Though at the undergraduate level Tufts recently regained lost ground in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of American universities, there is still much work to be done at the graduate level.
A majority of Tufts' graduate programs are not in the top 50 schools, while for undergraduate education we have moved back up to number 27. One of the few shining stars is our Occupational Therapy program, which is preceded by only four others in the nation.
A straightforward list, provided by a reputable magazine, carries a great deal of weight for both prospective undergraduates and graduates. For a student on the fence, the difference between a top-ranked and modestly-ranked institution is significant.
Modifying school standards and practices based on a simple grade is not necessarily the best tactic for improving the quality of education, which is ultimately a superior motive. There are lessons to be learned from mediocre rankings, however.
One significant, but sometimes obscured, element of graduate rankings is the importance of reputation. At the undergraduate level this counts only for 25 percent of a school's rating; however, its value increases for graduate school rankings.
This opinion data is obtained from presidents, deans, researchers, and even professionals hiring graduates for business degree programs. Asked to evaluate the quality of a number of programs, the experts simply give a one through five response to a variety of questions.
Ignoring the arbitrary nature of such a scoring system, bumping up our own rankings should be relatively straightforward. Although it may be hard to fudge data such as average starting salary, promoting the University could change those dynamics.
A system of peer review may be the most effective way to evaluate a school, but the fewer people know and understand a given program, the less chance we have of achieving an accurate ranking.
Tufts' programs may be small, but they are an enormous asset and should be promoted. The University stands to gain enormously, in areas much more important than a meaningless number.
With a greater presence in the graduate school community, Tufts will attract a higher-caliber candidate, better funding, and superior professors. By expanding its reach within the larger graduate community through everything from shameless advertising to publicized cooperative efforts, Tufts can be on par with its peers.
Stuck in limbo between our athletic competitors in NESCAC, which are primarily liberal arts colleges, and our institutional peers of Dartmouth, Brown, and Georgetown, Tufts has to make difficult decisions about the future with few true peers to guide it.
It is important for the University to demonstrate the extent and quality of our program offerings. Unfortunately, many of our high-caliber programs, such as the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, are not ranked.
Eventually, we may see lists of these programs, and Tufts should strive to reach the pinnacle, if only to increase the quality of our curriculum.
As the graduate program rankings become more important, it is imperative for Tufts to exhibit its true worth. The University has a responsibility to itself and to its students to make sure that the intrinsic value of a Tufts education is close to its publicized worth in the rankings lists.
