Comments on: Dorm Creep http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903 Addled thoughts of a quality assurance dope Fri, 18 May 2012 09:38:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 by: Peter http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7719 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:25:18 -0600 http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7719 It's hard for me to grasp the fact that some colleges charge different amounts for different quality dorms. The Small Northeastern Liberal Arts College that I attended had dorms of vastly different quality, yet charged the same amount for all types. Naturally enough, the dorm where I lived freshman year was notorious for being the worst on campus. It’s hard for me to grasp the fact that some colleges charge different amounts for different quality dorms. The Small Northeastern Liberal Arts College that I attended had dorms of vastly different quality, yet charged the same amount for all types. Naturally enough, the dorm where I lived freshman year was notorious for being the worst on campus.

]]> by: Linus http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7720 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:58:48 -0600 http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7720 We visited the Purdue campus (my wife's alma mater) over the holidays, and all of the new construction had me thinking about how the fancy new dorms must be a factor in the rising costs of going to college. I don't know what schools are thinking when they throw so much money after improved dorms (my alma mater did it too, a couple of years after I left), but I'm sure you're right that it's one of the only "visible" improvements parents can get for their money, so maybe it factors in more than it deserves. Still, though, I have to believe that there are a lot of students, parents, and schools out there that place a quality educational experience first and see all of this for what it is: window dressing. If school A puts tens of millions into new dorms and school B puts it towards more and better instructors, school B's academic ratings are more likely to rise. That dynamic may not be the one that's been dominant for the last decade, but it's got to swing back to some degree at some point. We visited the Purdue campus (my wife’s alma mater) over the holidays, and all of the new construction had me thinking about how the fancy new dorms must be a factor in the rising costs of going to college. I don’t know what schools are thinking when they throw so much money after improved dorms (my alma mater did it too, a couple of years after I left), but I’m sure you’re right that it’s one of the only “visible” improvements parents can get for their money, so maybe it factors in more than it deserves.

Still, though, I have to believe that there are a lot of students, parents, and schools out there that place a quality educational experience first and see all of this for what it is: window dressing. If school A puts tens of millions into new dorms and school B puts it towards more and better instructors, school B’s academic ratings are more likely to rise. That dynamic may not be the one that’s been dominant for the last decade, but it’s got to swing back to some degree at some point.

]]> by: ecco http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7721 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:47:07 -0600 http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7721 My small northeastern liberal arts college also didn't discriminate between dorms due to price. However, they rationed the system by putting freshman and sophomores in the worst dorms. Also, the dorms aren't air conditioned, which still isn't very fun in september. My small northeastern liberal arts college also didn’t discriminate between dorms due to price. However, they rationed the system by putting freshman and sophomores in the worst dorms. Also, the dorms aren’t air conditioned, which still isn’t very fun in september.

]]> by: trumwill http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7723 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:35:36 -0600 http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7723 I'm not sure if there ever was a price difference between the Old Houses and the Sauron Center. That seemed to be determined by other factors and since at first they wanted to build more towers I'm guessing they focused on efficiency because it was all the same to them financially. But the ones that were built after those two have I'm pretty sure had an eye towards charging more. I am not as optimistic as Linus primarily because there is no way of really gauging which universities are the best. So even if they spend money on better professors, I'm not sure how much it would help attract the better students they need to improve their ratings. There was a great article on this subject recently. I'll have to see if I can track it down. I’m not sure if there ever was a price difference between the Old Houses and the Sauron Center. That seemed to be determined by other factors and since at first they wanted to build more towers I’m guessing they focused on efficiency because it was all the same to them financially. But the ones that were built after those two have I’m pretty sure had an eye towards charging more.

I am not as optimistic as Linus primarily because there is no way of really gauging which universities are the best. So even if they spend money on better professors, I’m not sure how much it would help attract the better students they need to improve their ratings. There was a great article on this subject recently. I’ll have to see if I can track it down.

]]> by: David Alexander http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7732 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:56:47 -0600 http://hitcoffee.net/index.php/file/1903#comment-7732 <i>a whole lot of them want these nicer dorms</i> I can't fault them for wanting nicer dorms. Sharing bathrooms with an entire floor comes across as rather crude by first world standards, and sharing a small room with somebody that I don't know is rather silly to me. It's one of the reasons I didn't want anything to do with living on campus along with the provision of questionable institutional food three times a day. I suspect that I'm currently coming across as a spoiled snot... <i>one of the only “visible” improvements parents can get for their money</i> I remember reading some time ago that students tend to apply to more schools now than in earlier eras, so I suspect schools are using dorms as a means of standing out in a relatively crowded field of potential schools. If you have several relatively closely ranked schools, the dorm may be what separates the schools in terms of attractiveness to students. a whole lot of them want these nicer dorms

I can’t fault them for wanting nicer dorms. Sharing bathrooms with an entire floor comes across as rather crude by first world standards, and sharing a small room with somebody that I don’t know is rather silly to me. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t want anything to do with living on campus along with the provision of questionable institutional food three times a day.

I suspect that I’m currently coming across as a spoiled snot…

one of the only “visible” improvements parents can get for their money

I remember reading some time ago that students tend to apply to more schools now than in earlier eras, so I suspect schools are using dorms as a means of standing out in a relatively crowded field of potential schools. If you have several relatively closely ranked schools, the dorm may be what separates the schools in terms of attractiveness to students.

]]>