How about the University of the District of Columbia?

[Anonymous]

People talk about it as if it's poison, but it has one of the best university locations in the world.

It seems as if, given the way financing works these days, it might have happier, better-paid faculty than some of the fancy private colleges in the area.

The list of programs the university offers is impressive.

UDC should have a fairly easy time attracting faculty members who need interesting jobs that don't lead to shrieks about revolving doors and conflicts of interest.

So, anyhow, what are the classes and research at UDC really like?

If UDC is fine: Maybe people who know that should come here and do more to promote it.

If UDC is not good, why?

If the main problem is that many students come in with a weak high school education, why isn't there a way to address that? It seems as if the total amount of extra money D.C. residents spend to send children to public universities outside of the district might far exceed the cost of improving UDC's pre-college prep programs.

If the real problem is with the administration, couldn't D.C. go out and hire better administrators?

[Anonymous]

They are trying:

Washington Post, Feb 2020: "In a city dominated by private universities, UDC makes a pitch to District residents: ‘We are affordable and high quality.’ "
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/in-a-city-dominated-by-private-universities-udc-makes-a-pitch-to-district-residents-we-are-affordable-and-high-quality/2020/02/23/860da37e-540f-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html



"In recent years, the school has hired 80 new faculty members, forged a research partnership with Pennsylvania State University and garnered more than $17 million in awards from agencies and organizations such as NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Through a new strategic plan, university leaders hope to triple the school’s graduation rate, expand enrollment to nearly 9,000 students and help more students land jobs after graduation."

[Anonymous]

Jesus CHROYST its stats are bad. Graduation rate of 18%. Entrance standards according to its website are a 2.5 high school GPA and 16 ACT or 890 SAT, plus a pathway to admission for people who can't even manage that. Maybe they'll get things turned around, that'd be great, but I wouldn't send a kid into that environment with those peers.

[Anonymous]

How sad! I hope kids are not going into debt with those odds of success!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus CHROYST its stats are bad. Graduation rate of 18%. Entrance standards according to its website are a 2.5 high school GPA and 16 ACT or 890 SAT, plus a pathway to admission for people who can't even manage that. Maybe they'll get things turned around, that'd be great, but I wouldn't send a kid into that environment with those peers.

The graduation rate is not good, but may be inevitable for the population that they are serving.

Not sure why you think that admissions requirements are an issue. Not every school needs to be selective. Some schools need to admit kids who can't get into selective schools and give them the education that they need to get a job.

[Anonymous]

I’d be happy to say lots of good things about UDC - from their program at the Bertie Bakus campus for students who need academic supports on a pre-college level, to their awesome jazz studies program, to their law school.

I’m not clear, though, that there’s much interest here in DCUM-land — where most are neither from DC nor particularly urban, in a historically Black land grant college.

[Anonymous]

It has been plagued by accreditation issues for decades. The law school too. It really should be a community college because it does that really well. That would serve the student population who are interested in the school. But it won't and it will continue to struggle.

https://www.foresthillsconnection.com/news/opinion-udc-is-focused-on-the-wrong-students/

[Anonymous]

Also it would be good if they did a dual enrollment with high school students. But that becomes an issue if the students can't transfer the credit.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a second degree from UDC, as an adult. For my purposes, it was excellent, but I have 20 years of career and life experience behind me. I knew exactly what I was getting into, what I wanted to get out of UDC and how to make the program work for me.

I would not send an 18 year old there, right out of high school, unless there was no other choice.

[Anonymous]

What would your concerns be (Poster 15:55)?

Thank you for sharing, I don't know the school.

[Anonymous]

I’ve interviewed kids from there that were borderline illiterate, and knew almost nothing in their degree field (CS). Definitely wouldn’t waste money there.

[Anonymous]

Apparently the master gardner program is excellent, according to several friends who have done it.

[Anonymous]

Jesus Christ yerself. My kid would be one of those peers, as would some of her friends.

They are good kids with potential. Thank goodness for schools that see that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would your concerns be (Poster 15:55)?

Thank you for sharing, I don't know the school.

It's definitely a commuter school and a surprising number of students are second career or at least well into their 20s. During the 6 years I took classes there (off and on), I met few people whom I would define as traditional college students.

Certain programs are excellent with top-notch professors, but many are a complete joke - the programs and the professors too. Administration extremely bureaucratic - I had little to do with them, but lots of complaints along the way.

Again, for someone who knows exactly what they are doing and what they want out of the degree - how to work the system, completely self-advocate and can handle the fact that at least some of their professors will be, shall we say, not bright - it's fine. In my case, it was a needed degree to enhance my already established career. For a young person fresh out of high school trying to find his/ her own way, it could be a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would your concerns be (Poster 15:55)?

Thank you for sharing, I don't know the school.

It's definitely a commuter school and a surprising number of students are second career or at least well into their 20s. During the 6 years I took classes there (off and on), I met few people whom I would define as traditional college students.

Certain programs are excellent with top-notch professors, but many are a complete joke - the programs and the professors too. Administration extremely bureaucratic - I had little to do with them, but lots of complaints along the way.

Again, for someone who knows exactly what they are doing and what they want out of the degree - how to work the system, completely self-advocate and can handle the fact that at least some of their professors will be, shall we say, not bright - it's fine. In my case, it was a needed degree to enhance my already established career. For a young person fresh out of high school trying to find his/ her own way, it could be a disaster.

This. It really gets in the way of some of the potential for this school given its location. However, it is funded by DC mainly, so it will never be able to reach the state school level, it will always be funded like a city college or a community college.