Quality of education
ISU professors receive a
failing grade
AUG 26, 2011
FRI
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RATINGS
explained that they use a Likert scale for their surveys, in which the surveys ask to what extent a student disagrees or ISU professors get low marks, ac- agrees with a statement. cording to Princeton Review. In order to create the “Professors Princeton Review, a test preparation Get Low Marks” list, Princeton Review and admissions consulting company, asked respondents if they agreed that recently ranked Iowa State as number their instructors were good teachers. 10 on its “Professors Get Low Marks” ISU students disagreed with that statelist. ment more, or in a greater frequency, The “Professor Get Low Marks” list than students from other colleges. Soto is one of 63 lists that said Iowa State has Princeton Review landed in the top 20 publishes annually. A on the “Professors Get The faculty “is few examples of other Low Marks” list for the one of ISU’s lists are: “Students past six years, reaching strengths. If Study the Most,” “Most number seven in 2006. Politically Active,” Vice President of students take a “Dorms Like Palaces” Student Affairs Tom chance and get and “Lots of Beer.” Hill said he doesn’t to know their The Princeton fear the list causing professors and Review compiles these potential students to other staff mem- decide against going lists annually after bers, they make surveying college stuto Iowa State. He said a great profesdents from America’s that, when students 376 Best Colleges. come to Experience sional David Soto, director of connection [with Iowa State, they will College Rankings and realize the quality of someone who] Ratings for Princeton the ISU faculty. will bend over Review, said Princeton “They will look at backwards, Review chooses the [the list], and then look whether it be best colleges based on at reality,” Hill said. as a professional academic rigor. Hill said that he re“You’re looking at alizes some students reference or the cream of the crop,” are looking for reasons helping fund a Soto said. “Only 15 perto not go to Iowa State, trip. The faculty cent of colleges make really is here for and that the list may the list.” affect their decision. students.” However, he said, judgSoto said 122,000 -ISU student ing from the record students were surenrollment this year, veyed to create this year’s lists. He said he did not know the list doesn’t appear to have deterred the exact number of ISU students who too many students from coming to Iowa completed the list, but he did say that State. “I think it shows that students are 375 students from each of the 376 colusing good sound judgment when leges completed surveys on average. Princeton Review contacts admin- choosing a school,” Hill said. Regardless of the placement on the istrators from each of the “best colleges” to distribute and promote student sur- list, Hill stands by the high quality of the veys. Students can take surveys at www. ISU faculty. “Iowa State is an excellent institusurvey.review.com all year, and their answers are calculated for the next year’s tion, and that’s because of its excellent students and excellent professors,” he lists. Soto said the surveys ask various said. “We don’t need to lose sight of questions regarding students’ lives. He that.”
By Katherine.Klingseis @iowastatedaily.com
Inside:
INTERNET NOT AS SAFE AS YOU MIGHT THINK page 8A
Inside:
BRACKINS SIGNS WITH ISRAELI PRO TEAM page 1B
State:
Ames man charged with vehicular homicide NEVADA, Iowa — An Ames man is charged with vehicular homicide in a crash that killed his passenger last winter. The Story County sheriff’s office said 42-year-old Jeffrey Clendenen is accused of driving through a stop sign and colliding with another car near Kelly on Feb. 17. A passenger, 39-yearold Amy Rogers, of Ames, was killed. The driver of the other car was injured. The sheriff’s office said Clendenen was drunk at the time of the accident. Clendenen also faces a charge of serious injury by vehicle. He’s being held in the Story County jail on $110,000 bond. Online court records don’t list the name of his attorney. The Associated Press
Quality of Life Rating 91 Fire Safety Rating 80 Green Rating 88 Academic Rating — 71 Percent of students graduating within 4 years — 39 Percent of students graduating within 6 years — 70 Student/faculty ratio — 18:1 Profs interesting rating — 69 Profs accessible rating — 72 Most common regular class size — 20–29 students Most common lab size — 20–29 students
Other lists: Everyone plays intramural sports #9 Jock schools #18
Photo: Kaleb Warnock/Iowa State Daily ISU professors ranked number 10 on the Princeton Review list “Professors Get Low Marks.” That means ISU students disagreed with a statement asking if their instructors were good teachers in a greater frequency than students from other colleges.
ISU Dining
Safety
Fire alarm goes off in MacKay
Nation:
By Ben.Theobald @iowastatedaily.com
The Associated Press
Vilsack backs expanding work program SIOUX CITY — Democratic congressional candidate Christie Vilsack is calling for doubling the number of apprentice programs offered in Iowa as a way of improving the economy. Speaking Thursday, Vilsack called for making better use of the state’s network of community colleges to expand apprentice programs for jobs ranging from construction workers to dental assistants. She says studies show that workers who go through apprentice programs earn higher salaries than those who don’t. She says expanding those programs would be a quick way to jump-start the economy. Vilsack has moved to Ames and is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King in the newly drawn 4th District. The Associated Press
Inside: News .......................................... 3A Opinion ...................................... 8A Sports ........................................ 1B Classifieds.................................7B Games ....................................... 9B
Photo: Kait McKinney/Iowa State Daily Abby Gustafson, junior in marketing, front, and Carrie Emgarten, junior in marketing, grab for sides to go with their meal bundles. Having the option of three sides for a meal is new to the dining centers.
Hawthorn Market and Cafe now open for business Frederiksen’s dining center re-opens after renovations. By Frances.Myers @iowastatedaily.com ISU students living in Frederiksen Court will now be able to experience improved dining in Hawthorn Market and Cafe, which opened Thursday after undergoing renovations over the summer.
“Just like with any other opening, there have been a few bumps and hiccups along the road,” said Kristi Patel, assistant director of Campus Dining Services. Contractors and renovators turned the dining center over to ISU Dining after finishing up renovations last Saturday “We’ve had five days to turn around and get the center ready, but it’s a process,” Patel said. “It’s a process of training not only for the students
DINING.p4A >>
A fire alarm went off in MacKay Hall on Tuesday morning. Like many instances, it turned out to be a false alarm. “The biggest problems we have are false alarms,” said Brad Jerkins, Ames firefighter. “We have to take trucks out of service when they could be used for actual emergencies. We have to treat every call like it is the real deal.” When a fire alarm is activated, either by a manual pull or automatically, the building goes into immediate alarm through both sound and strobes. “The fire alarm panel is programmed automatically to send out a recording that instructs residents to move to the nearest fire exit and vacate the building,” said David Bunker, safety coordinator for the Department of Residence. “Additionally, the Residence Life staff conducts fire drills twice a year to practice exiting their respective residence hall.” The Department of Residence has an electronic system that automatically notifies ISU Police when an alarm has been pulled. “ISU Police will immediately dispatch the Ames Fire Department to the scene to investigate or initiate action,” Bunker said. “ISU Police will also respond to the scene and accompany Ames Fire Department personnel to the area in which the alarm was activated.” The state fire code requires monitoring of all the fire alarm systems. “Most of the time it is a monitoring company or a direct line to the fire department,” said Kyle Gorsh, special agent supervisor for the Iowa Department of Public Safety. “They are tested to make sure that the signal is being sent by the company. There are two separate phone lines in the panel, and we verify that we received a fire alarm from the panel.”
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