Education, business leaders laud U of G
BY LORI BONA HUNT
U of G's continued excellence in academic quality, the educational experience, graduate satisfaction and research intensity has been recognized recently in three independent national surveys.
In the annual Maclean's rankings released Nov. 7, Guelph placed third among comprehensive institutions, down one spot from last year and behind the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria.
U of G was No. 1 in four of the key areas that determine the placements — quality of students, graduation rates, quality of faculty and student services — and it maintained or improved its performance in 13 other categories.
But Guelph, along with Ontario's other universities, lost ground in areas most closely tied to the effects of the double cohort, such as finances, library holdings and acquisitions, and average entering grades.
“This underscores the need for and the importance of the recent reinvestment in higher education by the McGuinty government, the results of which we hope will be positively reflected in rankings in the future,” says president Alastair Summerlee.
Maclean's also publishes a reputational survey based on feedback from CEOs of major Canadian corporations, high school counsellors and academic administrators. Guelph was ranked second overall and second in each of three categories used to determine reputation: highest quality, most innovative and leaders of tomorrow.
“I'm very pleased that we continue to compare favourably with Canada's other top universities and that the nation's business and education leaders continue to give us such high marks and positive feedback,” says Summerlee.
“But in light of our success in other recent national surveys, I am disappointed that we have slipped in the overall Maclean's rankings. This is particularly discouraging because the staff and faculty at the University have worked hard to counteract the impact of the double cohort and balance issues of education, research and revenues from government, tuition and other sources.”
Summerlee adds that U of G is “absolutely committed” to maintaining its competitive edge and to continuing its leadership in the quality of the educational experience for students.
In the Maclean's ranking issue, Guelph was featured in the lead story written by the magazine's education editor, Ann Dowsett Johnston. The article focused on the ongoing challenges the University faces with deferred maintenance and on Guelph's unique teaching approach and philosophy, including its first-year learning seminars.
The Maclean's ranking is the most recent national survey to recognize U of G's excellence.
On Nov. 2, Guelph was ranked the No. 1 university in Canada for overall quality of education, food services, availability of faculty and online teaching materials in the University Report Card, a survey of Canadian students published by the Globe and Mail.
The annual survey represents the opinions of some 26,000 undergraduate students across Canada. Letter grades are awarded in five overall areas — educational quality, campus atmosphere, technology, student services and finance — and numerous subcategories.
Among medium-sized schools, Guelph earned an A and had the highest grade average for overall educational quality, which is based on individual marks for teaching quality, class sizes, faculty-student interaction and availability of faculty outside the classroom.
U of G also tied for top ranking in numerous other key areas, including teaching quality, sense of personal safety, student services, academic support, campus atmosphere and technology.
In all, U of G earned five A+'s, 14 A's and 17 A-minuses on its report card.
On Oct. 25, Guelph was ranked Canada's No. 1 comprehensive research university in two separate surveys by Research Infosource, Inc., a national consulting firm, published in the National Post.
It was named “Research University of the Year” for the third year in a row in the comprehensive category. The ranking is based on a complex integration of input and output measures that take into account research income, research intensity of faculty and graduate students, and the number of publications in leading Canadian and international journals.
U of G was also the top comprehensive university in the country for the fourth consecutive year in the annual Top 50 Research Universities List, which ranks Canadian universities based solely on sponsored research income. Guelph's research income was nearly $123 million and ranked 13th among all Canadian universities.
