University of Alabama updates

[atlanta68]

I too hope this DCH thing happens. I wonder though how the UA system would create this new aspect to UA in a way to draw UAB med students to want to spend a year or so in Tuscaloosa. Emphasis on rural health given Tuscaloosa's closer proximity to rural areas?

[Packer16]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

I too hope this DCH thing happens. I wonder though how the UA system would create this new aspect to UA in a way to draw UAB med students to want to spend a year or so in Tuscaloosa. Emphasis on rural health given Tuscaloosa's closer proximity to rural areas?

The UA System is divided into four educational entities, (UA, UAB, UAH, and the UA Health Services Foundation (also called UAB Medicine). With the growth of the UAHSF/ UAB Medicine to other cities in the state (Montgomery, Bessemer, Florence, Huntsville, etc.), I believe some rebranding will be in order to represent being a medical provider for the entire state. For instance, (UAS Medicine). If you look at MD Anderson, the top cancer hospital in the Nation, which is located in Houston, TX, it is branded as a member of the University of Texas System.

https://umc.ua.edu/chg/

UA has had a relationship with DCH for years, but, being under the UA System, all doctors, nurses and staff will become employees of the UAHSF and become members of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). This will make recruiting quality employees much easier. Medical students currently spend their first two years in Birmingham, then, their last two years either in B’ham (50%), Tuscaloosa (25%), or Huntsville/ Montgomery (25%). I believe the resident programs in Rural Medicine, Sports Medicine, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine will continue to grow in Tuscaloosa. Also, doctors from University Hospital in Birmingham could split practice in Tuscaloosa. For instance, the UA System would invest in new state-of-the-art surgical suites in Tuscaloosa and Lyle Cain, one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the World, could perform in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.

This state, this Nation, and the AMA needs to recruit more undergrad students to a pursue a pre-med curriculum in order for Medical Schools to grow their classes. I believe the UA System has carefully planned this expansion for quite awhile. I am thrilled that it is about to come to fruition.

[chadinhsv]

UA research is growing!

https://news.ua.edu/2023/08/ua-resea...th-among-peers

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by chadinhsv

UA research is growing!

https://news.ua.edu/2023/08/ua-resea...th-among-peers

That is awesome. Now if Bell and company would just raise admissions standards, a little bit, say equal to Auburn's, then UA could dramatically improve its academic prestige, which would also help the research enterprise attract the best people and the most money. But for some reason, some in our administration seem committed to the Wal Mart model and we see evidence standards have been lowered to raise enrollment. UA's bottom 25th percentile of ACT scores is now only 22, down from 23. About 5 years ago, the 75th percentile was 32, now it is 31.

[Packer16]

The University of Alabama has the largest Honors College in the Nation, and has had for some time. It's over five times as large as Auburn's Honors College and the requirements at UA are more stringent. Even UAB's Honors College is larger than Auburn. We have no trouble attracting outstanding students and will continue to blow Auburn out of the water. RTR

By the way, Dr. Bell told me personally that this Fall 2023 freshmen class is the strongest ever.

https://www.usnews.com/education/bes...honors-college

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Packer16

The University of Alabama has the largest Honors College in the Nation, and has had for some time. It's over five times as large as Auburn's Honors College and the requirements at UA are more stringent. Even UAB's Honors College is larger than Auburn. We have no trouble attracting outstanding students and will continue to blow Auburn out of the water. RTR

By the way, Dr. Bell told me personally that this Fall 2023 freshmen class is the strongest ever.

https://www.usnews.com/education/bes...honors-college

Bell also said last year's class was the strongest ever, when it was not! Bell is a good cheerleader. Nothing wrong with that, but he needs to come with facts, not propaganda. UA's Honors Program no longer requires a minimum ACT/SAT, so its size is not necessarily indicative of greater academic prowess on campus. Of course, because UA now has so many more students than Auburn and other SEC schools, UA has more top students in total numbers, but not in terms of percentages.

The biggest concern for me is that it has far more of the bottom rung students, both in total numbers and percentages. UA could attract more students over time, simply by raising standards. UA has so much to attract students, except for academic prestige. Raising standards is the answer.

[atlanta68]

I just read on 1819News that UA will host a GOP debate later this year. Does anyone know where it will occur on campus?

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

I just read on 1819News that UA will host a GOP debate later this year. Does anyone know where it will occur on campus?

That was a rumor earlier but they/RNC announced last week that it wasn't going to UA.

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by chadinhsv

That was a rumor earlier but they/RNC announced last week that it wasn't going to UA.

I thought it said it would still happen, just later in the year. I was having trouble thinking of the most appropriate hall on campus for the debate. Music Building?

[atlanta68]

https://1819news.com/news/item/aubur...of-alabama-uab This is just sad at this point. Stuart Bell has overseen a huge drop in our annual USNWR ranking.

We were ranked as high as #31 among publics in 2011, but had dropped to #64 as of last year. This year, we dropped all the way to #91! UAB is ranked #76, and Auburn is #47. The only good news is that all three schools, not just UA, fell in the ranking this year.


If you want to see UA's ranking go back up, please demand UA Administrators raise admission standards.

[chadinhsv]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

https://1819news.com/news/item/aubur...of-alabama-uab This is just sad at this point. Stuart Bell has overseen a huge drop in our annual USNWR ranking.

We were ranked as high as #31 among publics in 2011, but had dropped to #64 as of last year. This year, we dropped all the way to #91! UAB is ranked #76, and Auburn is #47. The only good news is that all three schools, not just UA, fell in the ranking this year.


If you want to see UA's ranking go back up, please demand UA Administrators raise admission standards.

Sigh...it's the same crap every year. Good news though is that we are educating more students from this state. See link

https://news.ua.edu/2023/09/in-state...c1MjIuNjAuMC4w

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

https://1819news.com/news/item/aubur...of-alabama-uab This is just sad at this point. Stuart Bell has overseen a huge drop in our annual USNWR ranking.

We were ranked as high as #31 among publics in 2011, but had dropped to #64 as of last year. This year, we dropped all the way to #91! UAB is ranked #76, and Auburn is #47. The only good news is that all three schools, not just UA, fell in the ranking this year.


If you want to see UA's ranking go back up, please demand UA Administrators raise admission standards.

I won't argue that admission standards need to be raised, because I believe they do. But, USNWR really should be taken with a grain of salt. Their selection of criteria is subjective and it changes every few years. I haven't put much stock in USNWR for years, and I don't think it's something the University should focus on. Yea, students do look at these rankings (and probably take them too seriously), but the University seems to be growing well without the accolade.

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by SpawnOfVulcan

I won't argue that admission standards need to be raised, because I believe they do. But, USNWR really should be taken with a grain of salt. Their selection of criteria is subjective and it changes every few years. I haven't put much stock in USNWR for years, and I don't think it's something the University should focus on. Yea, students do look at these rankings (and probably take them too seriously), but the University seems to be growing well without the accolade.

Of course their ranking is not the be all and end all, but if you look at the main criteria or the ones that count the most, they have not changed much. UA's lax admission standard is the culprit for its relatively low six year graduation rate, its academic reputation (peer score), and its very low 25th percentile entrance exam scores. Those are just three major factors I can think of off hand.

If we care so much about being number one in football, why wouldn't we want to at least be back in the top 50 of public colleges? To go from #31 to #91 is just dreadful.

[Packer16]

Kids, these days , do their homework before attending a University and there is much info out there for them to sift through. These ranking rags are a dime a dozen and do a very poor job of reflecting the quality of any school or university. That's why you are seeing such push-back from universities, these days. As for The University of Alabama, I'll take the word of the 1,142 National Merit Scholars (The most on any Public University campus in America), the 8,000 Honors School students (the most on any campus in America). the record 3.87 GPA of entering Freshmen, and the 43.4% of incoming Freshmen with a 4.0 GPA. UA continues to attract more and more of these high achievers and it feels good. RTR

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Packer16

Kids, these days , do their homework before attending a University and there is much info out there for them to sift through. These ranking rags are a dime a dozen and do a very poor job of reflecting the quality of any school or university. That's why you are seeing such push-back from universities, these days. As for The University of Alabama, I'll take the word of the 1,142 National Merit Scholars (The most on any Public University campus in America), the 8,000 Honors School students (the most on any campus in America). the record 3.87 GPA of entering Freshmen, and the 43.4% of incoming Freshmen with a 4.0 GPA. UA continues to attract more and more of these high achievers and it feels good. RTR

The decreasing mean ACT/SAT and the resulting poor performance on the various USNWR criteria, will damage the prestige of those excellent students' degrees, and that of alumni.

I get frustrated with UA leadership because I think they lost confidence in the growing with quality strategy. UA has the best campus, the best traditions. We just need to raise standards. There are plenty of schools in Alabama for the lower quality students. And the latter can always transfer to UA once proving themselves at a directional school.

[Packer16]

Obviously, most of the kids today are smarter than atlanta68, and will be more successful. RTR Uh, by the way, alums that turn out to be losers are more damaging to these outstanding kids who have their whole lives in front of them.

[Packer16]

This is a good sign from Senator Britt. It will make UA the cutting edge research center in the state and continue the growth of the science and research enterprise at UA. RTR

https://news.ua.edu/2023/09/new-comp...opportunities/

[atlanta68]

Originally Posted by Packer16

Obviously, most of the kids today are smarter than atlanta68, and will be more successful. RTR Uh, by the way, alums that turn out to be losers are more damaging to these outstanding kids who have their whole lives in front of them.

You are a sad little man. I pity you. I live a very fulfilling life. That is all.

[Packer16]

Cheers!

[MdtwnATL]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

Would it be better had I linked from Neo-Marxist Al.com? 1819 was not the only media source discussing this story. Check out the other links. Better yet, read Sarah's letter!

Man you're in deep aren't u