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Show Page Seven In univorsty evaluations U girad in rank highly improvement pirograms by Matt Adelman ' Chronicle staff Donald Summers, chairman of CVMB, said he thinks the high improvement rating is because During his 10 years as president, David Gardner has been credited with working consistently to improve the graduate programs at the University. All of his efforts may have , finally paid off. - . , In recent evaluations of graduate programs from top universities across the country, the University ranked highly in improvement categories. In addition, The Chronicle of Higher Education listed two graduate programs at the University as "most improved." The cellular, viral and molecular biology program and the mathematics program were listed as the most improved over the last five years. The listing was determined by a committee of the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils; ' The "most improved" list was compiled after the committee completed a survey of the graduate schools around the country. The survey rated graduate programs in four categories: faculty quality, effectiveness, improvement and familiarity. The evaluations are compiled based on ratings by graduate department chairmen from various universities. The chairmen rated of the unique faculty at the University. Since the department was started in 1974, the chairman has worked to improve the quality of the faculty. He said he would not change the graduate program but will continue to attract new, highly qualified faculty. "I think we have improved a lot and that is due to the unique personalities available. (The survey shows) we can compete with bigger places to attract quality faculty. Salt Lake City is a nice place to live," Summers said. The University's biology program also made the survey and was rated above average in all areas. The survey committee scored the biology program with a improvement rating, one of the highest such ratings for that area. The program also scored 56 for faculty quality, 52 for effectiveness and 54 for familiarity. 74-poi- nt Another University program with a high improvement rating was the English graduate program. It scored 63 for improvement, but scored below average in the other three categories. It received 41 in faculty quality, 42 in effectiveness and 37 in familiarity. Michael Rudick, chairman of the program, explained the large difference between the improvement and other ratings as a definite improvement in the quality of the program. In recent evaluations of graduate programs, the University ranked most improved in the nation in the fields of cellular, viral and molecular biology and mathematics. Other areas also scored highly. graduate programs in the .same areas as the ones they chair v The University had programs rated in biochemistry; biology; celular, viral and molecular biology; English; chemical engineering; civil engineering; electrical engineering; chemistry ; Computer sciences; geosciences; mathematics and physics. The mathematics program received above average ratings in all four categories. Based on a one to 100 scale with 50 as being average, the mathematics program received ratings of 55 for faculty quality; 53 for effectiveness, 60 for familiarity and 80 for improvement. The improvement rating is the highest for any of the 166 mathematics graduate programs listed. The other University program on the list, the cellular, viral and molecular biology program, received above average scores in three of the four categories. In the improvement area, CVMB scored 64. Although the 64 was not as high as mathematics' score of 80, it was the highest for the molecular biology area. In both faculty quality and effectiveness, CVMB rated 50. The program , "When the survey was done seven or eight years ago, (the program) was not even on the list. We improved the program such that we got on the list," he said. Since the last survey, Rudick said the program has become more visible and better known to other institutions and the public. rated below average in familiarity, receiving a . . well-know- 3t EXTENDED MOVES SPMENG QUAETEE Monday, March 288 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 298 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 308 a.m. to 7 p.m. 23 University Bookstore EC 'J measured by the amount and quality of published research and the reputation of graduates as measured by what they accom-lishe- d after graduation, he said. Rudick is still working to improve the program. He said the program will be setting higher admission standards, getting more coherence in the curriculum, tightening the examination structure, offering better courses, hiring better faculty and gaining visibility through an active visiting scholars program. Another graduate program with an above average improvement rating was the chemical engineering program, which rated 51 in that category. It received 48 in faculty quality, 49 in effectiveness arid 45 in familiarity. THE PIE PI Z Z AR I A New York Style SLICE and SOUP 3 (5) (O) (POT BLOOMING EASTER GIFTS FOR THAT VERY SPECIAL PERSON IN YOUR LIFE!! 16" 200 Salad and Slice SLICE and SALAD 16 $1 75 piz za pizza Soup and Salad- - dinner SALAD and SOUP $200 59 v3, 0 6 1320 East 2nd South University Bookstore Pizza LUNCH SPECIALS Soup and Slice (S M Two factors which influenced the improvement rating were: the quality of the faculty as most-improv- ed score of 48. Norman Ryan, chairman of the program, said The physics program also rated high in the major reason for the lower ratings in three of improvement with 60, but rated below 50 in the the categories was the lack of needed funds. other areas. Chemistry rated 73 in improvement and 59 to 63 in the other categories. Geoscience During the last accreditation of the department, the reviewers noted the lack of funds for the rated 60 in improvement and 49 to 53 in the department and the need for equipment in the other three areas. laboratory, he said. If the University had not - Civil engineering rated 57 in improvement managed, to get the $200,000 needed for 41 to 53 elsewhere. Electrical engineering equipment, the department would not have and above average with a 51 in improvement, rated been accredited, he said. but was below average in other areas, where In addition, the department lost some funds scores ranged from 40 to 47. when the U.S. departments of defense and The two lowest rated programs were energy cut back on research funds, Ryan said. Another reason for the low ratings was what computer science and biochemistry. Computer Ryan called the "popularity contest." He said science was rated 45 in improvement and 53 to better-know- n eastern schools get better ratings 57 elsewhere. Biochemistry scored 37 in n. improvement and 47 to 51 in other areas. than those schools which are less (UNDER THE UNIVERSITY PHARMACY) 582 - 0193 |
