Kat introduced me to the THES-QS Global University Rankings 2006 yesterday. As most of you would know, the results are a relief, mainly because four of our Philippine universities made it to the top 500. What surprised me though is that DLSU came 100 places higher than AdMU. I know that I begin the whole thought with a premeditated bias, but indulge me... I dug deeper as to root the cause of such a clear anomaly (plus certain people have been bugging me about it... not Kat btw) and my search led to to find certain anomalies in the rankings... As you will find on the website, the rankings are based on certain predetermined factors, which will serve as score points for each university. The percentage division of criteria is as follows:
Criteria Indicator Brief Description Weight* Research Quality Peer Review Composite score drawn from peer review (which is divided into five subject areas). 3,703 responses. 40% Citations per Faculty Score based on research performance factored against the size of the research body 20% Graduate Employability Recruiter Review Score based on responses to recruiter survey. 738 responses 10% International Outlook International Faculty Score based on proportion of international faculty 5% International Students Score based on proportion of international students 5% Teaching Quality Student Faculty Score based on student/faculty ratio 20%
Here is where it becomes problematic... I have no actual qualms with the methodology, but the application looks a bit anomalous. We take for example DLSU:
School Profile School Name De La Salle University Country Philippines Website http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/ School Description Guided by its mission to be at the forefront of Catholic education in the teaching, research and community service fields, De La Salle University has six (6) colleges: Business and Economics, Computer Studies, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Science that mold holistic individuals.Each college has specific target plans which guide them in designing programs for each specialization. Faculties are comprised of practitioners in their industries which keep them updated with the latest trends. Most are also required to pursue postgraduate studies. Aside from lectures, the skills and knowledge of the students are improved time and again through research and seminars.To strengthen comprehension of major subjects, be it in the sciences or liberal arts, lectures are offered alongside laboratory courses. This way, students can see the practical application of the theories they learn and have hands-on practices.The University also offers master's, doctorate, diploma and certificate courses. In these programs, curricula lean toward enhancing research, managerial and teaching competencies. Most courses are designed to train individuals who are professionally adept, perceptive to the country's needs and can provide expert solutions in response.Towards the end of the students' program, in both the bachelor and postgraduate level, they are required to undergo on-the-job training activities, take a comprehensive examination and/or submit a feasibility/thesis paper to consolidate knowledge gained and propose courses of action that will improve existing ways and tools in their professions. School Statistics
Faculty Stats Number of Faculty Members 750 Number of International Faculty Members 6
Student Stats Number of Students 10,000 Number of International Students 32
Undergraduate Stats Number of Undergraduates 0 Number of International Undergraduates 0
Postgraduate Stats Number of Postgraduates 0 Number of International Postgraduates 0
Course Fees (subject to change) Average Course Fees (Undergraduate Courses) 0 Average Course Fees (Postgraduate Courses) 0 Source (World University Rankings 2006)(QS & The Times Higher Education Supplement)
This is the data used by the THES-QS. The number of students is supposedly 10,000 flat. That is obviously impossible. If I remember correctly, my CLA freshman batch in DLSU contained 800+ freshmen, and CLA is only the second largest college in DLSU. If we take that into factor, the presumption that there are only 10,000 students (undergraduate AND postgraduate) is a sheer impossibility! The student teacher ratio is 1:13!? Preposterous! This already counts as 20% of the score! Another anomalous finding is that of “Graduate Employability.” This is factored from recruiter surveys, but NUMBER OF STUDENTS is taken into account! That’s another anomalous 10%! tsk tsk... We take into account another school:
School Profile School Name University of Santo Tomas Country Philippines Website http://www.ust.edu.ph/ School Description Known as the Catholic University of the Philippines,the almost four-century old University of Santo Tomas draws inspiration from the teachings and philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic doctor and patron saint of Catholic schools.The Campus of the University of Santo Tomas stands out like well crafted sparkling jewelry in the city long marred by ecological ugliness,spawned by human neglect. The almost 400-year old university is the oldest in Asia and in student population, the largest Catholic University in the world located in one campus. In some ways, the campus lays bare the soul of this venerable institution. The UST campus exudes history and culture, a quest for knowledge and a love for God.Sprawled in an almost perfect square of twenty two hectares, the UST campus is boxed in by España Street on its front lawn, Governor Forbes (now Arsenio Lacson) St. on its northern flank, P.Noval on its south, and Dapitan St. on the rear. School Statistics
Faculty Stats Number of Faculty Members 524 Number of International Faculty Members 12
Student Stats Number of Students 11,764 Number of International Students 47
Undergraduate Stats Number of Undergraduates 0 Number of International Undergraduates 0
Postgraduate Stats Number of Postgraduates 0 Number of International Postgraduates 0
Course Fees (subject to change) Average Course Fees (Undergraduate Courses) 0 Average Course Fees (Postgraduate Courses) 0 Source (World University Rankings 2006)(QS & The Times Higher Education Supplement)
can you see the contradiction here? the University of Santo Tomas is supposedly the largest Catholic University in the world population wise. It is VERY doubtful they have only 12,000 students in undergraduate AND graduate programs. From what I know they have more than 20,000 students in undergrad alone... see 20,000, that’s already 166% of the supposed total population of UST! After everything I’ve seen, the verdict is: due to certain anomalies in data, this rating cannot be entirely trusted. If you’re thinking that I’m doing this because I’m bitter... yeah, but It's obvious that these anomalies exist, and they obviously cloud our judgment. This list will forever (until the next one comes out) be cited as a qualifier by students, faculty, and lumni alike. How can we ever trust it's integrity? Again... the main point of all this is a question: HOW CAN WE TRUST THE INTEGRITY OF THIS RATING
School Profile School Name Ateneo de Manila University Country Philippines Website http://www.ateneo.net/ School Description To understand the soul of the Ateneo de Manila University -- what shaped it and where it came from, where it is going and where it can take you -- it is essential to understand its motto, Lux in Domino, or "Light in the Lord."From the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5:8), these words capture the spirit of a way of life which the Ateneo holds up to her sons and daughters as their best contribution to the work by which God transforms the world. To be "light in the Lord" in all fullness demands moving insistently and deliberately towards God as the center of a person's life, identifying the issues that such a centering poses, and then moving out to the world to find ever new ways of constructing the edifice, cultivating the garden, painting the masterpiece, that God is unfolding in one's life.It is a call to BE that light of the Lord in the world.The Ateneo de Manila University celebrates its 145th anniversary and 145 years of the return of Jesuit Education to the Philippines on December 10, 2004. December also begins the 5-year countdown to the Ateneo’s 150th anniversary, its sesquicentennial, in 2009.The university begins preparations for its sesquicentennial by returning to its roots: by remembering the Ateneo’s history and celebrating the things that make the school distinctly Atenean: what we cherish, what we fight for, what we believe. School Statistics
Faculty Stats Number of Faculty Members 574 Number of International Faculty Members 25
Student Stats Number of Students 10,988 Number of International Students 424
Undergraduate Stats Number of Undergraduates 7,161 Number of International Undergraduates 136
Postgraduate Stats Number of Postgraduates 3,827 Number of International Postgraduates 288
Course Fees (subject to change) Average Course Fees (Undergraduate Courses) 0 Average Course Fees (Postgraduate Courses) 0 Source (World University Rankings 2006)(QS & The Times Higher Education Supplement)
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