BU Development Thread

[bdurden]

Re: New BU Tower

^That is correct, and that also includes the very popular Metropolitan College night school which has several thousand students.

I remember about 5 years ago BU was ranked much higher in the US News' rankings (about 35 or so, just behind NYU and BC in the rankings). It was at this same time that John Silber proclaimed that schools cannot be ranked by the US News methodology and that BU does not participate in the program. It was shortly after this that they steadly fell in the US News' rankings.

Subjectively speaking, it is pretty clear to see that they are ranked too low on this list.

 

[Corey]

Re: New BU Tower

The new student housing tower looks very nice.

So BU isn't too selective? Hmmm. I would love to go back to school full-time if I could afford it. I did two years at UMaine and then started working in Portland and am finishing my last two years at U. Southern Maine but I still have a solid 8 years left going part-time. I always dreamed of going to school in Boston.

 

[BarbaricManchurian]

Re: New BU Tower

I'm seriously dreaming of going to BU, and some major reasons why is this new dorm tower, the campus' urban location, and the university being big enough to be one of the only universities in the world to have its own skyline.

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

I have taught at BU for five years, and I will be the first person to tell you that BU is an absolute joke. It's a state school quality education at an Ivy League pricetag (50k a year!). I can't for the life of me fathom why any parent would send their child there instead of one of the fine (or at least adequate) state universities in the Northeast: UMass, UConn, UNH, Rutgers, Vermont, UMaine, whatever...

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: New BU Tower

Wait, you're a teacher there. Isn't the education there going to be as good, or bad, as the teachers are? You are not giving yourself much credit.

Also, the city of Boston (and surrounding towns) is part of the education one gets by going to school at BU or Northeastern or MIT or any of the other schools around here. Can't really replicate that in Amherst MA or Durham NH.

 

[Shepard]

Re: New BU Tower

BU may not be your cup of tea, but... BU's tea is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

Wait, you're a teacher there. Isn't the education there going to be as good, or bad, as the teachers are? You are not giving yourself much credit.

Also, the city of Boston (and surrounding towns) is part of the education one gets by going to school at BU or Northeastern or MIT or any of the other schools around here. Can't really replicate that in Amherst MA or Durham NH.

While I agree that the urban experience is a valuable one for anyone, especially a college student, is it worth $40,000 a year in tuition? if you are an independently wealthy family fine, you can make decisions based on that kind of lifestyle factor...but it is definitely NOT worth incurring a mind-boggling debt load (now sadly the norm for students graduating from private universities).

Pay less for college. Move to a city after you graduate. There is no appreciable difference in value between a BU diploma and a UMass, Rutgers or UNH diploma.

 

[jass]

Re: New BU Tower

I have taught at BU for five years, and I will be the first person to tell you that BU is an absolute joke. It's a state school quality education at an Ivy League pricetag (50k a year!). I can't for the life of me fathom why any parent would send their child there instead of one of the fine (or at least adequate) state universities in the Northeast: UMass, UConn, UNH, Rutgers, Vermont, UMaine, whatever...

The thing about BU is that their colleges vary so much in quality.

Which one do you teach in?

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

The thing about BU is that their colleges vary so much in quality.

Which one do you teach in?

I teach in CAS, which almost all students take courses in. SMG is the hot place to be right now, because it's the only building on campus that isn't a crumbling ruin other than the FitRec and Agannis.

 

[bdurden]

Re: New BU Tower

Do you really teach at BU, or attend a rival institution?

 

[ant8904]

Re: New BU Tower

Alot of students are on decent financial aid, like myself. So far, I found the professors to be very knowledgeable and competent, many of them have acquired a strong name in their fields. The main flaw of the school is largely the administration. For some reason, they just keep pushing for ideas that just pisses everyone off, both the students and faculty.

I don't find the CAS building to be that bad state of repair. Granted, it's not smg with its prettiness, but it isn't crumbling. The biggest flaw is probably its bathrooms in the building. The other buildings are not crumbling either. The one with the worse state is probably math and computer science building behind Warren and the psychology building. They both are lacking in prettiness, but that doesn't argue to say SMG is the hottest place by virtue of its pretty building.

You probably can't release your identity, but I wonder who you are. For all I know, I could have been in your class. By any chance, I have to ask, you are part of the core program?

 

[bdurden]

Re: New BU Tower

Campus construction to continue into semester, Brown says
By Allison McKinnon

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Published: Thursday, September 10, 2009
Updated: Thursday, September 10, 2009
Boston University students have once again found themselves surrounded by numerous construction projects around campus this semester.

The completion of Student Village II and smaller-scale summer projects like classroom and office renovations, seemed to signal an end to any major construction on campus. But BU spokesman Colin Riley said BU is designing and planning for more major projects such as Law School Expansion.

President Robert Brown elaborated on these new projects in a letter in May to the BU community.

?We continue to plan several major projects, including the Law School expansion and renovations, the new student services center . . . and a medical campus residence,? he wrote. ?Fundraising is underway for all three projects.?

Brown also wrote that BU ?will continue to hold down capital expenditure for the foreseeable future? and stated that renovations to the rehearsal facilities in the College of Fine Arts main building were scheduled to be completed this fall.

City construction projects also surround the Charles River Campus. One of the most noticeable renovations is that of the Kenmore Train and Bus Station in Kenmore Square.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman Joe Pesaturo said most of the work on the Kenmore T stop is finished.

?New escalators are up and running, the new bus-way is fully operational,? he said. ?The Green Line platforms have been completely rebuilt and elevated to make boarding much easier.?

New lighting, signage, surveillance cameras and tiled walls are among the many updated features of the Green Line platforms. Over 175,000 pounds of steel have gone into the renovation, along with 10,000 square feet of glass. The busway area above ground has been landscaped with 60 new trees and nearly 16,600 square feet of new plantings of shrubs and lawns. Thirty-four new bike racks have also been added for riders.

Pesaturo also said the remaining projects, such as two new elevators, will be completed and in operation by the end of next month.

?The station [will be] completely accessible to people of all abilities,? Pesaturo said.

College of Arts and Sciences junior Zach Raines, who frequently rides the T out of the Kenmore station, said he appreciates the work that has gone into the major renovation.

?The Kenmore station has definitely improved over the past year,? Raines said.

But some students said all the construction is disruptive to campus life.

CAS senior Christine Bariahtaris lives on Bay State Road and said she is frustrated with construction noise on the street and the large pieces of equipment in front of her window.

?My roommate has to sleep with ear plugs in because of the jack-hammering,? Bariahtaris said, adding how she is usually awakened by the noise in the morning.

?If they started an hour later it would be a lot better,? she said.

College of Communication senior Matt Harrington said he has seen numerous construction projects during his four years at BU.

?It?s been ridiculous over the four years,? Harrington said, ?I?ve never seen BU without construction or a lot of noise going on.?

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

Do you really teach at BU, or attend a rival institution?

Yes. I really teach at BU. I have no way to prove it to you, but I can assure you I really teach there. I also hold an advanced degree from BU, so, believe me, I have no personal stake in speaking negatively about it. I have also taught at public institutions (one of the U Maine schools) and I feel I have some basis for comparison.

BU offers some nice amenities: a world class fitness center, three on-campus Starbucks, a brand new hockey arena, luxury high rise dormitory towers and glitzy "student village" residences...these things all contribute to driving up the cost of attendance while adding approximately zero to the quality of the education.

Yes, BU is light years ahead of where it was even 15 years ago. Yes, BU is a very very good school. But in terms of bang for your buck it is an atrocious waste. You can get a fine education there, and you get access to a the cultural advantages of city life (no small deal to me), but in terms of faculty quality, course offerings, and overall educational quality, there really is nothing that distinguishes it from the half dozen excellent state universities in the northeast that offer the same education from 1/5th the price (without some of the bells and whistles).

This point cannot seriously be argued against by anyone. Just pick a department at random...say, physics or history...and compare the faculty profiles with a those at a big public research institution like UMass, Rutgers, UNH, or UConn. Your $50,000 doesn't buy you access to anything but a very expensive to maintain urban campus. If that means the world do you, by all means, attend. But my kid won't be going there, I can promise you that.

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

Alot of students are on decent financial aid, like myself. So far, I found the professors to be very knowledgeable and competent, many of them have acquired a strong name in their fields. The main flaw of the school is largely the administration. For some reason, they just keep pushing for ideas that just pisses everyone off, both the students and faculty.

I don't find the CAS building to be that bad state of repair. Granted, it's not smg with its prettiness, but it isn't crumbling. The biggest flaw is probably its bathrooms in the building. The other buildings are not crumbling either. The one with the worse state is probably math and computer science building behind Warren and the psychology building. They both are lacking in prettiness, but that doesn't argue to say SMG is the hottest place by virtue of its pretty building.

You probably can't release your identity, but I wonder who you are. For all I know, I could have been in your class. By any chance, I have to ask, you are part of the core program?

No, I'm not a part of CORE, though I have had CORE students in my classes. And what is decent financial aid? Paying for, say, half of a $50,000 price tag is not doing anyone any favors.

 

[ant8904]

Re: New BU Tower

For me, around 1/5, I could lessen that if I go off-campus or commute. I know some people are on full ride. Though, yes, some people got the shaft.


So, your argument is basically despite all the amendities, bang for buck, it is not worth it. Sadly, I agree. No matter how good the gym, dorms, student center, campus, or anything else. The thing that matters is the education. The great majority of universities, the teaching abilities of the faculty of indistinguishable. They are all phd professors and the only difference is a few awards and a even a few nobles means little in a student trying to learn from the average professor.

Though, to be fair and in my opinion, Harvard is not worth full price. I can't see how any school can make 200k of debt be worth it. You must have went by those schools too. I know a few friends going to those school and they face the same regular workload and the professors teach the same material with only a few differences in delivery. From my experience, the main differences between school is the types and proportion of students and the culture of the school rather than how much one have learned. What the student is taught in class have very little difference.


So I do agree BU is not worth full price. However, no school is worth full price, not even the Ivy league. Unless you see BU is missing something that the Ivy League have aside prestige and a few more awards.


BTW, I can't recall exactly, but doesn't your kid get a very large discount or something if the kid attends BU? I remember that I knew one person whose dad is a staff member and the kid is getting a pretty good deal.

Edit: 90% off tuition.

 

[bdurden]

Re: New BU Tower

^Yes not only do faculty send their children to BU basically free, but so can anyone literally down to the person who cleans the bathrooms--which makes the comment rather odd wouldn't you say?

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

Let me clarify. I don't actually have any children yet. (I'm a newlywed). Nor am I a tenured professor. I have no idea if people of my job status (part time, adjunct, visiting, or other non-tenured faculty) get any tuition remission for family, but I'm assuming in 18 to 20 years I will have moved on to something more stable and long term. The academic job market is a nightmare.

Re: BU vs Ivies...no, of course the educational quality hardly merits the absurd prices at Columbia or Yale either: but you do at least get one thing at an Ivy that you don't get at BU. You get the cache of that brand name on your diploma, and you get access to the good old boy network. Putting the word Princeton on a resume stil means a hell of a lot, much more than ia warranted by the actual quality of the education. I'm not sure the brand name Boston University carries any more weight than the UConns and Rutgerses of the world, really. We are still only a couple decades out from BU being a second tier institution.

 

[Lrfox]

Re: New BU Tower

Boston Needs a Shakeshack,

Which Maine system school did you teach at? I attended both UMaine Farmington and Univesity of Southern Maine. While Farmington was a great little university, well run with a good staff, USM was an absolute nightmare. The turnover rate with the staff was extraordinarily high and the quality of student and education provided was very low. The accounting department was passable and the law program pretty good (Muskie School wasn't bad for Grads), but other than that, the school seemed to be on the fringe of collapse. It was in serious financial trouble when I attended.

If you taught at UMaine Orono, (or even Farmington), you taught at an excellent public institution which may make the comparison to public universities a bit skewed. Orono is absolutely as good as many private institutions. I never had experience with BU until this Fall, so I'm not challenging you; but I'm curious as to your basis. I do agree about the cost of education not being worth it for many. It's funny, I had the same argument with my sister about Northeastern v. UMass. She chose Northeastern for the urban, cultural environment and never looked back (well, she's still a sophomore). For her program, I would have gone UMass as it would have saved her a ton in the long run.

 

[Boston Needs A ShakeShack]

Re: New BU Tower

Boston Needs a Shakeshack,

Which Maine system school did you teach at? I attended both UMaine Farmington and Univesity of Southern Maine. While Farmington was a great little university, well run with a good staff, USM was an absolute nightmare. The turnover rate with the staff was extraordinarily high and the quality of student and education provided was very low. The accounting department was passable and the law program pretty good (Muskie School wasn't bad for Grads), but other than that, the school seemed to be on the fringe of collapse. It was in serious financial trouble when I attended.

If you taught at UMaine Orono, (or even Farmington), you taught at an excellent public institution which may make the comparison to public universities a bit skewed. Orono is absolutely as good as many private institutions. I never had experience with BU until this Fall, so I'm not challenging you; but I'm curious as to your basis. I do agree about the cost of education not being worth it for many. It's funny, I had the same argument with my sister about Northeastern v. UMass. She chose Northeastern for the urban, cultural environment and never looked back (well, she's still a sophomore). For her program, I would have gone UMass as it would have saved her a ton in the long run.

LrFox: I don' t disagree with you. My point was never that ALL state universities are a good value: some of them are complete garbage...then again so are many many private schools at a much higher price. My point was simply that there are a lot of competitive and affordable options that, to me, make a school like BU seem very undesirable by comparison. I actually taught at UMF...like you said, a fine little public liberal arts college. Orono is even better. I don't doubt that Ft. Kent and Presque Isle probably leave a lot to be desired...I know very little about USM, so I will take your word for it regarding its troubles. I guess, ultimately, my point is that students who can get into BU can certainly get into their respective state school. If we assume that most BU students are from MA, CT, New Jersey, NY, RI, NH, and ME...than without a doubt most BU students could probably have gotten a similar quality education at a much better price from their flagship state university.

Northeastern vs. UMass is an even more egregious example of what I'm talking about. I get, I truly do, that Northeastern is attractive for some of the same reasons that BU is, but talk about paying a heavy price for lifestyle, rather than educational, advantages.

 

[Lrfox]

Re: New BU Tower

^I think I agree 100%. I wasn't trying to challenge you. In fact, the reason I went to UMF and USM is because I could use a vacation property we had to get in state tuition (funny that it actually would have cost me less with OUT of stat tuition in Maine than it would have cost for IN state tuition at a MA state college) and cost me about 75% less than what I would pay for a similar education at BU or another similar private. I tried to plead with my sister to go to UMass and get a summer internship in the city or practice there when she's done with school. Instead she chose NEU and will likely have a hundred or so thousand in debt while I'm in the black after 5 years of undergrad.

Not only do I see your point, I agree with it. There are times, though, that I wish I got the experience of going to school in the city. I'm making up for it now, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting my friends at BU, NEU, Harvard, Suffolk, etc while I was in college. I'm not too outdoorsy, so I felt like I was going to go crazy at Farmington by about March every year.