How Do Publications Rate Higher Education Institutions
Publications are making researches about a topic publicly available. Publications come in two (2) forms either written such as books or newspapers or online such as forums, e-books, tutorials and websites. Publications, with it being publicly available, makes a serious effect to it's' readers as it becomes a source of knowledge and idea about a topic that would affect their judgment. Publications about college system rates the strengths and weaknesses, the positives and negatives, and the ups and downs of a specific college which would either attract or discourage professionals from enrolling or applying on that specific institution. Today, college quality rankings in news magazines and guidebooks, through textbooks or online, are a big business with visible impacts on the operation of higher education institutions.
A lot of publications have tackled the examination of the various aspects of a college system through the activities of faculty members, school's academic departments and the institution entirely. Analyses of these institutions are often based solely on teaching activities and thus, overlook all other important facets. Various approaches to college rankings have different benefits and each is subject to criticism, all of which should be seriously considered in light of its' effects that a widely-distributed ranking can have on institutions of higher education and the students seeking to enter them.
College rating publications follows certain methodologies and criteria offers one publisher choices that he or she could begin with. Besides criteria and methodologies, a publication rates institutions through sorting them from the best to least. Some rankings compare individual departments, such as sociology or business, within a college or university, while others measure the quality of the institutions as a whole. Others rate the institution by the capacities and quality of the product it sends out to the real world.
Publications can also rate college institutions through its reputation. Reputations are built by the faculties present in a specific institution which, when meticulously selected, would perk up reputation that would reflect greatly on any write-ups. Publications, as it circulates freely, can also affect other publications with the same objective to perk up the ranks of an institution. The more good things said about a publication can have good effect on the future ones.
Publications are useful, for it creates a sense of competition in the rankings that encourages universities to perform more efficiently and effectively. This can be the driving for of institutions to reach for the top as they aim to publicly inform would-be college and professionals that they can produce competitive and outstanding products.
Several ranking publications have responded to the criticism of the reputation methodology by putting variables like student-faculty ratio, scores of pre-acceptance examinations and the amount of both parent and academe expenditures.
With such exposure, increased publicity carries many benefits in the form of better information for consumers, the results of these effects provides positive rewards to a high ranked educational institution. In turn, the so called high ranked institutions should maintain an impeccable status by being better every publication or stay credible as the most high ranked education institution continuously.
Though college institution publications are readily available, there are also other factors that could affect one's choice of universities. One is the Alma Mater of one's parents that could potentially be the driving force or peers even. Although it may help to have comparative views of different schools, the research benchmarks used in any particular study will affect its outcome, and those benchmarks are not always clear and a consistent from one ranking to the next. Still, nothing beats having information first hand from the products of the university where one can broaden the perspective that would seem fit to one's needs.
Higher Education Publications
- Academic Exchange Quarterly
- Alliance for Education
- Institute of Higher Education
- National Teaching and Learning Forum