Make the most of good grades

I was disappointed that your brief report on the results of the annual Globe and Mail survey of student satisfaction in the November 3 issue addressed only a small fraction of the total results, and its rather arbitrary selection of “highlights” overlooks many areas in which our University is doing very well. In fact, none of the 5 areas in which the University received a grade of A from the student respondents were reported, and only 3 of the 11 areas in which we were rated A- are reported. In total the University was graded A- or better in 18 of the 65 categories of the survey and C+ or lower in only 10. So ours is indeed a very good report card, although there are clearly some areas in which we can continue to improve. Your readers can see the details for themselves if they look at the complete results on the Globe and Mail’s web site www.globeandmail.com/reportcard

Below are the 18 categories in which the U of S scored an A- or better:
Attractiveness of campus A+
Physical fitness A+
Computer accessibility on campus A
Availability of up-to-date computer equipment A
On-campus network for Internet/email A
Overall quality/availability of technology on campus A
Faculty members’ knowledge of subjects A
Overall university atmosphere A-
Access to course/teaching materials online A-
Recreational/athletic programs/services A-
Sense of personal safety/security A-
Overall Library A-
Reputation for conducting leading-edge research A-
Satisfaction with University Experience A-
Overall Quality of Education A-
Availability of quiet study space A-
Library Services A-
Overall on-campus buildings/facilities A-

I’m all in favour of balance in our reporting, but we also need to capitalize on opportunities such as this to celebrate what we’re doing well and to congratulate those responsible.

Rick Bunt
Associate Vice President, Information & Communications Technology, and Professor of Computer Science