The University News » Entries tagged with "News"
College ranking studies are flawed and arbitrary
College rankings look enticing in print, but looking deeper into the arbitrary nature of media outlets and website criteria for prioritizing colleges is bleak and inconsistent. The methodology of placing colleges in a Best of ______ list is confusing. According to U.S. News and World Report, “16 key measures of quality” determine the merit of each college. Things get technical with complicated math and phrases like “category weight” and “sub-factor weight.” The charts on usnews.com list numerous ranking categories: undergraduate academic reputation, graduation and retention rates and financial resources, along with several others. Each category is broken into sub-factors such as acceptance rates, ACT scores and graduation rate performance. Those categories are further broken down into National Universities/National Liberal Arts Colleges and Regional Universities/Regional Colleges. Somewhere in this frenzy of numbers-crunching, a best colleges list is … Read entire article »
The college rankings controversy
Top rankings lists can be enticing, especially for topics that might be overwhelming to research, such as which colleges are the best in the nation. U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek and The Daily Beast, Forbes and The Princeton Review are just a few of the publications that utilize college rankings. But what are these rankings lists really expressing about colleges? “The rankings are pretty reliable statistics of such indicators as colleges’ financial resources, course sizes and admissions selectivity,” said Dr. Nathan Lindsay, assistant vice provost for assessment. “The rankings are not very reliable indicators of educational quality and learning.” The U.S. News “Best Colleges” rankings are based on freshman retention, graduation rates and faculty “strength,” according to a September U.S. News article. The “formula” involves academic quality indicators, as determined by education … Read entire article »
Filed under: News
An intellectual property issue? :Policy group’s request to obtain School of Education syllabi meets opposition from UM System
A self-described nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy group dedicated to ensuring “every child has an effective teacher,” the Washington, D.C.-based National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has been at odds with the University of Missouri system’s schools of education, UMKC’s included. The NCTQ, which will publish a contentious report on the nation’s schools of education in early 2013, has been locked in a struggle with the UM system for nearly a year. At the core of the dispute is the question of whether course syllabi should be treated as intellectual property or public records. In November 2011, the NCTQ filed an open-records request with UM system Custodian of Records, Robert Schwartz. Both parties indicate all documents requested of the UM system were provided to the NCTQ, with syllabi the one notable exception. Signs suggest … Read entire article »
Filed under: News
To cut or not to cut?
Popular shows face cuts or schedule to end CANCELLED CSI: Miami News: After ten seasons, CBS decided it was time to call it quits on the CSI spinoff CSI: Miami. Due to budget cuts, the network needed to cut one CSI show and since Miami had become the most expensive to produce, CBS decided it was time for an end. CSI: New York almost failed to make the cut as well, but due to good number in their ninth season, the show has been renewed for at least another year. Editorial: Is it really necessary to have more than one CSI? Although the not-so-occasional glimpse of a dead body or the discombobulated mess of spilled organs reeks of entertainment value, how many dead bodies are too many? I only watched CSI a couple of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment, Events
Local News: Kansas City man pleads guilty for the death of 12-year-old boy
On March 27, 12-year-old Damian Slayton from Independence was killed by a reckless driver under the influence of the drug Phencyclidine (PCP). Slayton was with his mother when an SUV, owned by Clayton R. Dunlap of Kansas City, struck a concrete median, causing his SUV to flip and strike the Slayton’s Volkswagen stopped at a red light. This led to multiple collisions with surrounding vehicles. This marks the third arrest for Dunlap while driving after using PCP. Dunlap appeared in the Jackson County Circuit Court Friday. With a guilty plea, Dunlap received charges of second-degree murder, assault, resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated, as well as three counts of driving without a valid license. These charges could potentially grave Dunlap a life sentence. “Dunlap has proved he is a danger to the community,” Assistant Jackson County … Read entire article »
Filed under: News
Weird News
Elderly man hits officer with cane According to authorities, an 84-year-old man allegedly hit a deputy in the stomach with his cane. Bay County Sherriff’s deputies were called to Calloway Clinic on Nov. 24 because the man was yelling and cursing at an office manager. According to the Associated Press, police reports state the office manager asked authorities to remove the man from the clinic. Once the man was outside, his irate behavior increased. The deputy then warned the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment
Weird News
Police officers called for selling cupcakes illegally According to the San Francisco Chronicle, two 13-year old boys had to answer to the police when a local politician said they were selling cupcakes without a permit. Andrew Demarquis and Kevin Graff were selling baked goods in Chippappau Park in New Castle, N.Y., a New York City suburb. Parents outraged that the young boys had to answer to police for doing something innocent. New Castle Councilman Michael … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment
Struggle through
UMKC’s volleyball team has had a rough season to say the least. Going into the season, the women looked like they might win conference. In 2009, they made it to the Summit League Tournament for the first time since 2003 and had the highest home game winning percentage in school history. “My goals for the team are definitely to make it to the conference tournament,” junior Elizabeth Beck told the U-News in early September. “I have no doubt … Read entire article »
Filed under: Sports
National News: UCF faces academic dishonesty
Students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) were caught cheating on midterms by business professor Richard Quinn. According to ABC News, Quinn was alarmed after reviewing test scores to find they were higher than they were before and did more statistics before an anonymous student confirmed his suspicions. Quinn addressed his class through a videotaped lecture and explained the test scores were higher. About one-third of his class, 200 students, are thought to have had copies of the test before they went into class to take it. ABC News also reported this cheating scandal is the greatest in UCF history. Quinn told his students if the were to confess to cheating, they would be forgiven upon taking a four hour ethics class. He told ABC News only about half of the students who cheated … Read entire article »
Filed under: News
Weird News
No need to buy a vowel According to CNN, Wheel of Fortune contestant Caitlin Burke correctly guessed a Prize Puzzle phrase with only one letter, “L,” and an apostrophe to help her. After buying an “L,” Burke asked host Pat Sajak to solve the puzzle, rendering him momentarily speechless before agreeing to let her answer. Burke guessed the phrase “I’ve got a good feeling about this,” which was a fitting phrase for her unconventionality. After Sajak confirmed her … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment
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