(08-28-2014 02:08 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 12:28 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 11:36 AM)blunderbuss Wrote:  I've always heard that the hardest academic part of UNC was just getting accepted. Once you're in you've basically got to try to flunk out. That's coming from several different folks.

I think a lot of it has to do with your field of study.

I think blunder is spot-on. It is difficult to be shown the door at Chapel Hill today. UNC used to be very highly regarded...but, more recently, I think their undergrad programs have slipped. And, the scandalS have really hurt their reputation.

Honestly, I think regard for nearly every university has slipped. Way too much nonsense coming from all of them, and too many graduates who can't get degrees. And those graduates know deep down that what they paid for was filled w/ bunk.

From my own perceptions, maybe, maybe Northwestern, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Army and Navy still get full respect. Duke probably has a few blemishes, but is still respected (overrated IMO).

GT and Rice were always underappreciated. Too few people have heard of Claremont McKenna. Everyone forgets about Cal Tech. TAMU is still TAMU.

Everyone else (and I mean everyone) has gotten dinged along the way, or has too many questionable graduates to be revered.

(08-28-2014 02:08 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 12:28 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 11:36 AM)blunderbuss Wrote:  I've always heard that the hardest academic part of UNC was just getting accepted. Once you're in you've basically got to try to flunk out. That's coming from several different folks.

I think a lot of it has to do with your field of study.

I think blunder is spot-on. It is difficult to be shown the door at Chapel Hill today. UNC used to be very highly regarded...but, more recently, I think their undergrad programs have slipped. And, the scandalS have really hurt their reputation.

This. That's exactly what I've been hearing. The past 10 years or so they've slipped in regards to the quality of what actual goes on in the classroom. They can claim they're very selective, their students have high SAT scores, etc. but in terms of the actual quality of education and student once they're "in" is a whole different animal. I've had "normal" grads tell me as much. Bottom line is the university system is one of the most snobbish fields you can be involved in and half of the battle is gaming your numbers. It basically amounts to a nerd dick measuring contest.

(08-28-2014 02:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Honestly, I think regard for nearly every university has slipped. Way too much nonsense coming from all of them, and too many graduates who can't get degrees. And those graduates know deep down that what they paid for was filled w/ bunk.

From my own perceptions, maybe, maybe Northwestern, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Army and Navy still get full respect. Duke probably has a few blemishes, but is still respected (overrated IMO).

GT and Rice were always underappreciated. Too few people have heard of Claremont McKenna. Everyone forgets about Cal Tech. TAMU is still TAMU.

Everyone else (and I mean everyone) has gotten dinged along the way, or has too many questionable graduates to be revered.

IMO, if you get a piece of paper from the Ivy League, Stanford, Chicago, Duke, MIT, CIT, Northwestern, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Hopkins or Berkeley, it is worth a lot in the job market and academia, both regionally and nationally. There are other colleges that are very good and respectable in certain fields or regionally. For better or worse, your call, the top schools have been about the same since people started putting weight on alma maters.

(08-28-2014 02:34 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 02:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Honestly, I think regard for nearly every university has slipped. Way too much nonsense coming from all of them, and too many graduates who can't get degrees. And those graduates know deep down that what they paid for was filled w/ bunk.

From my own perceptions, maybe, maybe Northwestern, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Army and Navy still get full respect. Duke probably has a few blemishes, but is still respected (overrated IMO).

GT and Rice were always underappreciated. Too few people have heard of Claremont McKenna. Everyone forgets about Cal Tech. TAMU is still TAMU.

Everyone else (and I mean everyone) has gotten dinged along the way, or has too many questionable graduates to be revered.

IMO, if you get a piece of paper from the Ivy League, Stanford, Chicago, Duke, MIT, CIT, Northwestern, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Hopkins or Berkeley, it is worth a lot in the job market and academia, both regionally and nationally.

Yes, but for varying reasons. Going to Harvard gives you connections, not brains.

Quote:There are other colleges that are very good and respectable in certain fields or regionally. For better or worse, your call, the top schools have been about the same since people started putting weight on alma maters.

There is inertia to be sure. But I'm suggesting that the regard, perhaps awe in some cases, for most institutions has dropped.

On a relative scale, things don't change much. On an absolute scale, more people are asking "why bother," particularly w/ expensive schools.

(08-28-2014 02:42 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 02:34 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  IMO, if you get a piece of paper from the Ivy League, Stanford, Chicago, Duke, MIT, CIT, Northwestern, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Hopkins or Berkeley, it is worth a lot in the job market and academia, both regionally and nationally.

Yes, but for varying reasons. Going to Harvard gives you connections, not brains.

Going to those schools gives you connections and usually a better education, on the whole. Those schools usually have the most money, the best facilities, and attract the best researchers and faculty in their fields.

(08-28-2014 02:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

Quote:There are other colleges that are very good and respectable in certain fields or regionally. For better or worse, your call, the top schools have been about the same since people started putting weight on alma maters.

There is inertia to be sure. But I'm suggesting that the regard, perhaps awe in some cases, for most institutions has dropped.

On a relative scale, things don't change much. On an absolute scale, more people are asking "why bother," particularly w/ expensive schools.

I think this is true with your private middling schools and schools just outside of those listed. If you can get into one of those schools listed above, YOU SHOULD RUN at the opportunity because the awe for those schools is still just as bright.

That said, I still think many schools give you an opportunity to do better in the job market. However, not everyone needs to go to college...especially, if you are just going because people told you a degree is worth something. Many people end up with unusable degrees like Women's Studies, (Pick a Race)-American Studies, Communications, English, and Philosophy -- to name a few. And usually those are from middling schools. Grads wind up burdened with debt and useless paper. But, schools are making a ton of money today and many of them continue to expand their program offerings into many useless fields. That watering down of college is what is leading many to believe the luster is fading on colleges.

(08-28-2014 02:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 02:08 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 12:28 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(08-28-2014 11:36 AM)blunderbuss Wrote:  I've always heard that the hardest academic part of UNC was just getting accepted. Once you're in you've basically got to try to flunk out. That's coming from several different folks.

I think a lot of it has to do with your field of study.

I think blunder is spot-on. It is difficult to be shown the door at Chapel Hill today. UNC used to be very highly regarded...but, more recently, I think their undergrad programs have slipped. And, the scandalS have really hurt their reputation.

Honestly, I think regard for nearly every university has slipped. Way too much nonsense coming from all of them, and too many graduates who can't get degrees. And those graduates know deep down that what they paid for was filled w/ bunk.

From my own perceptions, maybe, maybe Northwestern, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Army and Navy still get full respect. Duke probably has a few blemishes, but is still respected (overrated IMO).

GT and Rice were always underappreciated. Too few people have heard of Claremont McKenna. Everyone forgets about Cal Tech. TAMU is still TAMU.

Everyone else (and I mean everyone) has gotten dinged along the way, or has too many questionable graduates to be revered.

I had the pleasure to attend my Son in Law's graduation from Wake Law. I have to say...I was damn impressed. I did not encounter any slouches at Wake.

(08-27-2014 07:46 PM)EagleRockCafe Wrote:  

Because Jews are evil and Palestinian terrorists are “freedom fighters,” or something. My disgust and dislike for America's left has grown exponentially over this Israel/Palestinian situation. Israel is defending themselves and America's left crawls in bed with the p.o.s. terrorists in Gaza. Disgusting and pathetic.

Quote:Over 400 scholars and librarians worldwide have signed a letter calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions until the country concedes to their demands.

Four University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill professors are among the signees to the letter, which was published on a Jadaliyya, a website run by the Arab Studies Institute.

The letter says that “[w]orld governments and mainstream media do not hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. We, however, as a community of scholars engaged with the Middle East, have a moral responsibility to do so.”

The letter demands that Israel “[e]nd its siege of Gaza, its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967, and dismantle the settlements and the walls;” “[r]ecognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel and the stateless Negev Bedouins to full equality;” and “[r]espect, protect, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.”

The four UNC professors include: Associate Professors of History Sarah Shields and Cemil Aydin; Associate Professor of Religion Juliane Hammer; and Department of Asian Studies Chair Nadia Yaqub.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=5850&app=cro

Funny, as I recall there are Arab's living on Israeli lands whose rights are respected and defended every day. I'm thinking the reverse can't be said...

Back to the OP....I am not surprised one iota that UNC profs would be involved in this nonsense. UNC is crawling with this type of **** roach.

(08-28-2014 03:53 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  Funny, as I recall there are Arab's living on Israeli lands whose rights are respected and defended every day. I'm thinking the reverse can't be said...

Yep, and in addition to those folks that live in Israel, many Palestinians go to work in Israel from the West Bank.