Jump to content

my journalism work: "A world-class university?"


Gregory Pratt

Recommended Posts

Hello old friends

 

I was named News Editor of my college newspaper, The Chicago Flame, and have been working on a series of stories about funding problems in UIC's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 

The series is titled A world-class university?

 

You can see part 1 here: http://media.www.chicagoflame.com/media/st...y-3806365.shtml

 

I know there are some people here who enjoy my work and so I am sharing it with you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 22, 2009 -> 04:36 PM)
This is the first I've heard the question posed to UIC if they were world class university.

Haha yeah. I go to UIC and love it there, but it's not a world class university. Of course that phrase itself is intentionally vague for marketing purposes, but I'd think that to be a worldclass university you'd need instant recognition. And the only world recognition UIC would receive would be from people mistaking it for U of C.

 

Good article though, Pratt. I look forward to your feature on the Criminology department. I have a feeling it'll be nowhere near the gloom of the Political Science Department.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you looked at several of their colleges a couple years back at least, they rank in the top 25. Is it a world class university? I think those only belong to Ivy League schools and/or schools recognized as the best in the world for a certain field of study.

 

For example, if UIC was #1 ranked in the world for their School of Business, then yes, they are a world class university or at least in the discussion.

 

UIC though is very underrated partly because the students there hate it for whatever reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems funny to me how universities like to hire failed CEOs so often to be their chancellors. This is a bit off-topic. And I hate how schools instead of trying to improve their product, just try to improve their customers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Oct 22, 2009 -> 05:45 PM)
UIC though is very underrated partly because the students there hate it for whatever reason.

 

I got a very interesting perspective of UIC visiting it along with DePaul and Loyola on the same day for volunteer recruitment for my job, as the differences in atmosphere were much more transparent when visiting the campuses on the very same day, one after the other, within a few hours.

 

I'll just say I do not blame the students for their hatred...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (SleepyWhiteSox @ Oct 29, 2009 -> 10:16 PM)
I got a very interesting perspective of UIC visiting it along with DePaul and Loyola on the same day for volunteer recruitment for my job, as the differences in atmosphere were much more transparent when visiting the campuses on the very same day, one after the other, within a few hours.

 

I'll just say I do not blame the students for their hatred...

If anyone is complaining about the UIC atmosphere they should have been there prior to 2007. There was no 10+million dollar, state of the art workout facility conveniently located at Harrison and Halsted. Neither was there a University Village or James Stukel Tower (new dorm rooms not unlike those at DePaul). Also, the East and West campuses may has well have been at separate areas of the country because the mini-ghetto located between it made travel by any means aside from car unlikely.

 

Those were the complaints of students for quite awhile, that there was practically nothing to do near campus. Which is ridiculous in itself because the school is literally five blocks from downtown. But regardless, that sentiment has since changed. I don't know when you visited UIC or what you encountered (I'm guessing you, like many visitors, didn't like the schools architecture), but there are really no excuses anymore for people to complain.

Edited by Flash Tizzle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most universities fall into the category of having some areas/departments/facilities that are world class, and others not. There are a very few - Ivy League, MIT, Cal Tech, and maybe a few others - that are truly what I'd call "world class" across the whole school. And I'm not even sure that's fully true with those schools. Then of course there are some that are just not there, at all, in any department.

 

Basically, it all depends on what you want to get out of a school - your department, your facilities, etc.

 

To be honest, I didn't think UIC was top tier in much of anything, but then I also admit I know very little about the school. Reputation-wise, nationally, UIC isn't exactly a name people banter around. In Chicago, they'd usually think of U of C, or Northwestern, as the elite schools. Then UIC, IIT and DePaul among the next "tier".

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Oct 30, 2009 -> 11:42 AM)
If anyone is complaining about the UIC atmosphere they should have been there prior to 2007. There was no 10+million dollar, state of the art workout facility conveniently located at Harrison and Halsted. Neither was there a University Village or James Stukel Tower (new dorm rooms not unlike those at DePaul). Also, the East and West campuses may has well have been at separate areas of the country because the mini-ghetto located between it made travel by any means aside from car unlikely.

 

Those were the complaints of students for quite awhile, that there was practically nothing to do near campus. Which is ridiculous in itself because the school is literally five blocks from downtown. But regardless, that sentiment has since changed. I don't know when you visited UIC or what you encountered (I'm guessing you, like many visitors, didn't like the schools architecture), but there are really no excuses anymore for people to complain.

 

its amazing. I graduated from UIC in 2001. So I was there from 1997-2001. To see the transformation is amazing. I lived on Taylor Street from 2000-2001 and the sh*t that we used to have to run through, to get to Illini Bar or Hawkeyes on Friday night was purely scary. I once had a guy chase me into a friends building screaming that he wanted "butter". nearly pushed the door down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice Story Mr. Pratt.....two of my three minors were covered here, Phusic and Classical Studies. I went to Loyola and while i wast here, there was some shakeup with teh Classical Studies Department, i can not remember what it was, but it did survive. It is tough to keep classes scheduled when there is only a small number of students taking taht class. I remember my Math class, Real Analysis, that only hadmyself and one other student in it, and she liked to cut class! Lots of days with just the professor and myself!

 

Of course, me being a Rambler makes me dislike UIC with a passion!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Pratt, you'll have a blast interviewing the CLJ department if you haven't already. Due to budget cuts expected to take effect in 2011, they're letting go of several well liked administrative employees. There's also a whole host of other concerns that I'm sure someone would be willing to explain in detail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Dec 2, 2009 -> 12:42 PM)
Pratt, you'll have a blast interviewing the CLJ department if you haven't already. Due to budget cuts expected to take effect in 2011, they're letting go of several well liked administrative employees. There's also a whole host of other concerns that I'm sure someone would be willing to explain in detail.

 

We've run two stories on it. Believe me, Mr. Tizzle, I'm on the job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...