ISU's academic rankings decline continues

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Sigmapolis

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My understanding is that the AAU significantly discounts USDA funding. Land Grant colleges know this very well. Therefore, leaning more into agriculture may not provide the university with proportional reputational "returns". Not to mention, being a "top ag university" doesn't exactly make potential students swell with excitement. Not that that matters, it's just well known that ag research can be looked down upon by some of the general population.

ISU needs to find a way to do more medical research. If a medical school isn't happening, our science departments need to find more ways to partner with research hospitals. ISU scientists are producing great research, but partnership with physicians and hospitals is a must. And I'm not sure we can limit ourselves to leaning on U of I Hospitals and Clinics researchers.

Last year, the Carver College of Medicine received $128.6 million in NIH research grants.

Their athletics budget (at least before COVID hit) was to be $124.8 million.

The crazy thing about that? They are 48th on the list. Harvard is #1 at $1.6 billion with a "B."

Iowa State's total operating budget is in the $650 million range (depending on COVID impacts).
 

cysmiley

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My understanding is that the AAU significantly discounts USDA funding. Land Grant colleges know this very well. Therefore, leaning more into agriculture may not provide the university with proportional reputational "returns". Not to mention, being a "top ag university" doesn't exactly make potential students swell with excitement (not that that matters).

ISU needs to find a way to do more medical research. If a medical school isn't happening, our science departments need to find more ways to partner with research hospitals. ISU scientists are producing great research, but partnership with physicians and hospitals is a must. And I'm not sure we can limit ourselves to leaning on U of I Hospitals and Clinics researchers.
Well, I am told that the NADL loaned their equipment to Iowa City last spring to do rapid testing for the"rona. Only problem was they had no one who knew how to operate it, as it was totally computer controlled and advanced beyond their knowledge base. So it came back to Ames, and IsU got accredited to do covid testing on humans. The equipment was jointly developed by EE dept, Computer Engineering Dept, Vet Med and robotics. It is now doing testing for the whole state, but prioritizing ISU students. So I would think that any Medical facility would be interested in partnering with ISU, especially considering their expertise in robotics, bioengineering, and materials. Come see us Mercy Health Care, someone email JP :) !
 
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cysmiley

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hmmm...maybe we can partner with Harvard, they might be interested in the worlds most advanced virus testing system and maybe they can be taught to operate it! :)

EDIT: It was developed for swine herds, so don't know if they know what a pig isin Mass, so maybe not. After all there are more pigs than people in Iowa, makes sense:jimlad:
 
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Lyddea

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My understanding is that the AAU significantly discounts USDA funding. Land Grant colleges know this very well. Therefore, leaning more into agriculture may not provide the university with proportional reputational "returns". Not to mention, being a "top ag university" doesn't exactly make potential students swell with excitement. Not that that matters, it's just well known that ag research can be looked down upon by some of the general population.

What I've heard (yes this is hearsay) is that AAU is not discounting USDA (or other ag funding) anymore. This is a huge win but it does not solve the real problem.

The average USDA grant is 1/4th the size of the average NIH grant. And the key AAU criterion that sunk UNL was $$$ federal grants.
 
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cysmiley

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What I've heard (yes this is hearsay) is that AAU is not discounting USDA (or other ag funding) anymore. This is a huge win but it does not solve the real problem.

The average USDA grant is 1/4th the size of the average NIH grant. And the key AAU criterion that sunk UNL was $$$ federal grants.
Well what is the expected federal grant money. Does 100 mil cut it? or 80? or what?
 

cysmiley

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full disclosure, I think I am beginning to understand why my daughter is so valuable to the University. She is integral in funding from the DOE and has developed a significant rep in her field. Its not only her knowledge, but her effect on ISU"s AAU situation;, and while she is close, does not make over 100,000 per annum. She loves the University and Ames, and although she has had significant offers to move, has stayed where she is at. She has a boyfriend in Germany, which is cool, but I hope he comes here. :)
 

2forISU

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Ohio State
---
52% acceptance rate
1240-1450 average SAT range
27-32 average ACT range
3.76 average high school GPA

https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/ohio/ohio-state-university-main-campus/admission/

Iowa State
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91% acceptance rate
1090-1330 average SAT range
22-28 ACT range
3.6 average high school GPA

https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/iowa/iowa-state-university/admission/

OSU use to take anyone that took the SAT/ACT in the state of Ohio. It's still a very big school but not the size it once was. These numbers are shocking how these two schools stack up.
 

Cypow

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OSU use to take anyone that took the SAT/ACT in the state of Ohio. It's still a very big school but not the size it once was. These numbers are shocking how these two schools stack up.

Interesting. What gave OSU the flexibility to become so selective?
 

SECyclone

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Didn’t realize how much I carried the school when I was there in 2011 lol
 

2forISU

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Interesting. What gave OSU the flexibility to become so selective?
Huge focus on out of country students, especially China.They said, no thanks to state of Ohio and looked for students that would pay more to come to their university. I think they have a satellite campus in China.

OSU has one of the largest alumni base, if not they largest.
 

Lyddea

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full disclosure, I think I am beginning to understand why my daughter is so valuable to the University. She is integral in funding from the DOE and has developed a significant rep in her field. Its not only her knowledge, but her effect on ISU"s AAU situation;, and while she is close, does not make over 100,000 per annum. She loves the University and Ames, and although she has had significant offers to move, has stayed where she is at. She has a boyfriend in Germany, which is cool, but I hope he comes here. :)

Your daughter sounds awesome, and the kind of person R1 schools fight to keep, frankly.

It's sad but true, almost all of these types of people could walk out the door and make significantly more money tomorrow. But having been in both camps, there are real plusses to being a faculty -- you get to make meaningful contributions to science, and you get to teach and mentor people through an amazing time of growth in their lives.

But yeah... you don't get paid what you could.
 

ArgentCy

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I would assume because they can take the cream of the crop in a state of 11.7 million.

ISU is fighting for a pool of 3.2 million.

Exactly, easy to be more selective with a much larger in-state population. This whole ranking based on how many people you keep out of the club is elitist garbage.
 

ArgentCy

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Huge focus on out of country students, especially China.They said, no thanks to state of Ohio and looked for students that would pay more to come to their university. I think they have a satellite campus in China.

OSU has one of the largest alumni base, if not they largest.

That's probably not going to work so well now.
 

Cypow

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Exactly, easy to be more selective with a much larger in-state population. This whole ranking based on how many people you keep out of the club is elitist garbage.

I don't think THE uses acceptance rate in its methodology. For the rankings that do, though, I agree.
 

AuH2O

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I’m not sure how well it ties into the rankings or AAU, but as well as ISU does in Placement and employer satisfaction for companies that hire our students, we are very poor in getting funded research from companies. A small handful of faculty across the university make up probably 99% of the company funded research. And someone mentioned Research Park, and if you follow their reports, it looks like they “boomed” because that’s what Leath decided to spend money on. After that sugar rush It looks to me like they have some tenants and activity, but are having a really tough time effectively monetizing activity.
Unfortunately faculty don’t seem to get as much “credit” for industry dollars toward tenure as they do fed dollars. Plus industry projects can be more appropriate for Masters students or staff because while publishable, project length and level of novelty might not be quite enough for a PhD. Still, I have seen industry projects bring in huge dollars and support tons of MS, undergrads, staff, not to mention get students hired. Not to mention, these industry dollars developed capability, infrastructure and good published data that led to Federal funding.
 
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2forISU

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That's probably not going to work so well now.
The China program/satellite campus stated over 10 years ago. They have reaped the rewards already and can easily flip the switch on state of Ohio kids. To compare ISU to OSU is not even fair. Abundant amount of resources, money large state, and national brand puts OSU at the very top.
 

2forISU

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Largest alumni bases --

View attachment 75201

Ohio State is a respectable sixth.
PSU has setup satellite campuses throughout the state of PA (24 according to link). If you don't make it to main campus you can go to one of the satellite locations and work your way in to the main campus. No surprised they are #1.