Tucker lobbies Princeton Review
Caitlin Gray
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News
Drexel Administrators met with the Princeton Review Feb. 1 in New York to discuss the University's current status as the second-most "tiny and unsightly campus" in the Princeton Review's annual "Best 366 Colleges."
Senior Vice President for Student Life and Administrative Services Jim Tucker and Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for the Division of Student Life and Administrative Services, Jim Katsaounis, met with Princeton Review Executive Editor Robert Franek to talk about the University's campus.
They gave Franek a 15-page book, which also included an informational CD that provided information about the past, present and future of the school. It contained images of the campus as well as sketches of what the campus will look like in the future when all of the current projected construction plans are completed.
"If you include what we are spending this year, it's over $500 million, so there has been a major campaign to make the place a better quality for the students," Katsaounis said.
The Princeton Review's rankings are results compiled from student surveys, either by e-mail, phone or in person, according to Tucker.
"We wanted to take the opportunity to say can we have a chance to have you come down and meet our students, interview our students, so the next time the publication comes out, we won't be on that list," Tucker said.
Tucker said he wrote a letter earlier this year to set up a meeting with Franek because after visiting hundreds of college campuses, he disagreed with labeling Drexel's campus the second most tiny and unsightly.
"I made no impact on how the survey is coming out. All I did was get them to recognize that we think it looks better than that, and invite them to come down and talk with our students," Tucker said.
According to Katsaounis, Franek said Drexel students had an especially low response rate to the student surveys done by the Princeton Review. He said they plan to work with the Undergraduate Student Government Association to promote student participation in the future, along with sending out e-mails and advertising in the Daily Digest and The Triangle.
Franek said a low response rate from students is only one of many reasons that may have led to the ranking. According to him, the Princeton Review receives 300 to 350 student responses per campus on average. He did not have the number of students that participated from Drexel.
Franek said he will be setting up a day to visit the University later this year March or April. During his visit, he will meet with the president, the provost and faculty about curriculum development. He will also meet and interview as many students as he can.
According to Vice President of Enrollment Management Joan McDonald, the University will also host an enrollment management program sponsored by The Princeton Review March 18, which Franek said will be a marketing event for professionals.
The Princeton Review will not interview students during this event.
Senior Vice President for Student Life and Administrative Services Jim Tucker and Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for the Division of Student Life and Administrative Services, Jim Katsaounis, met with Princeton Review Executive Editor Robert Franek to talk about the University's campus.
They gave Franek a 15-page book, which also included an informational CD that provided information about the past, present and future of the school. It contained images of the campus as well as sketches of what the campus will look like in the future when all of the current projected construction plans are completed.
"If you include what we are spending this year, it's over $500 million, so there has been a major campaign to make the place a better quality for the students," Katsaounis said.
The Princeton Review's rankings are results compiled from student surveys, either by e-mail, phone or in person, according to Tucker.
"We wanted to take the opportunity to say can we have a chance to have you come down and meet our students, interview our students, so the next time the publication comes out, we won't be on that list," Tucker said.
Tucker said he wrote a letter earlier this year to set up a meeting with Franek because after visiting hundreds of college campuses, he disagreed with labeling Drexel's campus the second most tiny and unsightly.
"I made no impact on how the survey is coming out. All I did was get them to recognize that we think it looks better than that, and invite them to come down and talk with our students," Tucker said.
According to Katsaounis, Franek said Drexel students had an especially low response rate to the student surveys done by the Princeton Review. He said they plan to work with the Undergraduate Student Government Association to promote student participation in the future, along with sending out e-mails and advertising in the Daily Digest and The Triangle.
Franek said a low response rate from students is only one of many reasons that may have led to the ranking. According to him, the Princeton Review receives 300 to 350 student responses per campus on average. He did not have the number of students that participated from Drexel.
Franek said he will be setting up a day to visit the University later this year March or April. During his visit, he will meet with the president, the provost and faculty about curriculum development. He will also meet and interview as many students as he can.
According to Vice President of Enrollment Management Joan McDonald, the University will also host an enrollment management program sponsored by The Princeton Review March 18, which Franek said will be a marketing event for professionals.
The Princeton Review will not interview students during this event.
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