It’s that time of year again.
No, not move-in; we’re not quite there yet.
It’s that time of year when college presidents and student affairs administrators live in fear of a firm based in Framingham, MA.
Actually, the Princeton Review is unnerving all year-round, but the annual “party school rankings” are chief among the Princeton products that make student affairs administrators awake at 3 a.m.
The party school rankings are very detailed. There’s the top “jock” schools, the top institutions for hard liquor and the top places for fraternity and sorority life. These are all combined into one list that produces a “Best of Show,” of sorts, of partying. Administrators of frequently top-ranking schools seek to draw attention to other aspects of their campus life and academics, and sigh a bit in relief when their institution slips down the list. The local media isn’t always helpful. Students often seem to take a different tack on a “good” Princeton party ranking. Perennial “stone-cold” sober campus Brigham Young University, on the other hand, won their title for the 12th year in a row.
It’s the same every time, but rather agonizing all the same, especially for administrators at institutions that are perpetually topping the list.
At the same time, there’s the very real issue of safety on campus, and how far campus administrators can, or should go to keep students safe. Case in point: Alcohol Related Deaths Could Impact Student Privacy. The University of Kansas is considering a new policy: If an RA or administrator suspects alcohol use, they can enter the student’s room without warning.
What do you think of this policy? What are your policies regarding suspected alcohol use? And finally — if you feel like talking — what are your thoughts on the “party school” rankings?
Everyone wants to get their two cents in, via rankings. The Sierra Club has its rankings of “Cool Schools,” which orders institutions by their sustainability efforts. This is the third year for the Cool Schools list. On the Sierra Club website, one can read the list, see the cool factors that determined the rankings, read students’ accounts of the coolness of their institutions, see a list of cool community colleges and schools that specialize in particular areas of sustainability.
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