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THE UNIVERSITY MARY KANSAN
RANKINGS (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
ings. Although the University ranked as the state's highest at 96th out of 260 national universities, Parkinson called the state's overall position "mediocrea." He set a goal that the University ranks as a top-50 national university within 10 years.
Parkinson specifically mentioned increasing admission standards to improve the state's retention and graduation rates.
"Our open enrollment policy has hurt our rankings considerably," Parkinson told the Regents. "It has lowered our ACT and GPA scores and more importantly, resulted in students who are not ready for college-level classes."
RANKING BREAKDOWN
US News & World Report uses 15 categories to determine a university's ranking. Admission standards, which includes the ACT and SAT scores of incoming freshmen and the number of freshmen who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, account for 15 percent of the final ranking. The category also weighs the acceptance rate of applicants.
The University's current admissions standards require that in-state
students score at least a 21 on their ACT or 980 on their SAT; rank in the top third of their high-school class; or have a cumulative 2.0 high school grade point average. According to the US News & World Report, the University's fall 2008 acceptance rate of 91.8 percent was the highest among Big 12 schools, meaning more students are accepted at the University than anywhere else in the Big 12. The University of Texas, which was ranked 47th by US News & World Report, had an acceptance rate of 43.5 percent.
Docking, who graduated from the University with a master's degree in business in 1984, said that she thought the University's standards were outdated and that she supported Parkinson's challenge.
By raising admission standards, Docking said a greater proportion of students would succeed. She said this would help increase student retention and graduation rates.
"If kids only need these to enroll, we are setting them up to fail," Docking said.
Retention rates measure the proportion of students that return to campus the following year and eventually graduate within a six-year period. This counts for 20
percent of the U.S. News ranking.
According to the University's Web site,
the six-year graduation rate was 59.6 percent for the class of
2008, which was below the national average of 60 percent.
"The governor's objectives are not necessarily the goals of the board."Docking said.
Bretz said that improving graduation rates was a top priority for Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. She said raising admission standards could help accomplish this goal.
She said the Regents planned to appoint a task force to review these standards. The report is expected to take between six and nine months to complete. Under state law, the Regents can determine admission standards at the four state universities.
KU alumna Kim Wells said students would benefit if the University improved its ranking. After gradu
"Raising retention and graduation rates is the key to success," Bretz said. "Wed rather see students at the finish line than the starting line."
BENEFIT FOR STUDENTS
Docking said although she agreed with the governor's assessment, the Regents would determine their own plans for state institutions.
ating from the University in 1971. Wells studied law at the higher-ranked University of Virginia. He said the biggest difference between the schools was the overall quality of students. He said that having a higher-ranked program attracted a more competitive student body, which produced more serious students.
Wells, now a partner in the Kansas City law firm Gilmore & Bell, said having a degree from a high-ranked university created opportunities for him.
"The better the school is ranked, the more doors open for you," Wells said. "Getting credentials is a part of life."
Mason Heilman, student body president, agreed that higher rankings would benefit the University. He said it would attract higher quality students, making the University more prestigious and nationally recognized.
"We are a research institution competing with other research institutions for quality students and faculty," Heilman said. "Obviously better rankinates would give us an edge."
Despite such benefits, critics argue that the U.S. News rankings are subjective and easily abused. According to US News & World Report, 25 percent of the ranking is based on a peer assessment determined by surveying administrators from other similarly categorized schools.
"I am familiar with the game that is college rankings," Docking said. "However, rankings are still an important measure."
RELIABILTY OF RANKINGS
Bretz added that although the governor's stated goals were to boost the rankings, the real mission was to improve the state's higher education.
In some instances, university administrators have admitted to working to manipulate rankings. A June 4, 2009, Associated Press story reported that Catherine Watt, former head of Clemson University's institutional research office, admitted to altering class sizes, tampering with faculty salary data and instructing administrators to rank all other schools lower than Clemson on the peer assessment.
Docking said that she recognized this potential abuse of the rankings, but that they remained an important factor in assessing the state of our higher education.
"We would be elated to see KU's
KU ADMISSION
STANDARDS FOR
FRESHMEN
Out-of-State Residents :
Kansas Residents :
Achieve an ACT score of 21 or above or an SAT score of 980 or above.
Rank in the top one-third of their high school class.
Earn at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0-point scale in the Kansas Board of Regents curriculum.
Out-of-State Residents : Achieve an ACT score of 24 or above or an SAT score of 1090 or above. Rank in the top one-third of their high school class. Earn at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0-point scale in the Kansas Board of Regents Curriculum.
name move up, Bretz said. "But the real focus is improvement education."
Edited by Tim Burgess
NASA
NASA Discovery shuttle landing will bring Buzz home
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Shuttle Discovery's astronauts aimed for a Thursday evening landing to wrap up their successful space station delivery mission, but late summer storms threatened to keep them up an extra day or two
Mission Control said Wednesday that "the weather will pose a challenge" for bringing Discovery home. The forecast called for a chance of thunderstorms. Conditions were expected to worsen Friday and remain poor Saturday.
they are thornier poor barbary.
"The weather in Florida this time of year is always a little ify," Discovery's commander Rick Sturckow, said from orbit. "If things aren't good, the worst that can come out of it is that we have another day in space, which is a great deal."
In orbit since Aug. 29, Discovery has enough supplies to last until Sunday. If the shuttle cannot return to Florida on Thursday, NASA will consider landing it in California, but not until Friday at the earliest.
The shuttle is also carrying a Buzz Lightyear figure. The 12-inch action figure, of Disney's Toy Story, rocketed into "infinity and beyond" aboard Discovery in May 2008. Once Walt Disney World gets the toy back, it will be feted at a tickertape parade early next month with Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon.
opra assured a TV interviewer that Buzz is doing well after so long in space.
Associated Press
Scott McEathron, associate librarian, prepares the Reach Out exhibit in Watson Library Wednesday. The exhibit features scholarly work about AIDS awareness.
Andrew Hoxey/KANSAN
Sarah Goodwin Thiel, chairwoman of the Libraries Exhibits Committee, said eight faculty members as well as other graduate and undergraduate students at the University this fall have conducted research — independently and in groups — to combat the disease. She said the KU Libraries tried to incor-
dents facing mortality issues they weren't prepared for facing at ages 18 to 24. Their life expectancy has been shortened. Even though it's a chronic medical problem, it can feel like a death sentence."
AIDS (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
porate most of that research, which varies from treatment and prevention of the illness to how to better keep it from spreading, into the exhibit.
One of the undergraduate
"There's a strong misconception that it won't happen to the individual."
researchers with work on display, Hannah Nusz, Kansas City, Kan., senior, received a grant to travel to Uganda in 2007 for a two-month research project on prevention methods in the area.
PATTY QUINLAN Nursing supervisor
"Uganda had one of the lowest AIDS rates in that part of Africa," Nusz said. "So I wanted to look at what their model was for treating and dealing with AIDS."
"The reality of how AIDS affects the lives of individuals, families and communities became more real to me than it has been before." Nusz said. "Even in America there are people whose lives are drastically changed and affected by AIDS. I hope raising awareness enlightens students about what kind of research is being done
Nusz said that even though Uganda had a relatively low
occurrence of AIDS in its population, what she discovered still renewed her appreciation for the opportunities available for increasing AIDS awareness in the U.S.
and what knowledge is there for them."
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AIDS awareness posters he has collected across six of the seven continents to the Spencer Research Library.
She said the relevance of the theme to both student life and current research at the University made the exhibit a perfect fit for this semester.
"There's a wealth of information and research going on right now from KU faculty, staff and students that pertains to AIDS and AIDS
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"Often, a new relationship will encourage someone to come test." Quinlan said. "A breakup of a relationship will encourage someone to come test. It's very important for people to know it is on campus, that individuals do contract it while being a student at KU."
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She said students faced a variety of circumstances in college life where they should — and do — go to Watkins for HIV and other sexually transmitted disease tests.
Quinlan said any student who tested positive for HIV was put in contact with a physician and a care coordinator to establish a process for notifying past partners and discussing available treatments.
awareness." Smith said.
Edited by Sarah Kelly
Sept. 5-19th
For Women & Men
True Religion, Husdon, 7
for All Mankind, Ella Moss.
Splendid, LaRok, Jezebel, Twelfth
Sr., 7 Diamonds, Free People
West on 9th St. from Mass St
Hours: Mon-Sat 11-7pm,
Sunday closed