Talk:Boston University

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Bold textI think it would be great if someone could add a section about BU's beanpot dominance. --Thekoshinator 06:36, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)

To-do list for Boston University:

edit · history · watch · refresh

History: What happened between the 1800s and the present? Administration: Silber from the seventies through 2000, Presidential search problems, selection of Brown Academics: Right now all we have is a list of colleges and schools Facilities: GSU, Marsh Chapel Some pictures would also be nice. We need to cite sources too; was the book in "further reading" used as a source? We could use that... See Boston College for what a good thorough article might look like.

I added a to-do list, since it pains me to see how underdeveloped my alma mater is in comparison to some of the other university pages out there. Helpful contributions would be most welcome. --MC MasterChef 12:26, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

As a current student, I'm happy to hear that. I don't have a whole lot of information of my own, but I'll see if there's anything I can add. --Dirk Gently 11:58, 22 July 2005 (UTC)

I just redid the Academics section a bit. I think the list format is a little easier to read. If someone is feeling abitious, they could write articles for each of the colleges, with a list of majors offered. I also mentioned the study abroad programs, but I don't have all of the information for that. With a little work, we could turn this around quite a bit. Jon Seitz 05:21, August 24, 2005 (UTC)

I bumped with West Campus information down to the dorms section where it belongs, but with a few photos and some more details on the other dorm options, you could probably spin off a sub-page Boston University student housing with the info from Warren Towers and some of the StuVi section. The most glaring omission to my eyes right now is the lack of Silber's history in shaping the university, but my internet connection is too spotty right now for me to do much research on that at the moment. --MC MasterChef 05:44, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

The mention of BC has been removed. I guess it wasn't really necessary, but a lot of people I talk to get BU mixed up with BC. What do other people think? (Also, thanks for your contributions, MC.) --Dirk Gently 20:16:37, 2005-08-30 (UTC)

^ I think it's important to keep the BU/BC line. Along with being hockey rivals, people who know be but don't go to BU constantly mix it up and say I go to BC. Also I don't think that it's all that important to go into too much detail on the individual majors and such, as that kind of information can easily be found on BU's website. Just my $0.02.

I added another photo of the beach. I'll try and dig through my photos and find some more to upload. Metaomni 23:18, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Moved from article page 2 Campus and facilities 3 BU ranking re: US news and World Report 4 BU first's 5 International Standing 6 endowment 7 controversies 8 Grade Deflation 9 History 10 New Section: (virtual tour) seperate from campus and facilities 11 Article removed from Wikipedia:Good articles 12 academic boosterism 13 What does "Research University" mean? 14 Why Remove Campus Trolly photo 15 Campus Housing 16 Info Box getting long 17 Academic Standards 18 The Goldin Fiasco 19 Talk Page - BU Student Template 20 Arena Appearances 21 Dan Goldin 22 Grade Deflation 23 Article getting too large 24 Re: Article too Large 25 Warren Towers: not so big

[edit] Moved from article page

Question from User:65.96.188.220: Where did Howard Stern or Martin Luther King Junior live while in attendance?

Howard Stern I don't know, as for MLK in my dorm, Myles Standish Hall, there is a plaque denoting him as a famous resident at one time or another. --Okieman1200 08:47, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Where is that plaque? I lived in Myles two years ago and don't remember ever seeing it. --Masoni 23:21, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

It's in the first floor lobby, right at the bottom of the stairs. It's a framed picture of Myles as a hotel and has a lot of written information on it. There's also a similar thing denoting info about Myles Standish himself. --okieman1200 06:05, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Is the section about Grade deflation really NPOV? Where are the statistics. I mean I'm a student and I can tell you the rumors exist, but are they sufficient to write about here, I doubt it. --168.122.241.73 08:05, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

there was a boston globe article about it last year. i believe both the bu and bc student papers have published articles as well. Thepedestrian 21:30, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Campus and facilities

This section is getting quite well-developed, particularly the student housing parts (though more can probably be said about facilities -- Marsh Chapel, the GSU, the labs at the Photonics Center, for example). Should it be split off to a separate article, a la Boston University athletics? If so, Warren Towers should probably be merged in to the Boston University campus and facilities (or whatever title) article. — MC MasterChef :: Leave a tip — 08:56, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I have just added a little section about the Castle and the Pub. (CAS 2001, GRS 2004 here) I remember the tale of the castle from the campus tour, but i cannot find information to back it up. However, i still find it to be a bit of interesting info to be included. With the Castle section, i added a bit of info about the Pub as well (i think it is the only official on campus bar, correct me if i am wrong). I also added a more detailed description of the Bay State and South campus areas (i lived in the Common ground (156-8 BSR) and South Campus myself). Last time i visited campus, the new Hillel is going up. I wonder if it is finished yet. --Bud 06:54, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

the new hillel is definitely finished (i'm editing from Bay State Road right now). i'm not sure when it was completed, but i know it's been in operation for a while now.--Alhutch 06:58, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

thats cool. I liked that little patch of grass though. it gives a lot of light. There used to be a fountain there too, but was removed a while back. Oh god. i am getting old. Is the Common Ground renovated yet? It has been promised ti be redone ever since i started living there in 1998 (i lucked out and got a single there as a freshman). It is still kinda a mess when i left in 2000. BTW, i dont know why they called it Common ground house. Everyone seem to develop intense dislike of each other when i lived there. By the time i leave, no one talk to each other, LOL--Bud 07:49, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

i just read the BU official Hillel page. you guys got a JP Licks now? Damn i am jealous.--Bud 07:57, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

I highly doubt the common ground house has been redone. i'm at 172 bay state, so i walk by there a lot. yeah, JP licks right in the hillel, which is a pretty nice place. life is good on bay state road.--Alhutch 08:01, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

172 BSR.... Why is it so familar. i think i used to know someone there. We used to party a LOT in the French house (pre-renovation) and have weekly poker nights (where Poker is not really the main objective). ahhh. memories. So which school are you at?--Bud 08:05, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

172 is the russian house. I'm in CAS for history. what did you major in?--Alhutch 08:11, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

I did International Relations. BA IR 2001, MA IR/COM 2004. History, you got Keylor?--Bud 08:14, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

I haven't had Keylor, but I've heard very good things.--Alhutch 08:18, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

take him. you would LOVE it. I had him all through both my BA and my MA.--Bud 08:43, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

Now that come to think of it: what happened to the ORIGINAL Hillel? did they occupy both buildings or did BU took back the original Hillel for other purposes? (for those who don't know, the Original Hillel building is the one right next to the Castle to the direction of the beach)--Bud 05:47, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] BU ranking re: US news and World Report

I remember hearing that BU is never ranked high on the US news campus report because it is Bu policy not to fill out the form required by the magazine. I can never confirm it, if anyone know anthing about that, let me know. --Bud 06:54, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, there was an article in the Freep about this. I'll put in that info.Bwabes 04:58, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

The article was dated 20 September 2002. I don't think such old sources should be quoted on Wiki for articles like this, or if they are, the information from the source should be verified. The information on the article claims that the first 52 schools are considered top tier, while those after 52 are listed in alphabetical order. A quick look at the 2006 rankings shows that this is no longer true, and the rankings of schools make sense since schools fall into the general area they belong. One must remember that having a strictly objective hierarchy of schools is impossible.

Bud, in response to your query, U.S. News ranks schools according to criteria like: freshman retention rank, acceptance rate, graduation rates, financial resources, student-to-faculty ratio, freshman in top 10% of class etc. By comparing BU's numbers to the schools above it, one can easily see how its relative ranking comes about. Here are some statistics from the Princeton Review, which, in my experience, is far more reliable than U.S. News because they only list stats and do not establish a hierarchy:

Freshman retention rate: 91% (which is not very high compared to other top and/or more popular schools)

Acceptance rate: 57% (this is one statistic you will not likely come across on the BU campus. Most of the time, people talk about the 4000 out of 30000 applicants who ENROLL)

4-year graduation rate: 65%, 6-yr graduation rate: 77%

An endowment of slightly over $700 mil. While this is significantly large, it pales in comparison to the $1.2 bil of Boston College, the $1.4 bil of NYU, and, going further up the U.S.News list, the $3.5 bil of Rice, $12 bil of Yale and $25 bil of Harvard)

Student to faculty ratio: 12:1 (very large, compared to the single digit ratios of the higher ranked schools)

Freshman in top 10% of class: 58%

All these factors contribute towards pushing BU lower in the rankings. Of course, this has no implication on how good individual classes are. Also the Times Higher Education Supplement rankings, as well as the SJTU rankings are in their infancy and fundamentally flawed. THES seems to favor LARGE and historically well known schools. This is obvious since large schools typically have the most diverse student bodies who will spread the name of the university wherever they go in the world. THES bases its ranking very heavily on reputation and opinion rather than facts. This explains an upward jump of 45 places for Duke in one year, a WORLD ranking of 15 for UT-Austin and other such insane anomalies. For American schools, the best source of information is the Princeton Review. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 220.225.190.133 (talk • contribs) .

[edit] BU first's

I came across some interesting information about BU, do you think it should be added?

BU Was the First to... Open all its divisions to women (1872) Open a college of music in the United States (1873) Admit women to its medical college, the School of Medicine (1873) University in America to award Ph.D.s to women (1877) Offer a college degree in public relations (1947) Establish a combined six-year liberal arts/medical degree program (1961) Open a graduate school in dentistry (1963) Combine cancer research and a teaching laboratory (1965)

from College Prowler's guidebook, Boston University - Off the Record

[edit] International Standing

I threw in the secton on international standing, info from http://www.thes.co.uk/worldrankings/ and from Shanghai University: http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005TOP500list.htm

[edit] endowment

anybody have a reliable source for info about BU's endowment? I have heard from some places that it has shrunk a great deal since 2000. I just wanted to know if anyone could confirm that, or has any other info about the endowment, which is not mentioned in the article as far as I can see.--Alhutch 06:07, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] controversies

I advocate the placement of certain actions from the university that has caused controversy, including Silber's tenure, his pay, and his stance on certain social issues that has affected university policies during his time as President/Chancellor. These include the refusal to include Sexual Orientation in the non-discrimination clause and the disbanding of the gay staight alliance of the BU academy (an affiliated high school). --Bud 06:36, 30 January 2006 (UTC)

To be honest, Silber's controversial actions are enough to warrant an article of their own. I'm not sure I'd agree with placing them all within the BU article; a passing reference at key points would suffice. Pjorg 14:40, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Grade Deflation

Is the discussion on grade deflation NPOV? Do we have any sources for it? I know a lot of students think its happening, but what do we have to back it up for inclusion in the article? Metaomni 01:18, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

Grade deflation is not an official policy. Often, this is the result of faculty meetings and general administration directive, and up to the discretion of the professor. I dont think there would be an official memo for it. --Bud 05:54, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

I don't know if it's an official policy or not, but I can tell you that at the beginning of my psychology 101 class last semester, the professor told us that out of a class of 200, there were going to be about 15 A's awarded, because "we have grade deflation at BU." this stuff definitely happens, but I don't suppose it would be an official policy. How would one word such a policy? sounds difficult --Alhutch 05:58, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

I was there for 6 years. Many professors often tell the kids that there is only X-number of As available. Then they grade on the curve (so if 20 A are allocated, then the first 20, regardless of actual percentage, get A, and the rest get B, C and so on). Its not exactly unusual and not officially grade deflation.

In a way, i understands BU's view. Whats the worth of a cum laude/Magna cum Laude/Summa cum Laude if everyone gets one?--Bud 06:05, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

I've added an accuracy dispute box on the main page until we work this out. --Metaomni 19:52, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

The thing is we might never know if it is official or unofficial policy. All grad deflations are debatable and disputed. --Bud 20:55, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

I suppose my main objection to its inclusion in the present form is the unverifiability of it. All we have is a couple anecdotes about professors who said there was grade deflation. Whether it's "official" or "unofficial" is besides the point, as it's presented. Maybe we could change the language to something like "Many students believe..." or something along those lines? Unless we actually have some sort of verifiable information, it really ought not be included. --Metaomni 21:53, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

I did not add the section, and i dont know who did, actually. But i suggest getting the entire section out and add a article examining the idea of grade inflation. --Bud 00:55, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

I moved the information on grade deflation to Boston University grade deflation, removed the info from this page, and removed the dispute template. I also found the mentioned Boston Globe article and added it as a link on the new page. Metaomni 03:13, 10 February 2006 (UTC) There is an article on Grade deflation already. Maybe Grade deflation would be merged with that section.--Bud 22:54, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] History

I've added a section on History and have begun adding to it. This will take a while to flesh out, but I expect to address the question, posed some time ago, about what happened during the first half of the 20th century. Pzavon 03:58, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

On 4 March 84.151.195.184 added some material indicating that "some" had questioned the motives of the selection of the university's name and whether all the legal niceties were following in obtaining the charter. This, I think cries out for source attribution of one sort or another. Where is this information coming from? Pzavon 02:36, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

I agree, it doesn't sound like there's much backing that up. Do anyone know anything about this part of BU's history? I sure don't, but that addition sounds like speculation to me. --Dirk Gently 02:00, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Well, someone else removed it (along with a line about student housing problems). I've lived on campus for two years now and haven't really heard anything about that, so I guess it's fine to see both of those parts go. --Dirk Gently 23:56, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

mmmm.... it has been a while. Can someone finish the job? Much thanks. --Bud 12:30, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New Section: (virtual tour) seperate from campus and facilities

I am going to create a new sub-section under campus and facilities. before the sub section, i will describe the campus, and provide a general sktetch. Then in the new seb section i am going to provide a more detailed description of the East of Kenmore, Kenmore, East campus , West campus, Central campus, everything west of west campus, and South campuses,along with any distinctive landmarks, like the Citgo sign (Kenmore), the SMG (East), Warren Towers/Main Marsh Sq. buildings (central), StuVil and West Camp (west) and South campus. Each section of the campus would be divided into landmarks, notable buildings, and student housing facilities.

Sounds like an interesting idea. Will you be including landmarks like The Dugout?

By the way, I am undoing your change of the phrase "Boston businessmen" to "Bostonian businessmen" in the History section. The use of "Bostonian" is incorrect in this application, otherwise we would be talking about "Rhett, the Bostonian Terrier."

Pzavon 03:18, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

I plan to add all notable facilities, whether they belong to BU or not. I am a BU Grad myself (BA CAS 2001, MA GRS 2004) so i am pretty familiar with most places except the new rec center. The reason of making that "tour" is because BU is a very east-west oriented campus with very distinct areas. It would be helpful to take a visitor from east to west. Also, some of the buildings are relatively unknown unless you know where it is (For example, Danielson hall on Beacon is actually the eastern-most point of the campus, but unlesss you know people staying there, it is not known). --Bud 07:39, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Article removed from Wikipedia:Good articles

This article was formerly listed as a good article, but was removed from the listing because the first section says 'more to come'. Please list it once it's finished! Also suggest not including text like that in any case as it looks rather unprofessional. Worldtraveller 00:53, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] academic boosterism

Wikipedia:Avoid academic boosterism

I noticed nearly all of the rankings in this article concern BU's MBA program. Let me guess, other programs' rankings are not so complimentary?

If you are going to trash my school, at least have the ****s to leave a signature. The MBA program get a lot of attention because it is one of the frequently ranked discipline. Not many people rank their liberal art departments. --Bud 02:49, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

According to the gradschool finder website, BU's economics department ranks in the top 20 for PhD, and biomedical engineering is ranked 4th in the country. I do not know how reliable of a source this is, I do know that the biomed engineering department is highly regarded, as are the departments in economics and international realtions (so much so that there is talk of a school of international relations forming). The college of communications is also highly regarded, and as the oldest methodist seminary in the county, the school of theology also carries serious weight. Where can actually ranking be found? I'm not sure. Ranking schools of theology, communications, and individual departments does not sell very many magazines.

[edit] What does "Research University" mean?

I see that Alhutch has modified the initial description of BU to call it a "research university" rather than simply a "university." It seems to me that this adds sylables but not information. I would have thought that any university in the US, at least, would be involved in research with government and foundation funding, etc. I've attended three universities and taught (as Adjunct Faculty) at two others. I've also dealt with staff and some facultywho were based at other universities. My impression was that research was conducted at all and that calling an institution a "research university" was about as useful as declaring a high school to be a "teaching high school." Comments invited. Pzavon 02:30, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

i have no idea what it means... seemed like the proper thing to call it at the time, probably doesn't mean anything... forgive me, and feel free to remove it.--Alhutch 02:32, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

This is most likely a reference to the institution's Carnegie Classification. --ElKevbo 06:20, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

A research university is one that engages in research and not only teaching. Many colleges - especially smaller liberal arts schools - around the US do not engage in a significant amount of research and are dedicated solely to teaching undergraduate students. A research university must offer doctoral degrees and be engaged in significant research. Delphi53 13:59, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

All very well, but a University is not a college. All universities offer advanced degrees and engage in both research and teaching. Pzavon 00:16, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Not all universities have extensive PhD or research programs. Smallers ones like St. Lawrence University, and even prestigious schools like Boston College, and Tufts Univeristy have very small PhD programs. Like many other universities, research is a central part of what goes on at BU Significantly more money was spent this year (and every year) on research and research facilities, and there are currently well over 100 PhD candidates, and almost 100 more MD candidates studying at BU right now. The same could be said for Umass or Harvard. This distinguishes BU as a research university and should be added because it is central to what the school is.

[edit] Why Remove Campus Trolly photo

User 216.236.252.235 has twice removed the photo of the Campus Trolly and its background without leaving any indication of why he/she thinks its presence is inappropriate. Does anyone have any constructive thoughts on why it might be inappropriate in this article? Pzavon 02:58, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Because it adds nothing to the article. It is not a landmark, by any means, on campus, nor is it visually pleasing. If you are going to post pictures, post pictures that show the actual buildings and scenery that is important to the campus, not an arbitrary food stand next to a parking lot on Comm. Ave.

The message above was posted on 21 September, quite a long time after the question was posted. So I want to ask the responder, who was using an annonymous form of access, whether he has a connection with the BU campus that would lead to his understanding the place of that small structure? So far this is the only image offered that provides any view, if only in background, of the original buildings that were built circa 1938. It is also a clearly noticable structure for many who pass there, whether connected to BU or not. Pzavon 21:35, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Campus Housing

Is it just me, or does the section on campus housing look overwhelming? It's nice that we have so much information, but it really needs to be broken down into headings, if you ask me. Pjorg 15:04, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Or, perhaps better in the long run, create a short summary section here and a separate article dealing specifically with campus housing facilities at BU. The whole BU article is getting rather long and I believe other parts will eventually benefit also by being moved to separate articles, leaving shorter summaries in the main article. Pzavon 16:49, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. I created a new article and toned down the size in this one. Pjorg 21:01, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

Nicely done, except for that one slip from NPOV, which I've fixed. Pzavon 04:02, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Info Box getting long

Pjorg has updated the info box with such information as the names of the current President and Vice-President of the Student Body. That seems rather ephemeral to me, and inappropriate for this location. Will Pjorg undertake to update this part of the article after each student government election? If not, I would suggest that this infomration belongs elsewhere, perhaps in a section or article on Student Government at BU.

In general the info box seems to be getting longer and longer. Are we adding items that are non-standard for a University Info Box? Should this be a more limited entry? Requesting comments for more experienced Editors.

Pzavon 16:57, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

These are fields that appear in the infobox template, so I assumed that there was already a consensus that this information was pertinent. I have no problem updating the box on a yearly basis, but even if I didn't there's certainly a healthy editor community here on this article; I'm sure someone would take care of it.

In any case, I'll certainly abide by whatever we decide here amongst ourselves. Pjorg 17:11, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

In my opinion not every field in the template necessarily needs to be used. But I guess my main concern is aesthetics - the box is getting to be too long for the section it resides in. Some of the most recently added lines contribute double to that since the titles take two lines. (and why are they in red?) In fact, if they are to remain, those lines should be even longer. I think the year of office should be shown if you are going to list a student body president.

Pzavon 17:08, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Academic Standards

I've been trying to find a citation for this information, and it's occurred to me that it only applies to CAS. This further led me to realize that all the colleges and schools individually dictate standards - I don't believe there are any university-wide regulations to this end.

Am I wrong? Pjorg 07:11, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

I doubt that you are. Sometimes diffrerent departments set different standards, particularly in such a large school as the CAS. BTW, the castle tale, as i said, is lore, and is repeated many many times on campus tours. No one can tell if it is true or not.--Bud 23:07, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

RE: The Castle, I don't think that's correct. I recall reading in Kilgore's book the specifics vis-à-vis the construction of the house, but am waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail. When I figure it out, I'll post a citation. Pjorg 03:04, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Goldin Fiasco

I've just completed an article on the failed presidency of Dan Goldin. Where do you think is the appropriate place to add this to the BU article? Pjorg 06:17, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Nice article. It provides me with a much better view of what happened as all I had before was the completely uninformative letter to alumni announcing that Goldin had withdrawn. I don't see a really good place to link this to the main article at the moment, but I am going to add a list of the University's presidents in the article very soon and will expand the history section further. That will provide a reasonable place for a link. In the meantime, your article should be included in the BU category. Pzavon 15:41, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Talk Page - BU Student Template

I've created a BU Student template for those that are interested: Template:User BU-Student -Pjorg 11:06, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Please add an alumni one too.--Bud 17:39, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Here you are: Template:User BU-Alumnus and Template:User BU-Alumna. Pjorg 20:29, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Arena Appearances

Sorry, but I don't think that we need to list recent appearances at the Arena in the BU article.

Perhaps this would be more appropriate on the Agganis Arena page?

No one seems to have objected, so I made the changes. -Pjorg 15:37, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dan Goldin

I feel like we should have some mention of the Dan Goldin issue in the article. While such a mention would properly occur in a complete narrative history of the University, since we've not yet managed to accomplish that, perhaps placing him in the table with the other presidents would suffice as a stop-gap measure? -Pjorg 15:38, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

I am sure Goldin would be mentioned in the History section when we are done with it, but the section has been stalled for quite some time now.--Bud 19:48, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

If you look at the BU category page listing, you will see what I think is a rather good article covering the Goldin "Presidency" I believe Bud001 wrote it, and I intend to link to it when I (or someone else) bring the general history to that point. I don't think it would be appropriate to list Goldin as a President of the University. I've had too much on my plate elsewhere to forcefully move the history section forward recently, but hope to spend some time this weekend on parts of that. Pzavon 02:23, 26 May 2006 (UTC)

i am flattered, but i did not write it. I thought you did.--Bud 03:38, 26 May 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, I should have looked at the history of the article before responding. Pjorg wrote it. Pzavon 02:21, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Grade Deflation

I expanded the bit on grade deflation since there was an article today in the New York Times on the issue at BU specifically. I have every expectation that this contribution will be edited mercilessly to make sure everyone's satisfied with the language - so have at it.

Also, there's some kind of problem because the next subheader for "Rankings" isn't rendering. Does anyone know what's going on?

-Pjorg 00:59, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Article getting too large

It seems that we're rapidly approaching the 40k threshold, so it's probably time to step back and figure out what's the next thing to be moved to its own article. I'm in favor of tackling the CSC part - good information, but a little too detailed for the main BU page. -Pjorg 04:41, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps a History of Boston University article would be warranted? Also, the "Campus and facilities" section is quite long... -- Jonel | Speak 04:50, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Correct on both counts, but both of those sections are fairly weak—the history is missing large portions of time. I think it's a better strategy to create new articles where we know we can make it fairly complete.

Of course, both of those topics do warrent their own articles, but no one has yet taken on the ominious task of researching and writing them. The history will be especially hard to do, but it's sorely needed. -Pjorg 04:55, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I hope to find time this weekend to add to the history, but the current structure really calls for history to be interleaved with the listings of the various schools and colleges, so if I write it I don't think the separate history section will get much larger.

What do you think of moving the Student Publications into its own article, with more added on discontinued publications of some note, such as The BU News and the yearbooks?

Pzavon 17:18, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Re: Article too Large

I had originally made the CSC it's own page with a link, but at the time i didn't have enough information. If people think it could stand on its own with just a link on the BU page I'm all for moving it!--okieman1200 06:31, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Warren Towers: not so big

I know that we here at BU like to think that we're the biggest and baddest, Warren towers is not actually the largest dorm in the US. A simple check of the BU housing website (http://www.bu.edu/housing/residences/largedorms/warren.html) lists its capacity at 1797. And I won't even get into the argument over whether or not Warren Towers is actually 3 dorms or not. In any case, the Jester Center at University of Texas at Austin houses 2,945 (http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/?site=1&scode=4&id=140), which is quite a bit more. I'm fixing all the pages that make reference to this. --Michael 21:09, 29 September 2006 (UTC)