Socrates, The Gorgias
As players report for fall camp, let’s take a break from the sports discussion and talk about something else—something more important. The University of Alabama has won recognition for its academic achievements in the last year, and it hasn’t received all the attention it deserves. While the athletic teams attempt to rebuild, Dr. Robert Witt, the professors and staff of UA have already won more important honors for the Tide.
In May, the University was ranked 7th of all public universities in the United States in a list published by Forbes Magazine.
Alabama was included amongst bastions of academic excellence like UC-Berkeley, the College of William & Mary, the University of Michigan and our neighbor to the east the University of Georgia.
The rankings were compiled by rating a college on graduation rates, professor evaluations, andscholarships won by students like the Rhodes Scholarships or Fulbright grants.
UA has also been listed in the top 50 public universities list by US News & World Report. And the University is happy to brag on its six-year total of 31 USA Today Academic All-Americans—the best of any other college or university. You’ve probably seen the ads on television announcing this success story.
We haven’t even talked about National Merit Scholars, or the achievements of specific schools within the University (like the renowned School of Law—I can’t believe I just said something good about the place where lawyers are trained!).
The University is more than football. So much more. The University is an economic engine driving Alabama’s development. It fulfills a critical mission to bring enlightenment to the people.
The University is a community of scholars.
That fact can get lost in the debates over who has the best party schools, what bars should be closed on the strip, or who has the best football team in the SEC; however, fans should never forget the educational mission of the University is its most vital function.
There is no college football without the college.
The mission of a university is to provide its students with the tools to find answers to the critical questions of life. Socrates said the worst thing that could happen to a man, is to be wrong. The University provides a man with the tools to answer that other key question Socrates examined, How we should live our lives.
The University is a unique place where a student is given an opportunity to expand his knowledge—and perhaps even lay up wisdom.
There is no university without the scholars who comprise the academic community. These scholars, athletes and non-athletes alike, deserve accolades too.
As a new school term draws close, it is time to say well done to everyone in UA’s community of scholars.
24 thoughts on “UA’s academic success”
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Congrats to Bama on the ranking….I guess. I hate to be the first one to rain on that ranking, but it’s probably a little skewed. First of all, this ranking wasn’t compiled by Forbes Magazine. It was simply printed in Forbes Magazine. (I fully realize you said nothing to the contrary, Cappy. I’m simply pointing it out for those who might not have realized it). The rankings were compiled by a two year old organization called Center for College Affordability & Productivity (“CCAP”). CCAP acknowledges that U.S. News & World Report is the far and away the most popular and widely accepted ranking system, but takes issue with USNWR’s ranking criteria (shocking that they would do that to a competitor, if one could grace CCAP by calling them a competitor of USNWR). USNWR ranked Bama 42nd in its rankings. (In all candor, Auburn was ranked even lower this year at 45). The main component that ranked Bama so high in CCAP rankings was the reviews from students. http://www.forbes.com/opinions/forbes/2008/0519/030.html. Is it really surprising that the students from a school that packs 92K in a stadium to see a scrimmage would also give a disproportional number of positive reviews to the school overall?
Does anyone remember when Auburn fans would write that the only reason they commented at the Capstone was because 1/2 the articles were about Auburn? When was the last “Auburn article”?
Julio,
Your obsession amazes me. I would not think anyone would find that much to write about a ranking regarding education, and especially to find fault in the rankings. You seem to have the same fierce passion proving that Alabama should not be that high in a Forbes ranking, as you do in condemning Alabama’s recruiting rankings. I will give you a hat tip for your single-mindedness.
I seriously perused this article by Cap, and thought Cap is right to keep the emphasis on education when speaking about universities. I am really intersted did Auburn fans read this article, and think “there is got to be something wrong with these rankings”? Do people really feel the need to prove the other university wrong no matter what the category?
Did Lennie Patrick give a review?
Great post….as a student at UA, and the first in my family to attend college, and financing it myself, I can sometimes get caught up in football so much that I forget that I’m here first and foremost to get an education and achieve my goals. I will always support UA athletics, but I can do that much better by becoming wealthy enough one day to donate to the athletics department, and the University, to help it become even better.
Julio, the fact is we ranked 7th and Alabama PolyTECHnic Institute ranked 46th on the list.
Obviously our students see more merit in our school than your students do. Anyway, also notice Georgia and Florida were also ranked in the top 10. Why don’t you take your inferior facts to their boards? Or perhaps you could take it to your very own and discuss on what Alabama PolyTECHnic Institute needs to improve on so they can impress their students.
The University of Alabama IS a great school. The facilities are mesmerizing. The campus is gorgeous. The education received is very solid. And I had more fun attending college there than I’ve had anywhere! I never attended Alabama PolyTECHnic Institute (and I thank my lucky stars every night), so I don’t know how much different it is as far as studying and academics are concerned. But of the two major universities I attended, the difference was like night and day.
Considering this topic doesn’t relate to football, there’s your evidence that Alabama PolyTECHnic Institute Barnies envies us daily, even over university rankings that has absolutely nothing to do with sports.
Barnies want us to be just as miserable as they are, but no matter what extremity you take, you’ll never bring us down to your inferior level, no matter how hard you try!
Auburn or Alabama Poly-tech should have received notable honors from their student body. There are more deserving kids in Africa starving to receive free diplomas for little or no work at all.
Julios an AUtard for the sake of all that is righteous.
You cant expect an Alabama Tech student, alumni, fan, trailer trash, to enjoy seeing Alabama ranked so high while Tech is ranked at the bottom of the barrell.
Look at their school. Its in the middle of the sticks that no one above the mason dixon line has ever heard of. hell, several people below have never heard of it.
Think about how unfortunate it is to be a student there. All you do is go to school and go back to your trailer or apartment. The only excitement in that town is football and half their students don’t even show up for football games.
Think about how miserable they must feel having to endure four years living in Awbarn, Alabama. Hell you have to travel 30mins just to experience fun away from school in Columbus and half the time theres nothing to do there!
I think I now sympathize AUtards more now than I ever have before.
…..sheer darkness you are so correct.
The wannabe little school across the state that is constantly begging for our attention. Begging for our approval, because without it they are just another UAB or Troy State (Without the good academics). And they scream and pitch tantrums just so Bama Nation will give them some feeling of validation and/or relevance.
Aubbos, I hate to be the John the Revelator of your Armegeddon. But the time is coming when you will have to return to your rightful place among your brethren, at the lower end of the football spectrum. Right there among the neglected also rans of football.
Teams like Arkansas State, Idaho State, Vanderbilt, and Rice await your return to the level of the 2nd rate teams where you belong. You are going back to the days when you where you shared SEC whipping boy duties with Vanderbilt, Its coming soon. Last year CTT still could compete against some of the SEC teams in recruiting, this year he cant even do that. Next year he will be stealing prospects from Div2 teams. The long slow descent has begun.
Somewhere John Sebastion is singing:
“Welcome back
your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back,
to that same old place that you laughed about”
1) I’d like to congratulate the University of Alabama on receiving yet another honorable accomplishment. Please keep up the impressively outstanding work!
2) Julio, belittling every top ranking Alabama achieves doesn’t make API seem more superior in our eyes or in anyone else’s, it only makes y’all look more pathetic and inferior than ever before. Every weakling attempt you make to take an accomplishment away only causes your opposition to lose more numbers on your respect meter. Right now, I’d say API’s respect meter is at a (negative) –9,848,730,852,693,653,189,923,170,758,307,175,847,385,159,904,714,239,912,943
And it steadily decreases by the second!
Football smack is one thing ,but you know that its a nasty rivalry when they are on others case about academics….
Both schools are fine universities of highr learning.
Either way, the students are more proud of the university than ever before. The only complaint I have is the classrooms are too congested and the university is in dire need of building more classrooms and expanding the campus (which they’re currently in the process of doing).
Kenny Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Does anyone remember when Auburn fans would write that the only reason they commented at the Capstone was because 1/2 the articles were about Auburn? When was the last “Auburn article�
last Thursday BY SHANE AND today BY SHANE
AND next week BY SHANE
cmon dude even if its not about AUburn bamma will blog with WELL…….AUBurn this and that
TMC its me ( whoever you think i am )
why do you think its bammas misfortune that allowed us to progress? and second why do you think that even if bamma beats POLYTECH that we will regress? this is a serious question not a remark.
omni…..Didnt you know…Bama is the center of the universe . Not the football universe…But the “actual” center of the whole universe. You must not have gotten the memo.
OOOPS I Forgot Ballplay ???
im such a dummy
WAR POLYTECH BABY!!!
Because when we win, we hardly hear from our cross state brethren. And it’s not fair for you guys to not be around for our bragging. lol
No Amy your wrong! we dont care about bragging, i for one love it when the SEC wins it all ya know. You guys brag about everything only you cant about winning hear lately so its been about recruiting and how much of a God Saban is and BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!
You nailed it Amy….We dont brag when we uh…lose…Unlike Bammers who could find a way to brag about going 0-12…Or find a dam good excuse for thier “weakened state”….
OMNIPRESENT Says:
August 1st, 2008 at 10:54 am
TMC its me ( whoever you think i am )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know who you are SHANEHATERS is a BLOGGER/AKA/ API MAN/ballplayIndian/RedneckTider et. al.
If you had anything significant to say you wouldnt have to change your screen name every 10 G*d Damn seconds.
Auburn hasnt done worth a damn representing this state during Bama’s probation years. That is why Tommy Tuberville cant get a decent recruit to sign with Auburn. Even Ole Missand USF are clowing on Auburn now. It wont be long, once the probation level talent leaves Auburn, CTT will exit stage left and Auburn will sink faster than a lead ballon that just ran out of Helium.
Get out a spoon 187 names, you are fixing to eat a plateful of humilitaion.
Ballplay Indian Says:
August 1st, 2008 at 4:16 pm
You nailed it Amy….We dont brag when we uh…lose…Unlike Bammers who could find a way to brag about going 0-12…Or find a dam good excuse for thier “weakened stateâ€â€¦.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liar.
Auburn fans talked like South Florida would be the next Miami after the beat down Aubbo got last year.
“They made it to the top 5!!”
(And they finished out of the top 25 BTW)
Every game Aubbo wins is of epic, (oops I mean,) EPIC proportion.
When you listen to their games on the radio the caffiene jacked announcer tries to make every play sound like the greatest play of all time.
There is Tony Franklin, The Aubbos almost wet their pants in ecstasy over that loser.
The RBs are the greatest EVERY G*D DAMN YEAR!
CTT is th greatest Coach in the Universe (except for Pat Dye)
As a Matter of fact Aubbos brag about any thing and everything!
They are the masters of trying to hype normal everyday things as if they had just cured cancer.
Auburn is the Paris Hilton of Football,
always having everyone of their assinine childish bullshit antics blown up like Pamela Andersons tits by sycophants like Phil Marshall.
Auburn got their heads set on fire and put out with a sledgehammer at recruiting last year and they are still braggin about it. Like they planned it that way……
Saying an Aubbo wouldnt brag about anything is a drop dead, get slapped by your mother, going to hell, damnable type of lie. But what else could we expect from an Aubbo.
God almighty….that was one of the greatest feeling posts ever!!!
WTG TMCzero! YEA!
DUDE I changed my name becuase of your paranoia IM NOT HIDING and if CAP didnt like you paranoia he would tell you who I am….but it sells ad space every hit he gets so i dont look for him to disclose any of that non-sense to you
Thanks for you answer to my question though Mate! GOO-day
Imapissant;
Well…. arent you important to the process……
Since you are so bright you can explain the concept of this website to me… How much money are you making?
Yep, that is what I thought. Not a penny.
You are universally stupid. You are so stupid, you are STOOPID. You ARE making money for Cap. And whoring yourself out in the process, just so you can say something bad about Bama.Talk about a masochist! That is one of the most ignorant Jerry Springer-esque brain fart mentalities ever. G*d damnit boy you are stupid!
By the way, I am an American who is currently in Australia. My wife and I have been travelling for the last 2 years. And yes we can afford it.
WOW GOOD FOR YOU!
I make enough to make me and 4 females very comfortable so travel on brother come to an gane or 2 maybe we will bump into each other, OH YEA CAN YA LOAN ME 20 bucks IM GONNA BUY bama IN nyc HOOKED ON PHONICS