Monday August 27, 2001 |

Arizona Daily Wildcat

University now ranked 5th in national survey

This year, the UA slipped from No. 1 "jock school" to No. 5 in the Princeton Review's annual survey. The Wildcat asked students, "How does the ranking reflect on the university?"

	"The better we're ranked, the better we look. We're just out here trying to do our best." - Andy Nuessle family studies junior football player
	"I don't think (the ranking) really matters. We have great athletes. I don't think the rank has anything to do with how we are doing." - Alli Hirohata undeclared freshman cheerleader
	"I think it might be a good thing. This way there will be a bigger emphasis on the student part of student-athlete. The university's main focus is academics. But (the ranking) doesn't reflect how hard (athletes are) working." - Aaron Powell biology freshman track and field athlete
	"I think the drop makes (the university) look better. As the 'jock ranking' goes down, our campus intelligence goes up." - Stephanie Beigle undeclared freshman

The UA, which in 1999 was ranked the nation's No. 1 "jock school," has now slipped to No. 5 in a national survey conducted by the Princeton Review.

The ranking comes as a surprise to some, considering the University of Arizona has finished in the top ten in the NCAA Division I Sears' Directors' Cup Standings for eight consecutive years and recently came in No. 5.

Michael Bell, an undeclared freshman football player, doesn't think the jock ranking is very important.

"Being called a jock school only makes us look bad," Bell said, questioning how the ranking is determined. "I don't think it really reflects the university."

The Princeton Review randomly surveys 65,000 students with 70 questions about their school.

On the Review's Web site, one UA student surveyed said, "Intramural sports teams are big and very good. People get very involved with teams, especially the NCAA basketball champs."

Another said, "There is a tremendous amount of community spirit and support."

The UA was beat out in the "jock" category by Pennsylvania State University - which came in No. 1 - the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Notre Dame.

In addition to its ranking as a "jock school," the UA made the top 20 in several categories including "students pack the stadiums," "college newspaper gets read," "town-grown relations are good," "students from different backgrounds interact" and "everyone plays intramural sports."

Students who responded to the survey said greek life is also popular.

One student found, "Sometimes it's harder to get to know someone who is in the greek system if you are not in it."

Another student commented, "The greek system tends to be a bit exclusive."

Arizona State University beat out the UA in the category of "College newspaper gets read" with a No. 3 ranking, but the school also came in on the top of lists such as "professors make themselves scarce," "teaching assistants teach too many upper-level courses," and "class discussions rare."

The Princeton Review, which has no connection with Princeton University, is a division of Random House publishers, a New York-based company.