Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilTau
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Here's what I said within the comment you quoted:
"The average undergraduate at every university in the UT System is receiving an undergraduate education comparable to that they would get at UT-Austin. There are a few exceptional undergraduate programs at UT-Austin, but the quality level at UT-Austin does not begin to separate out until graduate and post graduate programs are taken into consideration."
I used the specific phrase "undergraduate education comparable to." I did not say they "deliver the same education." I stand by my original comment.
Interestingly, a cogent argument can be made that the AVERAGE (not Sally-the-genius-that-should-have-gone-to-Rice) undergraduate student may actually receive a better academic experience and outcome at a branch university for each of the following reasons --
1) Survey classes smaller than 200+ students.
2) Smaller class size in general with lower level undergraduate courses likely taught by tenure track faculty.
3) Fewer classes taught by graduate assistants.
4) More focus on teaching undergraduates vs. research funding. (Nobel laureates and other "award-winning faculty" do not teach the typical undergraduate. They don't have the time because they are usually principal investigators on multiple research contracts with the university.)
5) Accessibility of tenured faculty (not just teaching assistants) to undergraduates during office hours.
6) Accessibility and admission to a competitive major that may otherwise be closed to the average undergraduate student at UT-Austin.
7) A better chance to attain higher class standing and academic honors making them more competitive in job seeking or graduate school applications than a middle-of-the-pack UT-Austin baccalaureate.
8) Cost.
UT-Austin is a great university deserving of its university reputation. Those who are mature enough to make it through the distractions and to obtain a bachelor's degree within four years should be commended for the accomplishment. The point I was making in the comment you reference was on a discussion about UT-Austin undergraduates thinking of themselves as being special or entitled. Again, they are not.
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#1-#7 are pure speculation on your part but would not sully UT's superiority versus the branches were they proven true. On #8, UTD and UT Arlington have similar tuition as the flagship while the other branches have nominally lower tuition. The UT branches do not provide a comparable education to the flagship as evidenced by any ranking imaginable, including starting salaries for graduates.
What you might mean to have implied in all of this is that a branch might be a better fit for certain students versus attending the flagship and to that, I would agree.
As for UT students being entitled, I can't speak to that but I can say that many of them are looked upon as special when compared to the majority of applicants that don't secure admission but really wanted to attend. My niece was one of them! but I think she's pretty special anyway...(I'm totally biased, I know).