Subject: A message from the President to the Carleton Community
Most of you are aware that Maclean's University rankings for 2003 have
just been published. Like me, I expect your first reaction is most
certainly not pleasure. But I'd like you to look a bit more deeply at
the results.
In fact, we have placed quite well on most individual components of the
survey, in some instances rising significantly from past years. While
Carleton's overall ranking is 10th we ranked 7th or above on 13 of the
23 individual scale items including entering grades, retention rates,
research funding (both SSHRC and NSERC/medical), scholarships won by
our graduates, student services and student support. On 7 of the 23
scales we have top 4 rankings, including out of province and
international students, student award winners, SSHRC grants, student
scholarships, and student services.
Our drop in the overall ranking from 9th to 10th can be attributed
primarily to Maclean's new conversion formula relating to entry average
grades for CEGEP students in Quebec. This has allowed Concordia to
surge ahead three levels. Good for Concordia: not so good for York, UNB
or Carleton.
Our hard work over the past few years, has had very positive results in
some areas which Macleans chooses to measure. Here is some a bit more
detail on some of that good news:
* We retained our first place ranking in scholarships and bursaries.
* Carleton ranks in the top half in the newly introduced category of
"retention". This would certainly not have been the story two or three
years ago and reflects one of our highest priorities.
* The percentage of Carleton students graduating went from 73.3 percent
(2002) to 77.4 percent (2003) It will continue to rise rapidly thanks
to our much better retention.
* In the Faculty category, we moved up on three of four factors - SSHRC
results, NSERC results and percentage of faculty with Doctorates.
* Alumni support went up one spot from 7th to 6th.
On behalf of all of us in senior management, I thank you for your
continued efforts. It is worth reminding ourselves that we manage
Carleton University for our students, faculty, staff and graduates; not
for Macleans magazine. While it is annually a bit of a letdown on
"Macleans weekend", we intend to keep right on managing that way.
Rick Van Loon
Most of you are aware that Maclean's University rankings for 2003 have
just been published. Like me, I expect your first reaction is most
certainly not pleasure. But I'd like you to look a bit more deeply at
the results.
In fact, we have placed quite well on most individual components of the
survey, in some instances rising significantly from past years. While
Carleton's overall ranking is 10th we ranked 7th or above on 13 of the
23 individual scale items including entering grades, retention rates,
research funding (both SSHRC and NSERC/medical), scholarships won by
our graduates, student services and student support. On 7 of the 23
scales we have top 4 rankings, including out of province and
international students, student award winners, SSHRC grants, student
scholarships, and student services.
Our drop in the overall ranking from 9th to 10th can be attributed
primarily to Maclean's new conversion formula relating to entry average
grades for CEGEP students in Quebec. This has allowed Concordia to
surge ahead three levels. Good for Concordia: not so good for York, UNB
or Carleton.
Our hard work over the past few years, has had very positive results in
some areas which Macleans chooses to measure. Here is some a bit more
detail on some of that good news:
* We retained our first place ranking in scholarships and bursaries.
* Carleton ranks in the top half in the newly introduced category of
"retention". This would certainly not have been the story two or three
years ago and reflects one of our highest priorities.
* The percentage of Carleton students graduating went from 73.3 percent
(2002) to 77.4 percent (2003) It will continue to rise rapidly thanks
to our much better retention.
* In the Faculty category, we moved up on three of four factors - SSHRC
results, NSERC results and percentage of faculty with Doctorates.
* Alumni support went up one spot from 7th to 6th.
On behalf of all of us in senior management, I thank you for your
continued efforts. It is worth reminding ourselves that we manage
Carleton University for our students, faculty, staff and graduates; not
for Macleans magazine. While it is annually a bit of a letdown on
"Macleans weekend", we intend to keep right on managing that way.
Rick Van Loon
