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Questions That Get at the Heart of a College
By John F. Gummere
When parents and their sons and daughters visit colleges they will certainly get impressions of the campus, of students who lead the campus tours, of people in the admissions office and of the general atmosphere. This is as it should be, but they are still only impressions.
Under the surface are important issues with which a
prospective student should be concerned, and the questions below deal
directly with some of them. It is important to note how readily the
admissions officer replies to these queries, for they go to the heart of
the institutions, and in fact it can be valuable to keep a kind of box
score to evaluate the responses. Each question is followed by comments
to help in your evaluation of the answer received.
1. What percentage of last year's freshman class was removed for
disciplinary reasons? Obviously freshman year has its problems, but on a
good campus the attrition rate should not be high. Atmosphere and morale
should be such that people behave well as a matter of course. Good
student government and an alert faculty should see trouble developing,
and good deans and advisers should be at hand to deal with it.
2. What percentage of last year's freshman class flunked out? Students
who are admitted are expected to succeed. A big loss is a bad sign, and
something must be wrong. (Big is relative, of course; large state
universities may regularly sustain bigger attrition percentages,
irrespective of the numbers involved, than small private schools do.) Is
it the curriculum? Are incompetents being let in? Is the teaching not
good enough?
3. What percentage of all who matriculated over the years finally
received a diploma? A start in a good college should be good enough to
encourage a finish, either in the usual time or not too much later. A 90
percent retention rate is unusually high, but some colleges have it. A
rate of 50 percent, however, would be quite low.
4. What was the size of the total undergraduate student body over the
last five years? Has the total number of signed applications for
prospective students remained fairly constant? Some colleges maintain a
fixed enrollment level. The key figure is the signed applications,
because money must accompany them; so if that figure remains high, it is
a good indication of the college’s popularity.
5. How diverse, ethnically and geographically is the student body?
Diversity is generally considered desirable to broaden a student’s
perspective. This and the geographical spread also give an indication of
the prestige and drawing power of the college. Tuition costs are high:
If students come from far away to attend, then they must value the
choice they have made.
6. What was the percentage of faculty turnover in the last five years? A
college needs a stable faculty where the atmosphere and compensation
induce good people to stay. Exactly as in any undertaking, a high
turnover of employees is not good. Yet some faculty members may have
been so good that they have received exceptional offers that they cannot
refuse. That is a sign of faculty strength, and should be taken into
account in any figures on turnover.
7. What percentage of alumni contributed to the college last year? This
might almost be the only question one would have to ask. People are not
accustomed to giving money to enterprises of which they do not approve.
Alumni, by their response, indicate what they think of the education
they received and what they think of the current condition of the
college. Has the budget been in balance in recent years. People do not
like to give to deficits. The condition of the economy does not seem to
affect contributions; strong programs keep drawing gifts despite bad
times.
8. How much has the endowment grown in the last five years? Have there
been campaigns recently? What special gifts have recently been received?
Every endowment has to grow to keep up with growth of expenses. Growth
reflects not only the approval of alumni and foundations but also the
quality of the case for giving that the college presents to potential
donors. Effective presentation often induces donors to give more
generously. It requires experience and skill and often requires a
president who inspires confidence.
9. What is the background of the college president and the trustees? The
president must be prepared to face every sort of problem and be able to
cope with it. How well does his experience equip him to do this, and how
enthusiastically is he spoken of by people on the campus? The trustees
are ultimately responsible for the institution. Get a list and ask about
their attendance at board meetings and their financial and moral
support.
The admissions office ought to be up to date with all the information
requested, because it guides the institution. The box score might
include a note about how knowledgeable and responsive the answers were.