Today The Chronicle of Higher Education headlines a subscriber-only article: Education Conservancy Reels in Donations for ‘Beyond Ranking’ Web Site. On my conviction that non-closed information online is usually at least as adequate as the opinions in walled gardens like the Chronicle, I looked around for more about the college evaluations uproar. It seems to be a Web 2.0 phenomenon, with prospective college students emerging as an increasingly smart mob that may well be taking over the evaluation process. Here is some background from an open article:
Overall, the students described the admissions experience as dizzying, disenchanting and deceptive.
“They’ve confirmed what all of us on the front lines knew in our guts,” says Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
The study is part of Education Conservancy’s effort to convince colleges to abandon rankings, specifically those compiled by U.S.News & World Report.
According to Lloyd Thacker, Education Conservancy Executive Director, rankings caused universities to rely on a cottage industry developed to help them hype their selectivity. The result: a commercialized admissions process that has cheapened the value of learning.
Says Thacker: “This research shows college presidents that they might have some responsibility for that — and, that they need to do something about it.”
Off with fairs and information sessions, say Thacker and his supporters. The solution? Comprehensive Web sites helping students broaden their college searches.
Several such operations, including the University and College Accountability Network, funded by a group of universities,have already gone live in the last year. CampusExplorer.com, Zinch.com and Admish.com, among others, feature interactive forums and advanced search options designed to link up students and schools with similar interests.
Thacker’s group is also developing an Internet search engine.
“The key here is for students to take ownership of their search,” says Chuck Bachman, senior associate director of admissions at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. “View this as an experience to engage oneself — rather than a prize.”
