The Triangle

Issue date: 8/22/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs Drexel University moved up 19 spots after it was ranked 89th in U.S. News' "America's Best Colleges, 2009 Edition" released Aug. 22. The University was also ranked sixth in the category of "Up-and-Coming" colleges.

Drexel University was ranked 89th "Best National University" by U.S. News' "America's Best Colleges, 2009 Edition," released Aug. 22, moving the University up 19 spots from its 108th ranking last year.

"I was so delighted because I thought this distinction came three years too late," Drexel University President Constantine Papadakis said. "I was hoping to break the top 100 three years ago. Overall the issue here is that we have moved from the bottom to a position that is much more appropriate."

"We've had two really good things happen," Tobey Oxholm, executive vice president and chief of staff, said. "Drexel law school - its reputation is just exploding - it's a really quality place. And, Drexel Green - it's helping the reputation of how others view us."

According to Jim Tucker, senior vice president for the Division of Student Life and Administrative Services, Drexel's success has come from its efforts to improve the graduation rate, hire more full-time faculty and offer smaller classes, among other reasons.

"Improvements from the last year are the most important," Papadakis said. "Graduation rate, which has a 16 percent weight in the rankings, increased, along with the SAT scores, which is weighted at seven and a half percent."

Drexel was also ranked sixth in U.S. News' "Up-and-Coming Schools" under the National Universities category that reads, "These colleges may not be at the top of the rankings (yet), but they're tops for innovation," and 51st in "Best Programs at Engineering Schools whose highest degree is doctorate."

"That is important. Our University is not at the top but at the top of innovation," Papadakis said. "I think that this makes me feel more proud. You guys [the students] get us where we are."

However, Oxholm said rankings should never be what students decide on when applying to schools.

"[The rankings] will catch the students' attention," Oxholm said. "All that says is that they will look at the campus."

Another ranking Drexel received was "Ugliest Campus" from Radar Magazine in their "Presenting our annual semi-scientific guide to the worst colleges in America."

However, Tucker said he put no stock in this ranking.

"The mere fact that they used an image of a defunct railroad power plant that isn't owned by Drexel to represent the University shows that they have never visited this campus nor did any proper research," Tucker wrote in an e-mail. "Radar Magazine's article has zero basis for their ranking if you look at today's Drexel."

Papadakis said he has visited other universities "that are much uglier than ours."

"We'll continue to improve infrastructure. The fact that we are being referenced as ugliest campus, this is not true," Papadakis said.

Oxholm added: "Make him come to campus. I'm not worried about people that haven't come here. I'm more interested when I talk to students out in the quad and ask, 'How do you feel about this place?' This is a live place."

Radar's methodology is unknown and the organization declined to return numerous phone calls and e-mails from The Triangle.

University spokesman Phil Terranova said, "Radar's pronouncement about Drexel's campus is a cheap shot at the expense of our students and the entire Drexel community."

Tucker questioned Radar and other online review web sites' information verification as well as the authenticity of the person submitting comments.

"The reality is that if Drexel's campus was anything like Radar reported, the University's student enrollment wouldn't be increasing each year," Tucker wrote.

Aside from its rankings, Drexel also has two initiatives to further its innovation goals. According to Papadakis, Drexel is creating a task force, led by the interim provost Mark Greenberg, that will create an institution for innovative teaching and learning.

"It will be to provide help to faculty in order to create coursework and teaching techniques that are more interesting, entertaining and more appealing for students," Papadakis said.

Also, Drexel is creating an academic unit to help individual students individualize their majors. In the beginning, this will be done for students who have very strong academic credentials to experiment with.

"There's a lot going on that other universities don't even think about," Papadakis said.

All U.S. News rankings are currently available online by clicking here.

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