One example for LS&A at Michigan I’ve seen - my son is in a 200 level math course, so mid-level. First of all, its a class of 15 (meeting 3 times a week with the professor), so its great that the class size is small. Its also a challenging course and he looks for plenty of help from the professors. In fact, because of the size of Michigan’s faculty, he is able to access the office hours of a team of six professors for assistance. He said he can get the office hours help he needs any day of the week.
intparent, there is no doubt that Michigan was, at one time, and for most of its history, “first and foremost a state flagship”. However, to say that it is still “first and foremost a state flagship” is outdated. Michigan has grown far beyond that simple mission. Michigan today owes as much of its current, and indeed recent, stability and success to OOS and international students/alumni as it does to the state. Considering how poorly funded the University has been for the last two decades, it is unlikely that it would be enjoying its lofty position without the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tuition that OOS and international students pay the university.
The University received $280 million in state funding this year. It also received $230 million in tuition from in-state undergraduate students (assuming none received financial aid). That’s a total of $510 million from the state and in-state students last year. OOS and international undergraduate students paid $480 million, again assuming none received financial aid. As one can see, OOS/International students provide as much financial backing to the university as in-state students and state residents.
I think it is unfair to downplay the role OOS and international students have played in the development of the University.
Furthermore, education without diversity would be severely lacking in this day and age. 38% of the students hailing from OOS and other countries, while excellent considering the size of the university, is still not optimal.
That being said, I agree that Michigan is no hurting on the prestige front. It is one of the most well regarded and prestigious universities in the country, both nationally and internationally. But that is why I always make the distinction between prestige that matters (in academe and industry) and prestige that does not matter (among high school kids and parents). Still, if the University wishes to attract the most talented students from around the country and the World, it does need to keep up and improve its image among high school students…and it is, slowly and with integrity.
wayneandgarth, your son’s experience is pretty much indicative of most intermediate and advanced level classes in most majors, save the very popular ones, such as Econ, Political Science and Psychology.
@wayneandgarth Does it happen to be math 217? That sounds like my experience with that class. The classroom was “inverted” so there was a lot of puzzle solving in class rather than lecturing, and a lot of collaboration with students on the homework.
The days when UM saw its mission as being to educate “Michiganders” ended when the state failed to maintain financial support to the university. This began in the 1980s. The state has tacitly acknowledged this, not opposing the increase in OOS admissions. MSU and the other state university have now assumed responsibility for educating in-state students.
@eyo777 yes, Math 217. I’m not a math person myself but as you know this is the students introduction to proofs, which I understand can be challenging yet rewarding.
@wayneandgarth Yeah, it’s a good class. Lots of professors made themselves available to help students out during office hours. There were even free student-to-student tutoring sessions offered, too (the tutors were further along in the major and got paid by the department). All because they knew working through proofs for the first time could be challenging. They wanted to make sure we had no shortage of help if we needed it.
@wayneandgarth By the way, despite it being named 217, it’s more challenging than all the other linear algebra classes–including 400-levels–save 420! (Which is a grad course.) After finishing 217, your son should be ready for 400-levels.