Campus: A Shout-out to My Mustangs

We’re known for the gravy, but stay for the salad.

 Believe it or not, it’s not always easy being a UWO alum (or, a Mustang, as we’re affectionately known), and it’s not just because I’m cornered by UBC, SFU, UVic, and (to a very small extent) UFV.

Last weekend, the Mustangs football team (previously ranked number one in Canada) was given a righteous spanking by the Queen’s Golden Gaels (I know… I have no idea what their name means, either), 37-0, and fell back to earth.

Additionally, when I left for Western in the summer of 2005, UWO was ranked third in the country of all big universities (behind a two-way tie for first between McGill and U of T) in Maclean’s magazine’s annual rankings.

(*I don’t know what Western is ranked this year, even though they’ve just been released, because I’ve stopped reading the mag’s university issue altogether.)

Since then, UWO has fallen down between sixth and tenth, depending on how Maclean’s feels. It’s fallen behind Calgary, Ottawa, and even come close to Manitoba, while UBC and the University of Alberta have continued to rise.

There have been rumours of UWO declining to release their stats for Maclean’s, and this gives me some comfort (after all, how can a school that’s been around since 1878 with a crystal-blue, sparkling reputation for academic and professional ownage drop from third to eighth in one, or two, years?)

Still, it didn’t help to see UWO sliding further-and-further down the chain, and that whole, “It’s just Maclean’s” argument stopped meaning anything. Only a bad carpenter blames his tools, after all.

Of course, it became more believable when Queen’s started dropping, and others around it.

That would be like not recognizing Sauder as a part of UBC, or Osgoode Hall as a part of York.

That said, I was shot back to my Ivory Tower today, courtesy of the Globe and Mail. It seems, for students, UWO may just be the best school in Canada:

———-

Recreation and Athletics: A+ (1st)
Student Residences: A- (1st)
Buildings and Facilities: A (1st)
Quality of Teaching and Learning: A- (1st)
Most Satisfied Students: A- (1st)
Course Registration: A- (1st)
Work-Play Balance: A- (1st)
Campus Atmosphere: A (1st)
Class Size: B+ (T-1st)
Libraries: A- (T-1st)
Student-Faculty Interaction: B+ (T-1st)
Instructors’ Teaching Style: B+ (T-1st)
Academic Counselling: B+ (T-1st)
Research Opportunities: B (T-1st)
—–
Career Preparation: B+ (T-2nd)
Environmental Commitment: B (T-2nd)
Best Reputation with Employers: A (T-3rd)
City Satisfaction: B+ (T-5th)
Information Technology: B (T-8th)

The athletics, rec, residences, buildings, and student satisfaction are not surprising. Have you ever heard of Saugeen, Homecoming, or the Ceeps?

What is surprising is how high UWO ranks in career prep, reputation with employers and teaching styles and class sizes, given that Maclean’s rankings normally vote the opposite.

Additionally, it’s surprising that “City Satisfaction” has UWO at a tie for 5th, considering that London is generally regarded as one of (if not the best of) Canada’s top uni locales.

And, really, I have no idea what Information Technology means…

Way to go, You-Dub. Way to go.