Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 1, 1993 TAG: 9305030258
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Virginia Tech ranked 44th, the University of Virginia ranked 59th and Virginia Commonwealth University ranked 94th. In attaining its overall 44th ranking, Tech was 19th in private-industry research funding and 67th in federal research funding.
(Tech also has won a bragging point from the Review of Business and Economic Research. The publication listed the university's R.B. Pamplin College of Business 28th out of 285th in the nation.)
OK, OK, so too much stock shouldn't be put in such rankings. They don't always agree among themselves. They can't capture the full story. In trying to quantify quality, they must make arguable assumptions about what quality is and how it is to be gauged.
But such rankings at least offer a a measure of rigor not found in self-promotional claims to "excellence." They are a kind of reality check for institutions and their supporters.
The reality is that Virginia's state universities, despite the plunge of recent years in state support for higher education, remain major players in science research.
by CNB