Sports: Spartan football upset Wash. & Jeff (pg. 11)
the
Observer
friday, september 23, 2022 volume LIV, issue 5 estd. 1969
CWRU falls to No.44 in 2022-2023 US News rankings Nihal Manjila Staff Writer
The U.S. News and World Report recently announced its 2022–2023 National University rankings, placing Case Western Reserve University at No. 44, tied with Brandeis University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and Tulane University. This is a small drop from the No. 42 ranking CWRU held the previous year. A total of 443 universities are considered in the rankings, placing CWRU in the top 10% of considered universities. The methodology used to determine the university ranking accounts for several different factors, including “Graduation and Retention Rates,” “Social Mobility,” “Graduation Rate Performance,” “Undergraduate Academic Reputation,” “Faculty Resources” in the previous year, “Student Selectivity” for the previous year’s entering class and more. Each category is defined by a number of different metrics, which are outlined further in the U.S. News and World Report website. Students and professors have had varied reactions to this change in ranking. “We are motivated by interacting with students, not by a ranking,” said Dr. Nicole Crown, an assistant professor of biology. “It changes nothing about how we teach.” She then explained that parents see the ranking as an indicator of what university they should send their children to, and that administrators see the ranking as indicative of how competitive a university will be when it comes to student admissions. “I think education is far more about the relationships you develop and the mentoring you receive,” said Dr.
Crown. When asked about what students should look for when applying to college, she said, “It’s worth applying to schools based on if you want to go there or not, then decide based on factors like tuition.” The nursing program rose to No. 5 from its No. 10 in the previous year, and is now tied with University of Washington, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Ohio State University. “Students from our program are very successful,” said Dr. Beverly Capper, the Director of the BSN Program at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at CWRU. “We have great faculty that support them in their learning.” The nursing program also benefited from the move to the Health Education Campus (HEC), giving it access to state-of-the-art labs. “There is much more space and technology to do the skill labs,” said Dr. Capper. “We do a lot of collaborative experiences with medical and dental students and social workers.” The nursing program also offers students the opportunity to gain around 1,300 clinical hours beginning in their first semester at CWRU. “We care very much that they have the skills to go in and practice safely,” said Dr. Capper when asked about the goals of the program. The engineering school remained at No. 45, with many of the other program rankings hidden behind a paywall. CWRU also holds the No. 22 ranking in Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects, tied with Agnes Scott College, Bowdoin College, Dartmouth College, Hope College and
With the release of the U.S. News and World Report’s 2022-2023 National University Rankings this fall, CWRU falls from No. 42 (2021) to No. 44 (2022). Zhuoqing Song Swarthmore College. This ranking was determined by the results of a peer assessment survey conducted by U.S. News of college presidents, provosts and deans, in which they were asked to nominate 15 schools that demonstrated excellence in the category. “I don’t think it changes the quality of my education, but it slightly changes my view of the school,” said fourth-year psychology major Gianluca Baglioni. When asked if he kept up with CWRU’s ranking after he began
attending college, Baglioni responded, “Not anymore, but I remember back in high school I looked at college rankings.” As with any ranking system, it is always important to understand the methodology and that no ranking is definitive—all of them prioritize certain factors over others in ways that can be nebulous. The U.S. News university rankings should not be the sole factor in determining what school to attend.
Euclid Avenue Starbucks undergoes renovations through the end of the month Cameron Ward Staff Writer We have reached every student’s favorite season: there’s a cool breeze, golden leaves are floating onto the ground and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks. Nevertheless, students looking to get their quick pickme-up on their way to the Case Quad have been unable to since mid-August, when the Euclid Avenue Starbucks closed for renovations. Luckily for those missing their coffee, however, the store is planning on reopening by the end of the month after receiving a necessary remodeling. According to workers on site, the renovations were well overdue. They said that the store manager had been very eager for the renovations, calling them a “much-needed” overhaul of the store. It is normal for a retail or commercial space to be updated every few years or so, and it seems this Starbucks store had been delaying its routine facelift. The renovation is good news, and not just for cosmetics, either; all of the equipment will receive an overhaul too, meaning there will be better coffee and smoother service for customers. As to exactly what changes are being made, almost all aspects of the store are seeing shifts. The store is looking to improve efficiency with new machines and updated workspaces for
CWRU students can look forward to the Euclid Avenue Starbucks reopening on Sept. 30 after undergoing extensive renovations. Chris Heerman/The Observer baristas. To accomplish this, there will be a second workroom added, which will hopefully decrease preparation time and improve efficiency, and the bar space is going to see expansion as well, allowing the baristas more room to work. All the shiny new equipment will be dispersed across these spaces.
For customers, the experience will also be changed with new seating arrangements (such as window seats), tables and a new door placement. For those of us who don’t care what the store looks like and just want our coffee back, relief is on the way. The renovations on the infrastructural side
should be done by next Wednesday, barring any supply or shipping delays. The space will then be handed back to Starbucks for the finishing touches, with a projected reopening date of Friday, Sept. 30. I’ll be fine as long as they open before it’s Peppermint Mocha season.