August 22, 2009
The University of Kentucky received a grade of "C" from a national organization that monitors what colleges and universities teach. In its report, "What Will They Learn?" the American Council of Trustees and Alumni gave it a mediocre rating on its general education requirements, and specifically criticized its natural science requirement because it could be met my taking courses which didn't teach natural or physical sciences.
"That a school attempting to be a 'Top Twenty Research School' would have a weak general education requirement in science is pretty pitiful," said Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst with The Family Foundation of Kentucky.
"No credit given for Natural or Physical Science," said the report of UK, "because the Natural Sciences requirement may be satisfied by courses from anthropology, political science, and psychology; and the College Laboratory or Field Work Experience requirement includes courses from the social sciences."
While crediting UK for its requirements in composition, language, and math, the report docked the state's flagship educational institution for weak requirements in literature, U. S. government/history, economics, and science.
The report evaluated whether 100 major institutions require seven key subjects. "What we found is alarming," said the report's authors. "Even as our students need broad-based skills and
knowledge to succeed in the global marketplace, our colleges and universities are failing to deliver."
The report comes during the same month that UK earned a lower ranking in the U. S. News and World Report national university rankings for the third straight year, falling from 112 in 2007, to 122nd in 2008, to 128th in 2009.
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8 comments:
"While crediting UK for its requirements in composition, language, and math, the report docked the state's flagship educational institution for week requirements in literature, U. S. government/history, economics, and science."
When trying to submit a damning critique of an educational institution's standards, it helps to get one's own room in order. Otherwise, the effort comes across as banal sniping.
Considering the many posts here by Martin attacking evolution, this was a surprising post. I guess Martin dislikes the University of Kentucky more than he does evolution. I hope more natural sciences get taught at UK.
Art,
Thanks for pointing out the typo. You'll not that the actual press release had it correct. I assume you don't support replacing science with social science?
Anonymous,
Where on this blog have I attacked evolution?
"Thanks for pointing out the typo. You'll not that the actual press release had it correct. I assume you don't support replacing science with social science?"
Um....
(tic)I also don't support requirements for week-long courses in literature, US government/history, economics, and science.(/tic)
Seriously, Martin, you're trumpeting a report that disses writing-intensive courses as being insufficient or less than the assembly-line composition classes that we see at so many universities. I have a hard time taking the ACTA seriously after reading their report.
Here's what I would like to see - a statistically-sound metanalysis of the numerous college rankings that seem to crawl from the computer screen (and, yes, even the written page). Show us the commonalities and glaring discrepancies and explore the reasons for both.
* Top 20 IN Kentucky Fine print, page 4751, sub-section 11, paragraph 4.
Anonymous,
Do you have a link for this? You've got me curious.
It's not what anonymous probably had in mind, but note the first paragraph on this program web site:
"The Plant Physiology/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program at the University of Kentucky is an interdisciplinary program involving faculty in four departments in the College of Agriculture. This program is nationally ranked (in the top ten life science programs in the category "Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Various" in the FSP Index rankings)."
Not that I'm a walking database. I just happen to know a bit about this particular program.
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