the number of American graduate students.
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by CChandler
Quote:
Originally Posted by CChandler
You are right on both accounts.
The endowments have a large affect on these types of rankings. Our endowment is severely lacking. Brian has been trying to make people aware of this for quite some time and I have taken up the cause as well.
US News and World Report: Methodology
25% - Peer assessment
16% - Average graduation rate
10% - Financial resources per student
7.5% - Critical reading and math portions of the SAT and composite ACT scores
7% - Faculty compensation
6% - High school class standing in top 10%
6% - Class size, 1-19 students
5% - Average alumni giving rate
5% - Graduation rate performance
4% - Average freshman retention rate
3% - Percent faculty with top terminal degree in their field
2% - Class size, 50+ students
1.5% - Acceptance rate
1% - Percent faculty that is full time
1% - Student/faculty ratio
You hit the nail on the head. Look at what's in the Monroe paper today. Tech's PR people need to get articles like this in papers along the I-10 corridor in Louisiana.Quote:
Originally Posted by hisaw
http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/2...llege+rankings
Still nothing in the Shreveport Times. There was an article in the BR Advocate yesterday touting LSU.Quote:
Originally Posted by LT
Where does tier III put us as far as being in the top 200, 250, etc.
Reneau said Tech is ranked #190. (To my knowledge, USN&WR does not release numerical rankings for the 3rd and 4th Tier schools.)Quote:
Originally Posted by brtransplant
LSU is tied with 6 schools for the last spot in the "top tier" at #128.
There are 262 institutions designated as "National Universities" based on various criteria, 164 public and 98 private.
Conference USA Academics
1. Rice (Tier 1 #17)
2. Tulane (Tier 1 #50)
3. SMU (Tier 1 #68)
4. Tulsa (Tier 1 #88)
5. UAB (Tier 3)
5. UCF (Tier 3)
7. East Carolina (Tier 4)
7. Houston (Tier 4)
7. Memphis (Tier 4)
7. Southern Miss (Tier 4)
7. UTEP (Tier 4)
12. Marshall (South Region, Master's, Tier 1 #45)
Sun Belt Academics
1. Troy (Tier 3)
2. Florida Atlantic (Tier 4)
2. Florida International (Tier 4)
2. Louisiana-Lafayette (Tier 4)
2. North Texas (Tier 4)
6. Western Kentucky (South Region, Master's, Tier 1 #31)
7. Middle Tennessee St. (South Region, Master's, Tier 1 #56)
8. Arkansas St. (South Region, Master's, Tier 3)
9. Louisiana-Monroe (South Region, Master's, Tier 4)
Well, someone besides Dooley has now said we are elite. So, take that to the bank, ulm.
I personally think that Tech should focus on the "7% faculty compensation" part in order to break into the top Tier. :DQuote:
US News and World Report: Methodology
25% - Peer assessment
16% - Average graduation rate
10% - Financial resources per student
7.5% - Critical reading and math portions of the SAT and composite ACT scores
7% - Faculty compensation
6% - High school class standing in top 10%
6% - Class size, 1-19 students
5% - Average alumni giving rate
5% - Graduation rate performance
4% - Average freshman retention rate
3% - Percent faculty with top terminal degree in their field
2% - Class size, 50+ students
1.5% - Acceptance rate
1% - Percent faculty that is full time
1% - Student/faculty ratio
I'm sure you do. :D Really though endowments in the form of chairs and professorships can affect the rankings in multiple areas:Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDawg
10% - Financial resources per student
7% - Faculty compensation
5% - Average alumni giving rate
Scholarships can also affect and other endowments can affect multiple rankings too.
tier three will help tech on a number of levels:
acceptance rate- more applicants for same number of slots
freshman retention- taking better applicants leads to better students who don't flunk/drink themselves out of school
graduation rates-better freshman retention leads to better graduation rates
tech needs to grow, period. more students= more alumni= more $$$ coming to tech.
auburn really emphasized more % of alumni giving and it helped them jump bama this year. tech needs to do this as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
My accounting major crack wasn't a shot at the accounting program just me messing with you for raining on the parade with the magazine selling angle. US News is no different from Rivals or Scout in that they are ultimately in the subscription business.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
the bold parts are where Tech has the biggest disadvantage to lsu. the first two are partly symptoms of the state's funding (or lack thereof) and partly symptoms of the third.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg06
I am going to respond to the thoughts of increasing Tech's student population, as I saw that mentioned several times in this thread.
Growing Tech's population isn't as simple as just saying we need more students. In engineering, we couldn't not physically handle more incoming freshmen students without either having classes that started at 6:30 at night (or in the morning I guess) or building another freshman classroom. We have intentionally built our new classrooms to max out at 40 students. This doesn't even take into account that we need more faculty to teach these new sections. So as far as increased in enrollment in engineering I don't want to see that happen until we have new facilities an more faculty. I know it is sort of a chicken/egg thing, but I really think a new engineering education building will go a long ways toward making increased engineering enrollment a possibility. This new building isn't go to come from state money either, so the alumni are going to have to kick in and make some serious donations in order for this to happen. I am sure that other colleges on campus are in similar situations.
Or, now go with me on this one, increase enrollment in areas other than Engineering.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDawg
That is why I said "In engineering . . ."
I am totally fine with increasing other areas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirtydawg
How would that go? Make stricter requirements to get into the Engineering program? Of course, I say it would be a good thing in one sense (stronger engineering and stronger other programs), but bad in another (people turning away because fo competition). Well, maybe we wouldnt want those that turn away anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDawg
I guess what I was trying to say is that other colleges may be able to handle an increased enrollment (I actually think they are in the same boat we are in though), but I just don't see how we (the COES) can handle any significant increase in undergraduate enrollment.
We need more people (faculty, staff, technicians) and more space.
I believe that is the story for the whole university. I just don't think Tech has the resources, infrastructure, faculty, staff, or much anything else to handle it. BUT, it seems things are slowly moving in that direction. I'm just happy Tech finally offers some degrees online. I really hope this thing starts getting bigger. I get to finish a degree from Tech!!! May take me a few years, but it'll be worth it in the end. Just gotta figure out what to do after that, ha.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDawg
The print edition wrote several paragraphs at the end of the article explaining why nlulm didn't participate in the rankings. Bottom line...they didn't like the peer assessment, but neglected to tell readers that peer assessment was only 25% of the procedure. Maybe one of our fellow BBB newpaper guys can explain the need to even mention nlulm in this article.:icon_roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by LT
THAT is pretty significant!Quote:
Louisiana Tech also ranked in the top ten in the nation for graduating students with the least amount of debt.
How in the hell is Tulane's tuition more than Harvard and Princeton! Wow.
I was watching the 10:00 news here in BR and saw the news item at the bottom of the screen stating the top ten ranking by Tech for graduating students with the least amount of debt. Loved it.
Because Harvard has an endowment larger than the GNP of many (most?) nations.Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeDawg
When did Tech start offering degrees online? And what area of study?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rus-La
Yea, Harvard was talking about following Stanford's lead in moving to essentially no tuition for those making below about 140K a year--then the stock market crash took about half the endowment. They've scaled back a bit since then. Just realize that the endowment number you see now was roughly twice that size two years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by GrassyNoleHitman
Because Tulane thinks they are better than they are.Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeDawg
Their endowment is still big enough to pay for every student they have.Quote:
Originally Posted by TechDawgMc
My guess would be that other areas face the same issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirtydawg
Can you conditionally accept students? You're welcome into Tech, but you can't major in engineering? I guess it's that way for nursing. Do any other schools do that?Quote:
Originally Posted by dhussdawg
you may not be able to do it directly, but i think you could do some things that would have the same effect. for example, don't allow students to enter any engineering program if they have to take remedial math, make the freshman engineering classes harder to pass rather than waiting until the sophomore year to do the majority of the "weeding out," send attractive women to pass out pamphlets on the school of business in the freshman engineering classes, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Abominable Gorilla
Some engineering colleges actually do limit their enrollment. There are a certain number of spots and you apply to get into the college when you reach junior status once you finish all of the basic stuff.
This is why you see some college retention data where they can retain and graduate 95% of their engineering students. We don't operate that way at all, and I am glad that we don't. One of the great things (IMO) about Tech's engineering program is that as a freshman engineer you get to start from day one doing engineering.
We actually just finished revamping the freshman curriculum to make it more rigorous. With the (significanlty) more difficult curriculum or retention from freshman to sophomore is higher than it was previously (at least that is what the preliminary numbers are showing.) And like you mentioned, the ones that just don't want to do engineering are making that choice earlier.
We really are doing some cool stuff over here, I would encourage anyone interested to drop by and see for yourself sometime.
We haven't tried the pamphlets yet . . .
Sometime this month. I think it really starts Fall quarter. Right now, they offer an AD in Health Information Technology, BS in General Science, a BS in Health Information, MS in Health Information, MS Nutrition Dietetics, MS Family and Consumer Sciences, and a few certificates.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirtydawg
http://www.latech.edu/globalcampus/
It's been said before, but ...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rus-La
We have a LOT of ground to make up in this area.
Many of us could very well be holding additional degrees from Tech right now were online programs available sooner. We sent our money elsewhere instead.
article in vanity fair a couple of months ago on the endowment at harvard and the absolute mess they're in due to the economy. basically they spend too much of their return on university day to day operating costs. they also have a huge building, well foundation at least, on campus with no immediate plans to resume construction. good read.
I couldn't agree MORE with #1, nor could I agree LESS with #2.Quote:
Originally Posted by CChandler
Americans just aren't going to grad school at a rate to keep up with the rapid expansion in graduate programs offered across the country. (Our ratio of international students is consistent with other graduate programs, even top--Ivy League, MIT, etc-- programs.)
I agree that we need to emphasized the QUALITY of our grad students, as we often settle for a "warm body" mentality. Unfortunately, that has been reinforcing for the administration, as keeping the graduate enrollment up makes us look good.
"Quality" and "American" are not necessarily synonymous. China, for example, has more people with high average to superior intelligence than America has people. Also, don't forget that those non-Americans have in some instances single-handedly kept graduate programs at Tech open that would have otherwise been shuttered for lack of students.
But, back to your points, we DESPERATELY need to increase our endowment, and we also could stand to do more to recruit quality graduate students.
Certain graduate programs at Tech are filled with almost 100% foreign students because the professors are foreign and American students can't understand a word that is being said.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian96
That just sounds ignorant.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikedog
Could it be that the programs with high volumes of foreign students are in a specialty area that is attractive to foreign students? I think more goes into a decision than the nationality of the professors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDawg
Dr.Dawg...what do you teach at Tech? I graduated in the ME program in 01.
another good article, this time on clemson.
www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/03/rankings
I truly do hope that our fine institution does not partake in these kind of activities.Quote:
Originally Posted by hisaw
@ parisdog: I was just finishing my PhD in BioMedical Engineering in 2001 so we must have been in school at the same time. I actually teach the freshman and some sophomore and design classes. I rarely if ever teach any biomed classes, I am actually a member of the mechanical faculty.
@ insidehigher ed article: I haven't seen anything like that sort of manipulation going on at Tech. I am sure we try to make our stats look as good as possible, but I haven't seen anything where we actually change class sizes and such to fit the US News mold better. The worst part to me was how the other institutions were automatically ranked below average in order to improve Clemson, that is the single largest factor in the rankings. Yet another reason we need our alumni tauting Tech every chance they get, so that we can improve our perception through other means.
I think "ignorant" is a little strong, but no worries. My point was not to critique the nationality of professors, whether at Tech or elsewhere. In fact, I benefited from many EXCELLENT foreign professors at Tech. However, proficiency in the English language is a necessary skill to be an effective teacher. I encountered several foreign professors whose inability to speak fluent English hindered their effectiveness in the classroom. I surmise that the professors themselves would admit to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by touchdown123
How does this translate to the exodus of U.S. students from certain majors? Foreign students come to the U.S. expecting to deal with a language barrier to a certain degree. For better or worse, U.S. students do not.
Universities across that country are struggling to strike the perfect balance between research and the classroom. Unfortunately, this effort is becoming increasingly difficult (with respect to certain departments) for a variety of reasons--one being the lack of U.S.-born ph.D candidates willing to bypass private industry for academia.
I hope we are. Perception is reality.Quote:
Originally Posted by techboy09
I hope we are doing the things necessary to accurately report the data in the most positive way possible. But to go so far as ranking all other universities below average just to increase our relative position is completely wrong.Quote:
I hope we are. Perception is reality
Perception is not reality. One person's perception is their reality. To me that is a big difference.
Average Alumni Giving Rates:
19% - LA Tech
19% - Tulane
13% - LSU
7% - Nicholls
6% - Northwestern
6% - UL-Lafayette
5% - UL-Monroe
4% - Southeastern
2% - Grambling
2% - UNO
n/a - McNeese
n/a - Southern
wow. that's good information. how is it calculated?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg06
Alumni giving rate (5 percent). This reflects the average percentage of living alumni with bachelor's degrees who gave to their school during 2006-07 and 2007-08, which is an indirect measure of student satisfaction.Quote:
Originally Posted by arkansasbob
i guess it doesn't include giving to athletic foundations (like taf)?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg06
I'm sure it does. Most of those people giving to the TAF didn't graduate from LSU.Quote:
Originally Posted by arkansasbob