Maclean’s Magazine has released its 2020 university rankings, placing Carleton fifth on the comprehensive ranking and third on the student satisfaction survey.
The comprehensive ranking is broken down into several subcategories, which include student services, scholarships and bursaries, grants, and operating budget.
The student satisfaction survey is also broken down into several subcategories, which include promoting Indigenous visibility, steps to prevent sexual assault, extracurricular activities, and residence living.
Each subcategory under the overall rankings receive their own number rankings.
There are positives to university ranking lists similar to that found in Maclean’s. Potential students can use them during their research on the various institutions, or serve as a check and balance on universities underperforming in important areas.
However, no matter how comprehensive the research that goes into compiling these lists is, it is important to keep in mind that it is impossible to accurately report each student and faculty member’s experiences at these institutions.
For example, Maclean’s added the “promoting Indigenous visibility” category to this year’s list in response to a recommendation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Ten years ago, Indigenous students’ experience at an institution like Carleton would have been left out. This shows the lack of imperviousness these rankings have to leaving out certain perspectives which affect students’ experiences at their institutions.
There is also the possibility that institutions who rank highly on these lists will use them as a “get-out-of-jail-free card” when it comes to answering for their shortcomings.
It is important for university administrations to see these rankings objectively, and not as their be-all and end-all report card with a high score.
File photo.
