JMU Football Stadium Upgrade....

[JustinG]

size != prestige

# of Undergraduate Students
University of Illinois - 30k
Harvard University - 7k

People may eventually have heard of your school but that doesn't mean they're automatically going to respect it.

but dont you think they will respect it more if they have heard of it, compared to a school youve never even heard of?

And Ivy League schools are the exception to the Size=Prestige argument.

[Feersty]

the bigger the school gets the more our degree is worth

HA! That's funny.

its true in some respect, in state our degree is worth the same amount as the bigger instate schools. Go out of state and no one has heard of us. the Bigger our school gets the better our name gets out, giving our degree pull in states other than VA.

True that. Our athletics aren't on TV with that much frequency either. A lot of people have never heard of JMU, and I have to explain where it is, but everyone has heard of VT and UVA, because they are on TV, and representatives of the school can be seen anywhere in the U.S. on your television.

[CaptainHenreh]

You guys are nuts. If you go to an accredited school that doesn't totally suck, nobody gives a shit if you went to VT, JMU, GMU, or frickin' Miskatonic University.

If you think that the school you went to makes shit for difference in the real world, you're a retard.

Your program of study, your competence, your resume and experience will make far, far, more difference than what damn school you went to.

[JustinG]

You guys are nuts. If you go to an accredited school that doesn't totally suck, nobody gives a shit if you went to VT, JMU, GMU, or frickin' Miskatonic University.

If you think that the school you went to makes shit for difference in the real world, you're a retard.

Your program of study, your competence, your resume and experience will make far, far, more difference than what damn school you went to.

so when starting off, first job after college, i wouldnt have more open doors if my BBA was from Wharton?

I do agree that when getting a job after you have been in the workforce for a while, experience out weighs your degree though. But im simply speaking of starting off, first job evar.

[Evan]

the problem with major growth in a school is that they usually have to lower standards to fill the seats. thats what lowers the reputation of a school, so if anything JMU growing is going to lower the rep not raise it.

VT is a good example of a school that took advantage of its football program to increase its academic reputation and selectivity.
FSU is the counterpoint. Its a huge school, academics absolutely suck, and they accept anyone in who is not currently in jail.

[JustinG]

well this may only be for College of Business, but they have raised to standards for getting in twice since ive been here. 2.5 when i started, 2.75 overall GPA for last years freshmen, 2.8 GPA in geneds and 2.8 GPA in pre reqs. for next years freshmen. I definately see your point though evan, i can see it easier to get into the university, but hard to get into specific colleges. General Studies degree in the works?????

[Jewels]

You guys are nuts. If you go to an accredited school that doesn't totally suck, nobody gives a shit if you went to VT, JMU, GMU, or frickin' Miskatonic University.

If you think that the school you went to makes shit for difference in the real world, you're a retard.

Your program of study, your competence, your resume and experience will make far, far, more difference than what damn school you went to.

so when starting off, first job after college, i wouldnt have more open doors if my BBA was from Wharton?

I do agree that when getting a job after you have been in the workforce for a while, experience out weighs your degree though. But im simply speaking of starting off, first job evar.

Actually, for his first job out of college, they didn't care where he went to college. They didn't even generally look at recent college grads, fortunately for Rex, he had an excellent Resume. They told him that they really went out on a limb for him and they have never regretted it. So basically it doesn't matter what school you get your degree from, people want to see that you are going to work hard, and you show them that by doing lots of internships, not just the one that's required. You get a lowly job for the summer working for a company that is in your field and you work hard so you have references that aren't just your professors. Believe me, I know this as I did not follow this path and now I am a secretary for a Heating and A/C company.

[Apoc]

so when starting off, first job after college, i wouldnt have more open doors if my BBA was from Wharton?

I do agree that when getting a job after you have been in the workforce for a while, experience out weighs your degree though. But im simply speaking of starting off, first job evar.

The school only matters if you're trying to get a ridiculous job out of school (like investment banker) or you went to an Ivy Leaguer. The school I went to came up exactly zero times in all the jobs I've had since college, including the first one. GPA and activities matter more than the actual school does because they show commitment.

[JustinG]

GPA and activities matter more than the actual school does because they show commitment.

If thats the case.....UH OH hock:

[Ginger]

I'm glad somebody mentioned prestige schools. If you're holding an econ degree from the University of Chicago, where all good things come from, as opposed to one from VT, well, you know. By and large, though, the majority of the time it's about what's already been said.

A lot of high dollar businesses have GPA requirements for recent grads - it's pretty interesting when you look around.

[Dave]

I didn't click the link, but I'm all for fixing what is broken before trying to make JMU bigger. I didn't support the new stadium for our shitty team, so I certainly am not going to support more funding to make it even bigger. They cut a bunch of really good varsity teams at our school in the name of "equality", but it all boils down to the fact that they wanted to have more money to throw at the big name sports. I, personally, feel that JMU is trying too hard to be a big school, where they were perfect as a mid-size school.

[ScottyB]

JMU is trying too hard to be a big school, where they were perfect as a mid-size school.

i would have to agree. if i wanted to go to tech i would have gone to tech. i liked JMU's smaller size.

[Jewels]

JMU is trying too hard to be a big school, where they were perfect as a mid-size school.

i would have to agree. if i wanted to go to tech i would have gone to tech. i liked JMU's smaller size.

You know that's kinda how I felt about Radford. People always said you go to Radford because you couldn't get into Tech. I was like no, Tech is too big of a school for me, I never even applied there. I like midsized schools, and Radford, and JMU are two really good ones. But Harrisonburg has not embraced JMU like Blacksburg has VT because JMU is getting too big too quick and the community can't stop it because its state backed funding.

[Evan]

But Harrisonburg has not embraced JMU

understatement of the year. :o

[HAULN-SS]

Harrisonburg pretty much hasn't embraced anything. They hate the hospital as well. I think they just don't want to be known for anything other than small town charm or something.

[ScottyB]

small town charm or something.

"when the wind blows south, we smell like chicken shit. that's southern charm!" :lol:

i like parts of harrisonburg but i think as far as the town hating JMU, it probably has alot to do with college kids being college kids.

[CaptainHenreh]

Harrisonburg pretty much hasn't embraced anything. They hate the hospital as well. I think they just don't want to be known for anything other than small town charm or something.

The only hate the hospital because of where it's being put. Everyone knew it needed to be bigger, but the infrastructure (read: fucking roads in HBurg) aren't there to support it. That's what everyone's problem was.

The layout of harrisonburg sucks, and there's no money to really fix the problem. So instead JMU sprawls out, the hospital gets put smack on between two over-capacity roads as it is, and oh, traffic won't be a problem, we'll just put up more stoplights (and not time them for shit.)

[HAULN-SS]

I guess i'm just thinking of Hburg compared to roanoke. Carillion came in, everyone loved them, and now they give hundreds of people jobs, and pretty much own half of downtown (all the land between the two hospitals is now Carillion owned)

[CaptainHenreh]

Well, the other part of the problem is how JMU has chosen to expand. Buying up half of downtown and "eminent domain"ing the other half isn't exactly going to endear you to the locals.

[Goodspeed]

over-capacity roads as it is, and oh, traffic won't be a problem, we'll just put up more stoplights (and not time them for shit.)

Thats how it is now, its positively retarded. Cross-walks will only let you walk once for every two times it used to I've found, and when you want to make a left turn into campus...oh, you can't, cause traffic is too backed up to let you through. I really want to know what in the hell they think is going to happen.