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(03-06-2013 12:08 PM)UAB?IAB Wrote:  Why is the panic over kids that come from the Birmingham school system, yes the system is poor but great kids come out of that system all the time. Just because a kid goes to a high performing school doesn't necessarily make that kid a high performer. Sounds to me like some of you would like to keep the poor and uneducated, poor and uneducated. UAB should be applauded for reaching out into the community that they reside in and helping others. FYI, test scores don't measures one's intellect and book smarts doesn't equate to common sense.

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He is impressive, I got to meet him on his first day on the job.

About the OCS, he will basically say, we can't do a "build it and they will come" type thing. We need to have the attendance that can then justify the facility. And bottom line that is true. And if we have the attendance, no one on that board could make a valid argument not to build it. He addressed this to our group on his first day. He supports athletics, but he also needs to have the firepower to outgun the questions if presented to the board.

I once worked in the student admissions dept at a certain professional school at UAB, so I can say with certainty that the name on top of your transcript will likely get you an interview if you graduated or are on track to, but your test scores, GPA, and interview are usually the deciding factor regardless of the undergraduate school you attended.

Which goes back to the two things we have been saying we need to do. Increase our donor base and increase attendance and we will have a stadium. Yep its that simple. Donor base is increasing. If the team will do its part the attendance will take care of itself.

(03-06-2013 12:53 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Which goes back to the two things we have been saying we need to do. Increase our donor base and increase attendance and we will have a stadium. Yep its that simple. Donor base is increasing. If the team will do its part the attendance will take care of itself.

YES!!! It has been pointed out many times before that WINNING is the only marketing strategy that UAB has not tried yet. I believe people will turn out in large numbers when UAB puts that marketing strategy into practice. Maybe 2013 is the year it begins to do so.

Weld of Birmingham Interview: "The future of UAB"
http://weldbham.com/blog/2013/03/06/the-future-of-uab/

I would be one of the first to argue that the fractionalizing of Birmingham (Mountain Brook, Homewood, etc... ) is unfair and damages the school system because neighborhoods that should be paying taxes to the Birmingham school district are not, while they benefit from being associated with a city. I am all for helping the Birmingham school system. I trust those in the know that this is really about getting kids prepped at a Junior College before taking them on at UAB. I don't worry just about my engineering degree (I think the SoE is doing well), but I want to see UAB Arts and Humanities degrees to command the same respect as a UAB Medical Degree because it is UAB Real Estate agents and Bankers and Small Business Owners that you will associate with more on a daily basis.

(03-06-2013 12:08 PM)UAB?IAB Wrote:  Why is the panic over kids that come from the Birmingham school system, yes the system is poor but great kids come out of that system all the time. Just because a kid goes to a high performing school doesn't necessarily make that kid a high performer. Sounds to me like some of you would like to keep the poor and uneducated, poor and uneducated. UAB should be applauded for reaching out into the community that they reside in and helping others. FYI, test scores don't measures one's intellect and book smarts doesn't equate to common sense.

It is the reduced requirements on the testing to get into UAB that have me worried. I have seen kids at the top of their high school class with mediocre test scores not do well in college.

That being said, I would prefer UAB to set up a scholarship for kids in Birmingham City Schools for individuals that excel in academics at their schools and achieve current standards for admission at UAB. These individuals are the ones most likely to succeed at a university and should be the ones that UAB focuses its efforts.

(03-06-2013 04:45 PM)uab278 Wrote:  

(03-06-2013 12:08 PM)UAB?IAB Wrote:  Why is the panic over kids that come from the Birmingham school system, yes the system is poor but great kids come out of that system all the time. Just because a kid goes to a high performing school doesn't necessarily make that kid a high performer. Sounds to me like some of you would like to keep the poor and uneducated, poor and uneducated. UAB should be applauded for reaching out into the community that they reside in and helping others. FYI, test scores don't measures one's intellect and book smarts doesn't equate to common sense.

It is the reduced requirements on the testing to get into UAB that have me worried. I have seen kids at the top of their high school class with mediocre test scores not do well in college.

That being said, I would prefer UAB to set up a scholarship for kids in Birmingham City Schools for individuals that excel in academics at their schools and achieve current standards for admission at UAB. These individuals are the ones most likely to succeed at a university and should be the ones that UAB focuses its efforts.

I'd like to see UAB bring more scholarships.

Honestly, a big part of why I came to UAB was the full ride I got. I think they've cut back on offering those scholarships now a days though, and students still end up having to pay a few thousand regardless.

UAB has been trying to expand their honor programs to help draw in more top students. I would love them to expand this significantly-- give more funding and allocate more resourcs to honors programs.

Within ten years I'd like one of the residence halls converted to an honor's hall. Now, I know there's benefits for honors students not segregating from the rest of campus, but it kind of happens on its own, and it's something other schools offer.

UAB should be competing (at least with in-state students) for students looking at offers from top schools. Well funded honors programs are a way to do it.

(03-06-2013 04:45 PM)uab278 Wrote:  

(03-06-2013 12:08 PM)UAB?IAB Wrote:  Why is the panic over kids that come from the Birmingham school system, yes the system is poor but great kids come out of that system all the time. Just because a kid goes to a high performing school doesn't necessarily make that kid a high performer. Sounds to me like some of you would like to keep the poor and uneducated, poor and uneducated. UAB should be applauded for reaching out into the community that they reside in and helping others. FYI, test scores don't measures one's intellect and book smarts doesn't equate to common sense.

It is the reduced requirements on the testing to get into UAB that have me worried. I have seen kids at the top of their high school class with mediocre test scores not do well in college.

That being said, I would prefer UAB to set up a scholarship for kids in Birmingham City Schools for individuals that excel in academics at their schools and achieve current standards for admission at UAB. These individuals are the ones most likely to succeed at a university and should be the ones that UAB focuses its efforts.

The problem is that there aren't a lot of those, and quite frankly are probably going somewhere else. Why not be a force for good in your own city and try to make things better as a whole? Again, this isn't a lowering of standards for the whole freshman class of 2013. On the whole you're probably looking at a hundred or less, and many will be going to Jeff State at first instead of UAB. It's not a wholesale shredding of UAB's academic reputation.

It is likely that "UAB's academic reputation" was not built solely upon those who scored 30+ on the ACT, but by regular students (many who scored < 20 on the ACT) who made good use of their opportunity to succeed at UAB. Since most colleges have a graduation failure rate of over 40% - 50%, I am not all that awed by a high standardized test score. It is far more important that the school know a lot about the character of the applicant than just a test score. That is the job of the Admissions / Registrar's Office at any college. If all they do is consider test scores, then they can be replaced by a computer.

Yes, many of these graduates from the state's least financially supported districts may need more attention than ones from the better supported districts, but they can succeed with the right help by UAB. Remember that most state school districts have difficulty filling even their basic classes with certified teachers since they don't often have hundreds to choose from like a Vestavia or Hoover. Many of these have fired many of their youngest teachers every May and hoped they would be available to rehire the following August when they know how much money they will have for faculty. Which quality of teacher is most likely to be still waiting to be hired again?

The state's JUCO system was DESIGNED to be a restart point for academic "late bloomers" who decide too late in high school that they really want to pursue higher education. That is why a student can get in with a G.E.D. and sometimes no diploma at all. Our FB team used to be able to take "Prop 48" players and some turned out very well for us. We should avoid getting so "self impressed" with ourselves that we forget the purpose and mission of a college in any state in the first place.