Wesleyan University Pros and Cons?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wesleyan University
41

I’m sorry, but their methodology sucks, and they don’t actually understand what they’re doing.

To quote:

So my wife leads one of the largest data institutes in the country, and laughed long and hard at this.

First of all:
Every single ranking systems uses algorithms. An “algorithm” is just a set of rules that a person writes.

Algorithm for putting a giraffe into the refrigerator:

  1. Open refrigerator
  2. Grab giraffe
  3. Place giraffe in refrigerator.

There, I wrote an algorithm. Now magically, if I program this to a computer is will put a giraffe into my computer, right? After all, it’s an algorithm, and that the same as “magic spell”, but for computers, right?

Second:
A biased person will write algorithms which produce biased results. Just because a computer follows the biased instructions doesn’t magically erase the bias inherent in the algorithm

Third:
Databases are mostly biased, and even an unbiased algorithm will have biased results,if it is used on a biased database. More generally, GIGO.

So no, just because they’re using AI or “machine learning” doesn’t mean that they are magically free of bias.

I could think of a dozen ways offhand by which their results would be far more biased than anything done by USNews.

I’m getting REALLY tired of what I will now call Computational Gaslighting.

“It’s not biased because it was done by a COMPUTER, and computers aren’t inherently biased, right?! So it’s scientific truth, and we have to accept it!”

2 Likes
42

yeah, but caltech is sure as shoot is not a liberal arts college–it’s a small science and engineering graduate school with a paltry number of undergraduates hanging around.
i’m pretty sure wes would take the number 2 AND the number 3 on those different lists regardless.
also too interesting takeaways form the small colleges & universities list are: oberlin being so highly ranked and CLARK @ 10.
that guy from clark’s mother running the academic influence list machine had nothing to do with that #10…

1 Like
43

it’s extremely important that we all take a stand on principles!
especially on lists!!
and super dooper especially when that list ranks wesleyan higher than williams and swarthmore!!!

3 Likes
44

Please let’s get back on topic to the pros and cons about Wesleyan and not rankings. Thank you.

1 Like
45

Understand all that, but aside from their promotional language, which is what the rest of your post is about, how do they not know what they’re doing and why does their methodology suck?

Also, I’ve ever seen a moderator moderate a moderator. I’ve now had a peek behind the curtain. :wink: