General Studies and The Harvard of the South

[Daryl Zero]

Word for word from the UM spirit board (including the title):

General Studies and The Harvard of the South

The idea of Ole Miss as the Harvard of the South was just an arrogant dream until Jim Barksdale came along. Now any genius can get as fine an education at Ole Miss as he or she can stand. What a fine thing that is.

But, as long as Ole Miss is a public institution, it must answer to the needs of Mississippians handicapped by a failing public school system.

And that means, among other things, the General Studies degree that Nutt apparently had to drag out of the administration and which needs to be implemented immediately.

There can be the Barksdale Institute, and there can be recognition of duties owed to people like Jerral Powe, who would have been left in Waynesboro, but for Ole Miss being willing to serve all Mississippians.

Now, he will be a millionaire Ole Miss alum, like Michael Oher, and we almost lost them both because the same pinheads in Oxford who fought against a General Studies program.

If they drag their feet again, Nutt should call them out publically -- for the good of Ole Miss in general, not just the football team.

This is just my opinion, which is what I thought these boards were for. It is a most humble opinion.

But, I will be around to defend it.

--------And one of the replies:

I agree. One of the beauties of Ole Miss now (IMO),

is that you can get an outstanding and demanding education if that is what you want (Honors College, Croft, etc.), or you can pursue a relatively easy path and still get a college degree.

 

[graddawg]

While I agree with the idea that any public school probably needs a program like General Studies, I simply cannot believe anyone associated with Ole Miss thinks the term "Harvard of the South" has a single shred of legitimacy to it. The poster had it right when he said "just an arrogant dream."

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

if you want. That will never make the school Harvard. Harvard isn't about the level of education. It's about the connections you make. And the fact that you have a diploma that says Harvard.

 

[colodawg]

At MSU it is spelled "publicly" not "publically"

 

[OEMDawg]

Weren't those douchebags ragging on MSU players who majored in Interdisciplanary Studies just a few years ago?

 

[graddawg]

I'm still now sure how the addition of a General Studies program really helps the football team, or any other sport. Do Ole Miss fans think recruits are choosing Mississippi State over them because of our Interdisciplinary Studies program? They don't suffer from a large number academic casualties once kids make it to school so it's not like this program will save them in that regard.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

We're only the "Cornell of the South"

 

[paindonthurt_]

At least according to wikipedia and payscale.com.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...issippi_State_University

I believe i've also read where entering freshman have a higher average ACT score than OM.

What I can't figure out is............

A. Do you wanna be the top party school?

or

B. Do you wanna be known for academic excellence?

I don't think you can have it both ways.

 

[jakldawg]

some cupcake "football major" they nudge their big time athletes towards. Everybody does it. When you watch a football game and notice "boy, that's a lot of guys majoring in ____" that's the one.
Here's an article about it. And a brief editorial.

 

[graddawg]

that they do, and it's Fitness Management.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

Vanderbilt, Duke, Millsaps, Rice, Southern Methodist, Emory and others to include Mississippi. Mississippi is different from the others by the fact that the others are private institutions (as is Harvard). Oh and the fact that the others listed are all nationally respected academically while Mississippi is not so much. The others listed would have never allowed an admitted illiterate like Jerrell Powe to enroll.

 

[codeDawg]

"The Harvard of the South" is it. UM and MSU are literally 3rd tier institutions</a>[url="http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings/c_final_tier+3/state+Any+TN"]. In Forbes' list, they are ranked <a target="_blank" title="slightly behind" href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/94/colleges-09_Americas-Best-Colleges_State_12.html">slightly behind[/url] MSU. Any attempt by UM to try to say that UM is is significantly better than MSU in any way is laughable at best. There are some things they will have and do better with. There are things that we will have and do better with, but in the scheme of things, we are very much the same.

 

[Hammer of the Dogs]

that they do, and it's Fitness Management.

I thought they called it "Civil Engineering".

 

[Henry Kissinger]

i'm a state fan, and i loved my time at ole miss. i would say that overall state was a little harder. the biology for majors was harder at ole miss, but the physics and organic were much easier. i think that's to be expected. the liberal arts classes at ole miss weren't hard for the most part, but there were a couple professors in each department who were tough. you could get a degree without doing much of anything, or you could work hard. i imagine it's like that at most places. the honors college did provide a lot of opportunities that aren't available to most students elsewhere. that's the biggest difference.

 

[monkey11508.sixpack]

It would be "pubiclly"