In response to the trolls who keep coming here...

It’s funny that they think they’re big shots because they’re ranked higher than us. Well, boo hoo good for you.

The THES-Q ratings aren’t that comprehensive and are oft misleading. But if you want to trumpet how big you are over us then go ahead. For the record, UP was #299, DLSU at #392, and UST at #500.

For my fellow Ateneans, in case you want to look at the ratings, there are very few Jesuit universities in the rankings. The highest would have been Harvard at #1, but they’ve disassociated themselves in decades past as being a Jesuit institution. The next highest would be Georgetown at #102. So where are the Fordhams, Gonzagas, and Marquettes in the survey? And those are just the American Jesuit schools? How about the rest of the world?

Has that affected the enrollment in all these Jesuit institutions? Their reputation?

Not one iota.

Jesuit universities never have been about size unlike that school from Taft which has spread like Jollibee franchises. Now is that bad? Not at all. Good for them. It’s their mission. But enrollment at Jesuit universities has been over the top. Even here in the Philippines. Bragging rights for the top school are relative and the basketball games are oft used as the telling point in this endless debate. If you look at signs or banners for entrance exams to colleges, it’s always ADMU, DLSU, and UP in whatever order. So fine.

We’ve always been content with our place in society and our contributions. We should not even measure ourselves against them. But the rankings are there for better or for worse we have to deal with it and better ourselves to improve the image and perception of the university in the eyes of the world. If you attended the symposium/kapihan on that in ADMU a few weeks after the release of the survey, things would have been clear why we ranked that way and what measures are being taken to address it.

Was the rating a fair assessment of the university? No. But nevertheless, we’ll have to address it and I know that Dr. Cuyegkeng’s office and all concerned are working on that. You should have even heard the reply of the ratings body on the furor being made by La Salle (they even put the ratings in their brochure). I should try to secure a copy of that.

For Ateneans who think that we should beat La Salle in everything. Get a life. There are bigger issues abound. They’re looking for redemption after they had to surrender their title and weather their suspension. And by the way, it’s no surprise where they are in the UAAP basketball standings: they were the pre-season favorites and during their one year out, they were in the US and elsewhere in the world training, playing, and practicing. So much for studying.

Ah, academics. If you watch Cito Beltran’s interview with their 2004 team, the coach answered even questions directed to his boys regarding studies and all. how does he know so much while his boys don't? If they win the title again, I propose they should be interviewed lengthily and without any team officials around just to see what these boys know. I'll bet you that they'll go through a crash course of whatever it is they're supposedly enrolled in. Their coach is such a control freak that he calls all their plays but when it comes to recruiting and his players' backgrounds he doesn’t know jack. Sino linoloko mo, coach. Kung kampanya mo sa eleksyon alam mo lahat ng survey at kung saan ka kailangan mag-campaign. Sabagay mga ka-eskwela niya naniwala. After all, they’re looking for something to believe in.

Yes, they do have a better basketball program. That’s fine. At least we don’t have to cheat and field ineligible players to do so. Besides, how many of them graduate? Not even their coach. And… look at Cholo Villanueva… since 2001 naka-line-up sa DLSU. Tri-mestral na nga sila seven years pa sa college. Very good, Cholo.

Let them boast about being ranked higher than us. Congratulations, DLSU. Good job and we mean it. But to the pundits who prepped that banner, if they read the rankings at all, they would have found out that we were at #484 not #488.

Talaga naman. Can’t spell. Can’t read.

One Big Fight!

--o0o--
Additional Reference: A response to the THES World University Rankings