<p>
</p>
<p>I agree. The criticism is very vague. </p>
<p>UVa is #2 on Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Public Colleges” list. It has a beautiful historic campus, a lively college town, and the whole “Mr. Jefferson” schtick. It gets 24K applications for 3400 places. Tina Friggin’ Fey went to UVa. So what’s the real problem here?</p>
<p>In some of the above messages, the word “provost” was mistakenly used, when they meant “rector.” Rector is the name for the chair of UVa’s governing board. The coupleader’s term as rector is ending, but she is still on the board for 3 more years, thanks to Gov. McDonnell. A straightforward person will become rector soon, but then another rich powerbroker who hates transparency is lined up to be the next rector.</p>
<p>Let’s also keep in mind that UVa’s enrollment is 1/2 to 1/3 the size of many of the flagship universities that are research powerhouses. Those other universities have much larger graduate programs in science and engineering.</p>
<p>Hahaha, Barrons is such a tool. As many of you have read, [the</a> Chronicle of Higher Education even named-checked his and NovaParent’s ongoing feud about Wisconsin.](<a href=“College Confidential: A Field Guide”>College Confidential: A Field Guide) Classic. Even his Badger boosterism is (in)famous. </p>
<p>Getting back to the point, as someone who has read the report, it compared UVa to the top public & private schools. (Sorry Barrons, Wisconsin is not considered one of the top and wasn’t included.) The area according to the report where UVa is “falling behind” compared to the Ivies, the Stanfords & the Berkeleys of the world is in faculty pay & compensation. With the depletion of state funding to UVa plus the hiring & salary freezes during 2 last decades, the University hasn’t kept up with the others when it comes to faculty recruitment and compensation. Maintaining a strong faculty is key since they are the lifeblood of a university. Great professors draw great students who then become great alumni. However, with 1/3 of UVa’s faculty retiring in the next decade, I think there are some great opportunities to recruit some excellent scholars to the UVa community. UVa just completed its [$3</a> billion campaign](<a href=“http://www.nbc29.com/story/22293233/uvas-capital-campaign-exceeds-3-billion-goal]$3”>http://www.nbc29.com/story/22293233/uvas-capital-campaign-exceeds-3-billion-goal) which took longer than expected because of the recession, but the Sullivan debacle of last summer has [unexpectedly</a> energized alums to give back in huge numbers.](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/sullivans-reinstatement-inspires-a-flood-of-donations-to-u-va/2012/06/28/gJQAAypF9V_blog.html]unexpectedly”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/sullivans-reinstatement-inspires-a-flood-of-donations-to-u-va/2012/06/28/gJQAAypF9V_blog.html)</p>
<p>The quality of student instruction isn’t falling behind. UVa still does a great job educating its students, but there are areas for improvement.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>maybe this should be another thread… but the guy wasn’t wrong, was he? The more you focus on your family (which he said was most important), the less you can focus on work. He also said people going through divorce lose productivity routinely.</p>
<p>Eric, your profile doesn’t mask your identify, and we’re actually acquainted. Didn’t appreciate the snide comment. Our kids actually have a similar profile.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Willie Sutton: That’s where the money is…" :D</p>
<p>Globie, UVa is so far behind Wisconsin in sciences it is not even in the same conversation. See any international rankings. To find UVa look WAY down lists.</p>
<p>[Academic</a> Ranking of World Universities - 2012| Top 500 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2012 | World University Ranking - 2012](<a href=“http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2012.html]Academic”>http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2012.html)</p>
<p>[World</a> rankings - North America - Times Higher Education](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/region/north-america]World”>Best universities in the United States 2022 - University Rankings)</p>
<p>BTW that recent UVa report used those same rankings to compare UVa to SOME schools. Not always the actual top schools.</p>
<p>You know what they say about people who live in glass houses? Esp. ones whose funding is about to be SLASHED.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m sure it’s easy to excel in the sciences when UWisconsin is more concerned with research than teaching its 30,000 undergrads & [treating</a> its grad students fairly.](<a href=“http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2013/05/time-pay-us-back-university-wisconsin-madison]treating”>Time to Pay Us Back at University of Wisconsin-Madison | Labor Notes)</p>
<p>But I wonder how well your “vaunted” science departments will do when [Wisconsin’s</a> legislature drastically slashes funding due to anger stemming from UW’s secret slush fund as it continued to raise tuition for 6 years.](<a href=“Wisconsin legislative committee votes to slash UW funding – Twin Cities”>Wisconsin legislative committee votes to slash UW funding – Twin Cities) </p>
<p>I think Senator Alberta Darling said it best: “To have this breach of confidence and trust is totally unacceptable, and Kevin Reilly should not be in this position.” Instead of worrying about UVa’s President, perhaps you should focus your energy on your own President Reilly?</p>
<p>Apparently, there’s talk of [diverting</a> that funding to ACTUAL teaching…in Wisconsin’s K-12 schools.](<a href=“http://badgerherald.com/news/2013/05/07/walker_proposes_dive.php#.UaGNFZXt6fQ]diverting”>http://badgerherald.com/news/2013/05/07/walker_proposes_dive.php#.UaGNFZXt6fQ)</p>
<p>Better to have a $1Billion handy than not. The state is just making them spend it instead of state $$ for a couple years and I agree. So while state funds were reduced to last this year’s level it is more substitution than cutting using unappropriated cash balances. It was a mistake not to spend the money as fast as they could but that was UW System (Reilly)–not UW Madison (Chancellor Ward). I think Reilly should be gone too and UW Madison should get out of the UW System but that’s politics.
As to TA protests–been going on for decades. I know it is foreign concept to UVa but UW has some actual political activity beyond the mainstream. Does UVa even have student unions? Not the kind that sell coffee? UW is a marketplace for ideas–not what to wear to a steeplechase.</p>
<p>“UVa does not have the academic horsepower of … or Wisconsin” UVa report</p>
<p>I don’t even “get” this argument. Any kid I know who wanted to go to UVA was much more likely to apply to UMich for a big 10. </p>
<p>These schools don’t have the same target audience, except in rare instances.</p>
<p>As I’ve beem reading this thread I’ve been trying to think of anyone I know who has gone to UVA, and honestly, I can’t think of a single person.</p>
<p>Living in a neighboring state, I can name, off the top of my head, people who have attended hundreds of public and private colleges and universities all over the country, but not a single person who has chosen to attend UVA.</p>
<p>One of my own applied there, visited and was accepted, but his feelings about UVA were, “Meh”. It didn’t stand out in any way. He wasn’t drawn to it, and it was an expensive OOS, so as parents we weren’t encouraging him to consider it, either.</p>
<p>I have never really thought about it, and I have no explanation for it, but it is interesting.</p>
<p>Eastcoast: Do you live in NC? if so, that makes perfect sense. Very few people would pay $120,000 more (plus travel expenses) for a UVa degree vs. a UNC-CH degree. </p>
<p>This has been true for decades - when I went to UVa 30 years ago, I met people from every east coast state, except NC.</p>
<p>NC provides dramatically more in state funding per student to UNC-CH than Virginia provides to UVa.</p>
<p>I read though what I could find of the report online (if anyone has a link to the entire report, please share), and what it really amounts to is that UVa asked a consultant to do an assessment. The bulk of the the content that is about what UVa does well, areas for improvement, and some caution regarding what UVa should not try to be. Part of that process is to benchmark against other schools. Why is the focus here so much on Wisconsin?</p>
<p>UVa is a great school. I applaud them for being a learning institution, which includes them learning about themselves. And before someone asks - yes, I am biased. I am a Hokie.</p>
<p>“UVa’s in-state and out of state tuition rates have increased dramatically. I don’t see how they can increase it much more. Out of state tuition and fees are now 39K, and the Commerce School is now 44K a year (not including room and board).”</p>
<p>The report says that UVA could, without losing market share, raise out-of-state tuition “moderately” and in-state tuition “significantly.” </p>
<p>That’s probably right, especially if a portion of the new tuition revenue was recycled into financial/merit aid. But I don’t see Richmond letting UVA significantly jack up the IS tuition.</p>
<p>Charlieschm, I’m from Maryland, and the son who didn’t go OOS to UVA <em>did</em> end up going OOS to UNC-CH… Which, even as a full pay out of state school, was much less expensive than UVA. </p>
<p>We just don’t see kids choosing to attend UVA. They end up at a lot of other state flagships, privates all over, and at many Virginia public and private schools, just not at the flagship. It is really strange, now that I think of it, but maybe it comes down to the “Meh” factor. There isn’t enough there there. </p>
<p>Really, even here on CC UVA hardly ever is the topic of conversation. Rarely mentioned on lists of “colleges we loved” or “top colleges for XYZ” or “suggestions for colleges for the kid who’s looking for ABC”.</p>
<p>I think everyone is making way too much out of this report. Uva is one of the top 5 (if not top 2 or 3) public universities in the country. </p>
<p>The BOR (like may other public universities) wants to raise tuition, increase the number of OOS (by being more “competitive”) and increase (or at least keep steady) state funding.</p>
<p>They then hired a consultant, that tells them exactly that; they NEED to do these things to be competitive!! </p>
<p>This report is about overcoming the state’s reluctances to increase tuition and funding. The politicians feel, to serve their constituents(and win that next election!), they need to keep tuition low and ensure Virginia residents have access to the school (by limiting OOS).</p>
<p>This conflict is not unique to UVa. </p>
<p>By the way, 26% of undergrads are OOS, and 7% are foreign. Should the state flagship university look to increase this number?</p>
<p>I think the UVA problem illustrates how difficult it is to be a beloved school, as a state flagship, anyway, unless you have some really great sports years from time to time. UVA is just so lackluster athletically that it doesn’t have that passionate thing to rally around as an alum. I mean, who is wearing a UVA hat or sweatshirt if they didn’t go there? Nobody. </p>
<p>But, kids wear all sorts of gear from UNC, Wisco, UMich, ND, and part of that is sports.</p>
<p>I know this is a controversial opinion on CC, but not out in the world. Nobody wonders why somebody is wearing a Bama hat, even if their kid doesn’t go there.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Really?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/223306-1-dream-school-76.html?highlight=dream[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/223306-1-dream-school-76.html?highlight=dream</a></p>
<p>[Fairfax</a> County Times : Student?s essay a popular read among peers choosing colleges](<a href=“http://m.fairfaxtimes.com/fairfaxtimes/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=mIWFI7hU&full=true#display]Fairfax”>http://m.fairfaxtimes.com/fairfaxtimes/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=mIWFI7hU&full=true#display)</p>
<p>This year’s cycle:
Total number of applications: 29,005
Total number of VA apps: 8,831
Total number of OOS apps: 20,174
Enrollment goal: 3,485 (between EA and RD)</p>
<p>UVA continues to receive more and more apps each year and doesn’t appear to be affected by disinterest as you say. </p>
<p>Our D chose UVA over Northwestern, UNC honors, BC honors, Wake, Pepperdine Dean’s scholar, etc. She loved the history, tradition, weather, and overall social vibe. She’s never regretted her decision and will enjoy her final year living on the lawn in Jefferson’s academical village. She and the 15,000 undergraduates enjoying their time there would hardly describe it as “meh” but rather “magical”.</p>
<p>"Charlieschm, I’m from Maryland, and the son who didn’t go OOS to UVA <em>did</em> end up going OOS to UNC-CH… Which, even as a full pay out of state school, was much less expensive than UVA. </p>
<p>We just don’t see kids choosing to attend UVA. They end up at a lot of other state flagships, privates all over, and at many Virginia public and private schools, just not at the flagship. It is really strange, now that I think of it, but maybe it comes down to the “Meh” factor. There isn’t enough there there. </p>
<p>Really, even here on CC UVA hardly ever is the topic of conversation. Rarely mentioned on lists of “colleges we loved” or “top colleges for XYZ” or “suggestions for colleges for the kid who’s looking for ABC”."</p>
<p>Eastcoast – plenty of chatter about UVA on CC. For example, there’s many threads about “fun schools for smart kids.” While UNC is certainly less expensive OOS than UVA, it lags in this category category behind Mr. Jefferson’s University. You get what you pay for!!!</p>
<p>And the winners, for most combined partying prowess and academic rigor: </p>
<ol>
<li>University of Virginia (#22 party & #36 academic). </li>
<li>University of North Carolina (#25 party & #47 academic). </li>
</ol>
<p>[The</a> Smartest Party Schools In The Country](<a href=“http://www.buzzfeed.com/jakel11/the-smartest-party-schools-in-the-country]The”>The Smartest Party Schools In The Country)</p>