What is the West/Calgary opinion on this

[Maritime Q-Scout]

MacLean University Rankings (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_162650_4420)

That's the undergrad link, from there you can get the Comprehensive and Post-Doctoral links as well

how closely do people pay attention to this?

(not to brag but I was in last years... not directly just everything but one point I put for "hot and not" got published)

and the girl from Sydney that's interviewed used to be the Eagles anthem singer.

[RougeUnderoos]

How closely? Not very. If your school does well (like my alma mater did @ #12) you think it's a great survey and you received a quality education. If your school doesn't show up in the top 21, you probably think it's a piece of crap.

It's always interesting to check out, but I don't think people take it too seriously. I can't imagine employers look at it and think "hmm, this guy went to Bill's University and Maclean's says that is a good one".

[FlamesAddiction]

I have no opinion really. I am surprised to see UNBC up there though. I almost went there but did some research and was turned off by their school.

[duncan]

Boy, times have changed. When I applied too University, many moons ago, the saying was 'If you can't get into University go to Lakehead, Laurentian or Windsor.' All were seen as far inferior schools compared to U of T, UWO, York, and Queens. Interesting that all of the smaller Universities got named; Brock, Trent, Laurier, Lakehead, Laurentian, and Ryerson. I toured Laurier and Brock, and didn't care for the schools, I applied at U of T, York and Waterloo, and went to York and ended at Waterloo.

[lucid]

I read the ratings, but don't really take it too seriously. There's obviously some truth to the ratings, but I personally think the whole rating system used by MacLean's is biased, and therefore disadvatages some schools automatically, esp. schools in the West. So I don't put a lot of stock into the ratings.

[Eddie Bronze]

Wow, St. FX, Mount Allison, Acadia, UNBC, UPEI, St. Mary's, Mount Saint Vincent, Moncton and Cape Breton; 9 of the top 21 are in the maritimes. It's amazing they can educate so well back home, but there so few jobs to put those highly educated people into.

[JiriHrdina]

I don't pay attention at all.

If you know what you are going into in terms of a field you should look more at the specific department at the schools your are evaluating - not rankings like this.

[BlackArcher101]

I'd like to know why Lakehead is so high on the list. Can't really say anything good about the place. Guess it's good though since I'm a current student and I'll be better looked upon when I graduate.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

wow, you guys just made my day

I'm not a fan of the rankings, I think they are biased, and if you look at the forumla used you can see they stop just short of coming out and saying they're biased.

I don't think it measures quality of education whatsoever, but wanted to know how the "west" thought, as back home it's taken with a grain of salt by those with an IQ over 75, and considered the bible with those of an IQ 74 and lower.

Seems to be the way in Halifax as well. Mind you St FX shoves #1 in Canada (neglect to say primarily undergraduate) down your throat, and X grads I know boast about it as well.

[calf]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina@Nov 7 2004, 05:30 PM
I don't pay attention at all.

If you know what you are going into in terms of a field you should look more at the specific department at the schools your are evaluating - not rankings like this.
I agree.

Granted, your university having a high ranking by MacLeans does stroke your ego a bit, and those who are lower will always say 'it's flawed because of a, b, and c'.

Personally: it'd be nice if the U of C was higher in the rankings, but I realize that the program I'm in there is pretty highly regarded, and I know I'm getting a pretty good education out of it.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally posted by No I.D.@Nov 7 2004, 11:23 PM
Wow, St. FX, Mount Allison, Acadia, UNBC, UPEI, St. Mary's, Mount Saint Vincent, Moncton and Cape Breton; 9 of the top 21 are in the maritimes. It's amazing they can educate so well back home, but there so few jobs to put those highly educated people into.
UNBC is in the Maritimes? ;)

[Eddie Bronze]

:lol: I was bound to make a mistake typing out that many names. I agree though, it seems pretty biased, the entire thing is pretty much eastern schools.

[calf]

Originally posted by No I.D.@Nov 7 2004, 06:15 PM
:lol: I was bound to make a mistake typing out that many names. I agree though, it seems pretty biased, the entire thing is pretty much eastern schools.
The thing with Eastern schools is that they're all (for the most part) older schools, meaning they have more 'established reputations' larger library collections etc...those all play a huge factor in the rankings, which puts younger schools at a "disadvantage"

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally posted by calf+Nov 8 2004, 12:18 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (calf @ Nov 8 2004, 12:18 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-No I.D.@Nov 7 2004, 06:15 PM
:lol:# I was bound to make a mistake typing out that many names.# I agree though, it seems pretty biased, the entire thing is pretty much eastern schools.
The thing with Eastern schools is that they're all (for the most part) older schools, meaning they have more 'established reputations' larger library collections etc...those all play a huge factor in the rankings, which puts younger schools at a "disadvantage" [/b][/quote]
That is exactly one of the bias problems. A university in the east has had a lot longer to build a reputation, and that also affects the amount of funding and donations the school gets, which in turn affects some of the other things the school gets graded on.

[Eddie Bronze]

Well, I don't mean to bash the east because I'm from there and it's a great place full of absolutely nothing but caring people, BUT, they can have all the fancy universites in the world as far as rankings go, but until they fix the problem at the unemployment line the schools really aren't doing much for them.

[peter12]

I'm pretty sure if the UofC fired Harvey and got a new admin we might make top 21.

On a sidenote these ratings are garbage. I have heard alot of how the top 21 manipulate GPAs, classroom sizes just to get a high rating. It all depends on your program too.

As calf said, I am in a good program and am pretty satisfied how my education is going, just wish it was a bit cheaper.

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Heh, as biased as some of these rankings may be the UofC always manages to finish at or near the bottom of them. They had one in the Globe and Mail about a month or two ago and Calgary was dead last in 2 of 3 of the categories. However, Calgary's business program is one of the best in the country so, as someone stated above, you probably want to look at the specific field you are going into and see where that fits in with other university's.

Anyways, as a student at the UofC who has taken classes in sciences, business and political science I can say that we sure don't do much to try and raise our ranking in these reports. But (and how's this for Flames dedication) one of the biggest reason's I went to UofC as opposed to UofA was because I got Flames season's tickets last year. So I really couldn't care less what these reports say...

[calf]

Originally posted by peter12@Nov 7 2004, 06:54 PM
I'm pretty sure if the UofC fired Harvey and got a new admin we might make top 21.

Not rebuting your point, but adding to it:

I forget which university it was out east, but they were perrenially near the bottom of MacLeans...so they raised their tuition astronomically, and found their way near the top...I bet Harvey could (if it were legal, that is) raise tuition to $10k a year and find U of C in the top ten.

But the guy's a goof...I can't think of anything he's done well for the university. Same with the SU.

Thank God HSB is essentially (becoming) more of a seperate entity from the university :D

[BlackRedGold25]

Most of you are missing the obvious.

This isn't about the best universities in Canada. It is about the best PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE unversities in Canada. That means that the most prestigious unversities aren't included in that survey.

The list for unversities with comprehensive offerings is available here:
http://www.macleans.ca/universities/articl...104_162949_2152 (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_162949_2152)

And the list for schools with medical doctoral programs is available here:
http://www.macleans.ca/universities/articl...104_163511_5512 (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_163511_5512)

[calf]

Originally posted by BlackRedGold25@Nov 7 2004, 09:26 PM
Most of you are missing the obvious.

This isn't about the best universities in Canada. It is about the best PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE unversities in Canada. That means that the most prestigious unversities aren't included in that survey.

The list for unversities with comprehensive offerings is available here:
http://www.macleans.ca/universities/articl...104_162949_2152 (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_162949_2152)

And the list for schools with medical doctoral programs is available here:
http://www.macleans.ca/universities/articl...104_163511_5512 (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_163511_5512)
Wasn't missing that at all...I knew where U of C stood...plus, most of the top Uni's in the Comprehensive and Medical/Doctoral are out East as well

[icarus]

Crap. I never put any creedence into this report.

I guess my alma mater (Calgary) and current school (Queen's) pale in comparison to... St. Thomas? Six years of university and I've never even heard of the place. :rolleyes:

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I did state in the opening post that it was only primarily undergrad

the ranking are manipulated, and the formula is out in the open on how they do it. I was just curious as to the opinion of what this meant in the west and primarily Calgary (as this is the only board I've posted this on)

some things are clear to me over my unscientific research in the rankings

1 - people don't always understand that the categories are seperate, and #1 in one doesn't mean #1 overall

2 - people out west, but not out east realize there are more universities than what are listed

3 - people don't look at the exact formula, but realize it's biased (ie: someone posted about manipulating class size, yet Cape Breton (#21) is either #1 or #2 (didn't see the actual breakdown this year, last year they were #2, three years prior #1) yet found themselves #21/21)

4 - people think #1 primarily undergrad means #1 in the country

5 - people think MacLean's speaks the Gods truth, or realize it's horesh*t, no inbetween

I did get a kick out of the girl coming out and saying that St FX basically brainwashes people :P

[kobasew19]

Originally posted by calf@Nov 7 2004, 07:44 PM
Thank God HSB is essentially (becoming) more of a seperate entity from the university :D
you Commerce ppl make me sick.......




haha j/k, i'm one of them...i guess we should stick together Calf

[Thunderball]

My position on the U of C senate aside, any ranking system that rates an institution on cultural diversity, regardless of regional demographics, is not one to be taken seriously.

Also, pretty much every major Canadian university is pretty close to equal... the grading is similar, the information is similar... when they are all government funded, one can't expect a huge difference.

So, I say ignore it and go with a school that you like, fits your budget and has the programs you desire with a strong faculty.

[calf]

Originally posted by Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:12 AM
My position on the U of C senate aside,
So you're the bas**rd that raises tuition every year? :angry: ;)

[Thunderball]

Originally posted by calf+Nov 8 2004, 12:17 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (calf @ Nov 8 2004, 12:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:12 AM
My position on the U of C senate aside,
So you're the bas**rd that raises tuition every year? :angry: ;) [/b][/quote]
Actually, no... the Senate is just an Advisory board, but if I get my way, we'll be "advising" the province to boost the funding so tuition need not keep rising.

[calf]

Originally posted by Thunderball+Nov 8 2004, 12:19 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Thunderball @ Nov 8 2004, 12:19 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by calf@Nov 8 2004, 12:17 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:12 AM
My position on the U of C senate aside,
So you're the bas**rd that raises tuition every year? :angry: ;)
Actually, no... the Senate is just an Advisory board, but if I get my way, we'll be "advising" the province to boost the funding so tuition need not keep rising. [/b][/quote]
My apologies then :)

[Thunderball]

not a problem... before assuming the position, I thought we had a say on it too... :P

[kobasew19]

just a hypothetical thought....

Do you think that companies look at where you attended University if you obtained the same degree as your competitor?
For example, I get B.Comm at UofC while someone else gets a B.Comm from UofL. And we had the same grades and everything, also hold the life/work experience constant. If we had the same education and all, would the school of where I got my education really gonna matter?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Thunderball+Nov 8 2004, 12:19 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Thunderball @ Nov 8 2004, 12:19 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by calf@Nov 8 2004, 12:17 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:12 AM
My position on the U of C senate aside,
So you're the bas**rd that raises tuition every year? :angry: ;)
Actually, no... the Senate is just an Advisory board, but if I get my way, we'll be "advising" the province to boost the funding so tuition need not keep rising. [/b][/quote]
I don't mean to derail the topic, but I heard on the radio the other day that there will be 5% budget cuts across the board at the UofC. Fine arts programs were particularly vulnerable I believe they said (it was very early in the morning so I'm not sure of the details).

This seems a little strange to me, considering the current state of the province's finances. Why a cut to funding now?

[Pagal4321]

I don't take these things to seriously, I stayed local just because of cost really. Quality should be somewhat similar around the country. But the way things are looking it could soon be cheaper to have gone away for university. Bloody Harvey and the tution hikes....will they EVER stop.

Well being in a program with 2 main teachers I can say I'm not fully extatic about my quality of education. But the UofC is known for it's research and that really is the only emphasis there. So IMO good teachers are hard to come by.
HSB is turning into it's own school really, which is a good thing becuase it is looking better and better each year.

[Thunderball]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Nov 8 2004, 12:31 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Nov 8 2004, 12:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:19 AM
Originally posted by calf@Nov 8 2004, 12:17 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:12 AM
My position on the U of C senate aside,
So you're the bas**rd that raises tuition every year? :angry: ;)
Actually, no... the Senate is just an Advisory board, but if I get my way, we'll be "advising" the province to boost the funding so tuition need not keep rising.
I don't mean to derail the topic, but I heard on the radio the other day that there will be 5% budget cuts across the board at the UofC. Fine arts programs were particularly vulnerable I believe they said (it was very early in the morning so I'm not sure of the details).

This seems a little strange to me, considering the current state of the province's finances. Why a cut to funding now? [/b][/quote]
The budget is being cut because expenses are exceeding revenues, and the government as of today has not pledged any new money.

Why? you tell me... I think its insane to let this happen.

[evman150]

Number 3 Comprehensive after Waterloo and Guelph. Not bad I guess.

I wish they just piled them all into one list. I'd like to see where UVic would stand then.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Thunderball@Nov 8 2004, 12:41 AM
The budget is being cut because expenses are exceeding revenues, and the government as of today has not pledged any new money.

Why? you tell me... I think its insane to let this happen.
Yes, it is insane.

This province should be cranking up the education dollars or at the very, pathetic least, keeping things at the current levels. The money is pouring in right now but there are budget cuts at the university? It's ridiculous. I don't put much stock into a Macleans study, but maybe this is a reason the eastern universities dominate the list -- perhaps they actually fund education properly.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by kobasew07@Nov 8 2004, 12:30 AM
just a hypothetical thought....

Do you think that companies look at where you attended University if you obtained the same degree as your competitor?
For example, I get B.Comm at UofC while someone else gets a B.Comm from UofL. And we had the same grades and everything, also hold the life/work experience constant. If we had the same education and all, would the school of where I got my education really gonna matter?
For the most part no - this isn't like the US where because of the sheer volume of "schools" out there, name brand recognition is much stronger. In some business circles there is the thought that a UWO MBA has some cachet value but I think there's an equal argument that people will hold it against you. I saw that 1st hand in our practice in Toronto, lots of Queenies vs Western battles going on there.

One area where going to a smaller school might hurt you is recruiting. For instance, if high finance investment banking is your interest, you will find that going to the UofL works against you as some of the big shops (UBS, MSDW, CSFB) don't recruit out of there. Not that it's right, my old firm stupidly did that and lost out of some high level talen from places like Laurentian, even though our Canadian Tax Managing Partner was a Laurentian alumni.

From my experiences doing recruiting for a major global accounting firm, I'd say the place of your degree is only relevant for the 1st stage of recruiting, the weeding out of resumes received. Coming out of university at the undergrad level, your GPA will play more into it than where your graduated from. After your resume has been selected for the 1st round of interviews, it's irrelevant - and it's all up to you and your interview skills.

One exception to this I think are MBA's. With the proliferation of MBA's from all sorts of nickle and dime Colleges, the degree as a whole has taken a hit, and where you get your MBA does infact have some bearing on your recruiting success.

----
As for these Macleans rankings, and in particular the "graduate satisfaction" survey, I think it's largely a pile of crap as it's so subjective to the individual's experience. I've always firmly believed that your University experience is what you make it. It's not just showing up for classes and leaving campus when it's done. You've got to get involved with clubs, goto cabarets, the DEN, and just generally hang and goof off on campus if you want the full collegiate experience.

The UofC's single biggest problem is that it's a commuter campus - people show up and leave after classes. All those Maritime universities have the majority of people living in dorms on campus and that for sure, increases the experience.

As Flamesalltheway said, each University has it's faculties that it's good at. For instance, UofC Law ranks highly by one of those exit surveys - even higher than the vaunted Osgood Hall of Toronto. It's like going to a restaurant - you've got to pick and choose from the menu.

----
Not that the UofC doesn't have it's flaws too. I for one, am sick and tired about people whining about "accessibilty" of University. University shouldn't be an automatic entry. You should have to work in High School to get in. Simply getting a 60% in your Diplomas shouldn't be a guarentee of getting in. If the UofC is experiencing overcrowding they should jack the admission average and restrict the number of grads that way. Unfortunately the funding equasion under the goverment is a per capital grant - one head = X dollars, so to maximize revenue they jam in as many students into the existing facilites. This needs to change.

[kobasew19]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Nov 8 2004, 10:00 AM
Not that the UofC doesn't have it's flaws too. I for one, am sick and tired about people whining about "accessibilty" of University. University shouldn't be an automatic entry. You should have to work in High School to get in. Simply getting a 60% in your Diplomas shouldn't be a guarentee of getting in. If the UofC is experiencing overcrowding they should jack the admission average and restrict the number of grads that way. Unfortunately the funding equasion under the goverment is a per capital grant - one head = X dollars, so to maximize revenue they jam in as many students into the existing facilites. This needs to change.
they could jack up the tuition, thus with a small student body, they could generate the same revenue.

[icarus]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Nov 8 2004, 04:00 PM
As Flamesalltheway said, each University has it's faculties that it's good at. For instance, UofC Law ranks highly by one of those exit surveys - even higher than the vaunted Osgood Hall of Toronto. It's like going to a restaurant - you've got to pick and choose from the menu.
Yeah U of C law was ranked #1 in the country by Canadian Lawyer magazine. But the survey was not comparative... it was based on feedback by recent graduates. And how vaunted is Osgoode, or any place anymore. I passed on Oz for Queen's. U of T wants people to think they're hot because they charge people twice as much and call their degree by a different name. But by and large its all so close. I think there is a ton of parity in Canada not just in law, but in everything including almost all undergrad disciplines. I think to a much greater extent in Canada than in the States it is hard to go wrong when selecting which school to attend.

[the_only_turek_fan]

No McGill or am I just not reading it right??? :hmm:

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Nov 8 2004, 10:00 AM
Not that the UofC doesn't have it's flaws too. I for one, am sick and tired about people whining about "accessibilty" of University. University shouldn't be an automatic entry. You should have to work in High School to get in. Simply getting a 60% in your Diplomas shouldn't be a guarentee of getting in. If the UofC is experiencing overcrowding they should jack the admission average and restrict the number of grads that way. Unfortunately the funding equasion under the goverment is a per capital grant - one head = X dollars, so to maximize revenue they jam in as many students into the existing facilites. This needs to change.
Agreed.

I remember working in grade 12 to get an above 80 average and I think I got an 83 or something. However, all I needed to get into the faculty of science (natural sciences) was a 72. I think that is one of the big reason HSB does so well, because you need an 86 or 87 to get in I believe. I'm convinced I coulda gotten a 65 and squeaked into the university taking some easy degree and then switched into something like sciences after my first year too.

It sucks funding is based on how many people are enrolled at the UofC as that definitely has to change. All that encourages is keeping the admission average nice and low to get the maximum people into the school. Heh, in one of my political science classes the professor gave it the big "Well this class has 80 kids enrolled in it. We only have room for 73 desks, but I guess the room capacity is 80 now. Make sure you get here early or you get nothing but chair, if you're lucky."

It's too bad funding works that way, it seems like it actually worsen's the problem somewhat...

[BlackArcher101]

Without that grant, where would the University get the money? They would have to maximize profits by increasing the enrollment even further.

I don't think when people complain about the "accessibility", they are complaing about how hard University is to get into. They are complaining about the costs, and how the high tuition prevents them from enrolling.

[Andrew]

Originally posted by the_only_turek_fan@Nov 8 2004, 02:05 PM
No McGill or am I just not reading it right??? :hmm:
This is the list of schools that only offer undergrad. THats why tehre is no mcgill.

[calf]

Originally posted by Andrew+Nov 8 2004, 04:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Andrew @ Nov 8 2004, 04:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-the_only_turek_fan@Nov 8 2004, 02:05 PM
No McGill or am I just not reading it right??? :hmm:
This is the list of schools that only offer undergrad. THats why tehre is no mcgill. [/b][/quote]
Yup...McGill is #2 in the Medical Doctoral Universities

Link...it was posted earlier (http://www.macleans.ca/universities/article.jsp?content=20041104_163511_5512)

[moon]

I couldn't care less about the ranking system. I went to the University that was most convenient for my personal life. Don't really care what some magazine cared about it or the program/s I was interested in.

Also I have heard some Universities (Calgary being one of them) didn't really help Maclean's nearly as much as others and therefore did not rank as highly.

[tripin_billie]

these rankings are completely crap. I went to McGill for first year and I'm now in third year at UVic and I like UVic infinitely more. Plus, I actually think I'm getting a far better education. This could be because I'm not doing lower level classes, but I talk to friends still at McGill and they say their classes are down to around 30-40 while mine are down to 12-30. Also, its really nice being on a first name bases with your profs.

Really, these ratings are pointless because its always a personal choice, depending on city and faculty.

[Incinerator]

I pay no regards to the opinions of commies publications such as Maclean's

[MarchHare]

To add some of my own anecdotal evidence. My girlfriend and I both graduated from Mount Allison a few years ago at the time when they had been ranked #1 by MacLeans for like 9 or 10 consecutive years. We then moved to Calgary, where I got a job at SAIT and she completed a B.Ed. at UofC. In her opinion, there was absolutely no question as to which school was better. Let's just say that based on her experience at the two schools, the MacLeans rankings aren't that far from reality.

[Oxygen-Supply]

That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.

[calf]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.
That's a pretty broad and bold statement. Can I ask why?

[peter12]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.
Pretty ######ed. Let me guess... still in high school?

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.
Heh, it appears as though you've dug a little too deep for some of our resident UofC students. Would be interesting to hear your reasoning though.

Anyways, I agree. Go somewhere else if the opporunity presents itself unless you are planning on taking something such as Business...

[peter12]

It just was a stupid statement. Never mind helping fix the problem or looking into the U of C. The U of C has some excellent programs and some not great programs.

If you want to take Business, Engineering, Geology, or most of the Social Sciences, you can't really go wrong with the U of C, especially for your undergrad program.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics
- Poli Sci
- Law
- Communication

Stephen Harper, and how many other federal Conservatives went to/are/were on staff of U of C? Economics

The prof I did my undergrad thesis with said U of C was one of the best of Political Science Maters (mind you more right wing that most schools in the east)

Law, I don't know any U of C lawyers, but I can think of times I've heard posities, and nothing negative about U of C Law

Communication, a guy I went to undergrad with is doing is Masters of Communication at U of C now. So I hope it's good for his sake ;)

[calf]

Originally posted by FlamesAllTheWay+Nov 9 2004, 04:55 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (FlamesAllTheWay @ Nov 9 2004, 04:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-mileflames@Nov 9 2004, 12:12 PM
That UofC needs to be fixed, I would not go there.
Heh, it appears as though you've dug a little too deep for some of our resident UofC students. Would be interesting to hear your reasoning though.

Anyways, I agree. Go somewhere else if the opporunity presents itself unless you are planning on taking something such as Business... [/b][/quote]
It's not that he dug deep, it's just that it was such a ridiculous statement without any support. Fix what? Yes, tuition is high, yes a lot of stuff is being cut...wait, I've answered my own question :lol: ...but a lot of those problems are happening at other Universities, so I fail to see why those are reasons to declare "I will never go there".

It's been said, but the university you go to makes a marginal difference. When you're done and want to get into (and be successful in) the work force depends moreso on your work ethic and who you are as a person, not which school you went to.

[calf]

Originally posted by Maritime Q-Scout@Nov 9 2004, 06:11 PM
being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics
- Poli Sci
- Law
- Communication

Around Calgary, I'd say it's better known for/better reputation (whatever the word I mean) is (in no particular order):
-Engineering
-Business
-Geology
-Social Sciences (Poli/Econ the most prominent)
-Medicine and Law (if we're not just including undergrad programs)
-not sure about CompSci/Actuarial Science, but a fair number of people take it

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Oh, I totally agree your University experience is what you make it. Perhaps i'm a little biased to, I commute to school and basically just take my courses. So, besides a few big nights at the Den, all University really is for me is classes.

But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.

Anyways I took Sciences at the start of my first year and that was like being on a farm. Smallest science class was like 200ish people and then you'd get herded into a lab or tutorial. Political Science?? Mixed feelings. Some good profs and some bad. Heh, a friend of mine is in economics and his 'prof' is basically some guy they found to staff the position. I think he has a BSc or something but that's it. So, in my humble opinion, the UofC is a so-so university, nothing special though...

[Maritime Q-Scout]

it's odd, I went to a commuter campus university for my undergrad, but had a blast, meet so many people. There is a common area that the campus naturally draws to so everyone hangs out there. Despite not having many people on residence there were always ALOT of people floating around.

Now that I go to a major university that had a HUGE amount of students live on campus, and in residence, I find that there's MUCH less of that. I go to class, and then go home. I commute, even though I live much closer to the university. I find at Dal (and most universities) there isn't a main attraction to go to inbetween classes, etc.

I think it had to do with my undergrad having the entire university (with the execption of the residences) connected, and not through tunnels, but natraully at evey level. I've had people from other schools tell me "I don't know when I leave one building and entre another, I have to read the signs" to which I'd reply, "once you're here a week you get it down pat, and the signs are well displayed so no worries there, it's really easy to navigate, and great in the winter/rain"

The university I'm at now, you basically have to go way out of your way to get from one building to the next without going outside (me being a wimp and skinny ass I do it to avoid the cold) but it's more of a hassel.

What I'm getting at is if a commuter campus is designed right it can work to benifit the social aspect of students. If a residence based campus isn't laid out properly (now my current institution is laid out very well but not as good as my alma mater) it doesn't overly enhance the student experiance (unless you actually live IN residence)

[JiriHrdina]

Originally posted by FlamesAllTheWay@Nov 9 2004, 07:13 PM
But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.


Well if that is true its lazy hiring on the part of that employer. I've been on both sides of the hiring desk and can make the following observations:

My B.comm from the U of C was a great asset to me, including when applying for positions outside of Alberta. It held up against degrees from other major schools.

As someone who has hired a lot of people I would never base my impressions of someone's education on Maclame's rankings. In my experience I was looking for a specific type of education in terms of a program or a degree, and didn't care as much where the person got it, as long as it was a reputable school. There are more important things to look at than the perceived quality of the school, including:
- experience
- portfolio (if its that type of job)
- project work completed during their schooling
- references.
- attitude
- on and on

My point is that there is so many other important things to look and consider than these rankings. If an employer is relying on the rankings to make a decision than it reflects poorly on them

All in my humble opinion of course.

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina+Nov 9 2004, 11:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JiriHrdina @ Nov 9 2004, 11:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-FlamesAllTheWay@Nov 9 2004, 07:13 PM
But still, i'm sure alot of people doing the hiring out there might look at a degree from UofC ("Hmmm, that report ranked it last in Canada I think?") and compare it to the same degree from something like McGill ("Whoa, wasn't this ranked near the top?") and go from there. So despite any percieved biases in these rankings, the UofC still manages to finish last or close to it in alot of the categories which doesn't help the students much all, IMO.


Well if that is true its lazy hiring on the part of that employer. I've been on both sides of the hiring desk and can make the following observations:

My B.comm from the U of C was a great asset to me, including when applying for positions outside of Alberta. It held up against degrees from other major schools.

As someone who has hired a lot of people I would never base my impressions of someone's education on Maclame's rankings. In my experience I was looking for a specific type of education in terms of a program or a degree, and didn't care as much where the person got it, as long as it was a reputable school. There are more important things to look at than the perceived quality of the school, including:
- experience
- portfolio (if its that type of job)
- project work completed during their schooling
- references.
- attitude
- on and on

My point is that there is so many other important things to look and consider than these rankings. If an employer it relying on the rankings to make a decision than it reflects poorly on them

All in my humble opinion of course. [/b][/quote]
Whoa, I should be writing those interview/resume tips down.

Anyways, perhaps I didn't phrase myself properly. What I was getting at is that even if people don't care about these annual reports or claim they are biased and what not, they are the only reports out there. And the UofC is consistently near the bottom of them. So basically when statistically comparing universities with numbers, etc, this is the all the stuff that is really there to use.

But I am sort of playing devils advocate here. I don't really care what these reports say at all. Different Universities have stronger and weaker faculties and your experience at school is what you make it, yadda yadda yadda.

Now deleteth those resume/interview tips now. I shall have the upper hand henceforth...

[snowdude]

THE VIEW FROM THE UofA


*SHRUG*

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by Maritime Q-Scout@Nov 9 2004, 06:11 PM
being from the east here's what I get the impression U of C does well in:

- Economics

Whoa there - I think you mean the Business Program, not economics there. Big difference there between the two, one more concerned about the theoretical view about how everything in the universe is financially linked together and the other more focused on how to run and manage a business (using fundamentals from the other). I'd say the The UofC has a better commerce program than Econ.

Actuarial Science..... for those who thought accounting was far too stimulating.... :D :ph34r:

As for you Snowdude, taking a page from this thread, what Faculty are you in before we start making UofA / Edmonpuke cracks? ;)