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Thursday, January 20, 2005
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SNAPSHOTS FROM HOME
FROM TODAY'S GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER " They blew it last year. The most applications in GW history and instead of cutting down on the number they accepted, they took the largest class ever, and dropped GW's ranking to 52nd in the nation. Now, with the recently announced drop in Early Decision I applications, we're seeing the long-term results of decisions that put profits ahead of prestige. ... [George Washington] University officials should be spending less time giving themselves pay raises and more time considering the best interests of the students. For example, in 2004, President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg was one of 13 university presidents making more than $600,000 a year. Instead of allowing himself to be put into the ranks of the highest paid university officials in the nation, he should be more concerned with putting his students into one of the highest ranked Universities in the country. While Trachtenberg has gotten pay raises every year since 2001, GW has managed to drop lower in rank. Then again, maybe that's because there's a correlation between his pay and the number of student applications. "(Trachtenberg) added that his salary is determined based on the quality of GW's management, the number of freshman applications and the value of the University's endowment" (GW Hatchet, Nov. 22, 2004). So basically every time GW takes more students - and incidentally lowers its selectivity rating - Trachtenberg earns a pay raise. Well, that may no longer be an issue. This year Early Decision I applications dropped by almost 200, to around 950. If it turns out that GW's dropping rank is making potential students look to other places, will anything be done? If regular decision application numbers also drop, will President Trachtenberg take a pay cut? Is anything at all being done to attempt to bring GW back up after this year's slip to 52nd in the nation? " |