<p>@cue7 I do think there has been a lot of improvement in the way that the University does things and that in general there is more concern for the welfare of the student body (outside class) these days than back in the day (and that’s reflected in the increased freshman retention rate and graduation rate… and is also reflected in the action taken after the plumbing problems at Pierce, which might have been handled very differently years ago)… </p>
<p>I agree, there certainly has been improvement, but that’s only because decades ago, the College was QUITE low on the priority list. Now, there is certainly more attention and responsiveness to college concerns, but the school still trails its peers by a sizable margin - UChicago ain’t Yale or Amherst on this issue. </p>
<p>For examples of this, you can check my past threads. As I’ve stated, though, Pierce needed renovations when I attended, let alone now. Is waiting to the point where sewage literally EXPLODES in the bathroom before taking action a sign of a school that is especially attuned to student issues? Sure, it’s better now than before, but it’s hardly a point for celebration.</p>
<p>@cue7 I’m not really trying to disagree with you, since I think there is always room for improvement and it will be a great day when Pierce is replaced and I haven’t really followed the situation elsewhere…but just on a side note… of course the head of Student Life at UChicago is taking a similar role at Yale (her alma mater)… so either Yale was screwing us over or we’re about to screw them over… LOL! No, everyone seems to say she was god at her job and I never met her, so no clue.</p>
<p>Anyway, if they have a housing crunch maybe they can just have the Hunger Games for first-years on the Main Quads to deal with it. It could be a new student group</p>
<p>Hah! Nice point about Hunger Games for first years.</p>
<p>I think UChicago is getting better, but they are still worlds away from the care given to students at other institutions. I’ve been really impressed with Yale’s really thoughtful, careful expansion of their incoming class. They spent a lot of time thinking about new residential colleges, and how increasing the student body would impact the school.</p>
<p>UChicago just doesn’t make the same decisions. Back when I was at UChicago and we had ~900 students per class, we enjoyed a 4:1 student-faculty ratio, and the physical plant could house everyone relatively comfortably (although some dorms, like Pierce or Shoreland, were crumbling). </p>
<p>Now, the incoming class size is 45% bigger, but some of those qualities haven’t been maintained - the physical plant for college students hasn’t really increased much in size (there certainly haven’t been any new classroom buildings built), and the student:faculty ratio has gone up to 7:1 or 8:1. This certainly isn’t bad, but, again, UChicago has not put as much care and attention into this growth. It’s just the way the school operates.</p>
No, everyone seems to say she was god at her job and I never met her, so no clue.</p>