MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: Wareagle on May 13, 2009, 05:29:03 PM

Title: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Wareagle on May 13, 2009, 05:29:03 PM
As a graduate of both UW and MU, Badger Nation's all too familiar "superior academic standards" argument is flatout ridiculous. 

There is a standard path for UW athletes at the school to guarantee they stay eligible and minimize their studying time.  Ask any student there about "rocks for jocks" or "clap for credit" and they will be able to give you the course numbers for a class where you can get a C just by showing up. 

Clap for credit met for 55 minutes on a Friday.  When you walked in, you got a scantron sheet and a different sheet with 5 questions on it.  The professor would then proceed to talk for 3 minutes about the music you were going to hear, and in the process answer all the 5 questions on the sheet.  You'd fill out the sheet, the music would play, it would end after 50 minutes, and you would clap and turn in the sheet at the end.  Therefore, if you were present at the class, you would get a one credit A for being attentive for 3 minutes a week, once a week.  Then, you could sleep for the rest of the class, which the 40 football players enrolled in the class did.  You could also take this class 3 times.  You can bet every football player took it 3 times.

When I was there, all the athletes, and I mean ALL the athletes, from football players to softball players, took Portuguese.  Why, you ask?  Because it was the only intro foreign language class that met 4 times a week instead of 5.  My girlfriend was in it and the players enrolled in the "money" sports studied from old exams which were not given to any other students.

Do these classes exist at MU?  Who knows.  But the Badgernation posters are the ones who need to stop kidding themselves and realize that UW's "academic standards" do not carryover to athletes.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: MU_Iceman on May 13, 2009, 05:40:21 PM
GREAT post!

I always hated hearing about classes that friends were taking at some of the big State schools...weight lifting...bowling...BS!

Don't get me wrong I was in classes with some MU b-ball players and those classes always ended up being among the easiest on my schedule, but they were still legitimate classes (philosophy, theology, statistics, marketing, etc).  I know that the players were given study guides by tudors who had a very good idea of what was going to be on the tests, but our boys still had to learn (or memorize) real course material in most cases...
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Tom Crean's Tanning Bed on May 13, 2009, 05:48:06 PM
Iceman-

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=14767.msg135802#msg135802

Here's the response I just typed up on your comments on the main Vander Blue thread.  I have a link to the NCAA qualfiying standards on here if you're curious how they work.

Also, I'll give you one gimme class at MU:  History of Jazz.  All the basketball players take it at one point or another, but it's also one of the first classes to fill up because every student needs a fine arts credit while at Marquette now.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: 77ncaachamps on May 13, 2009, 05:58:24 PM
Iceman-

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=14767.msg135802#msg135802

Here's the response I just typed up on your comments on the main Vander Blue thread.  I have a link to the NCAA qualfiying standards on here if you're curious how they work.

Also, I'll give you one gimme class at MU:  History of Jazz.  All the basketball players take it at one point or another, but it's also one of the first classes to fill up because every student needs a fine arts credit while at Marquette now.

I can attest to that class, as well as the recycled papers that made their way into Johnston Hall.

It's a fun class for writing research papers, but the actual seat time is more of a feat of labor.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Chicago_inferiority_complexes on May 13, 2009, 06:47:53 PM
Every Badger alumnus needs to watch one episode of CollegeLife on MTV and then come to the Marquette message boards and tell us about their high academic standards.

Judging from 80% of the people I knew who went there, the most high thing at UW-Madison weren't the academic standards.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Tom Crean's Tanning Bed on May 13, 2009, 06:54:10 PM
Every Badger alumnus needs to watch one episode of CollegeLife on MTV and then come to the Marquette message boards and tell us about their high academic standards.

Judging from 80% of the people I knew who went there, the most high thing at UW-Madison weren't the academic standards.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000

I nominate this for MUScoop Post of the Year.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: DegenerateDish on May 13, 2009, 07:29:56 PM
If Wisconsin wants to be the "Harvard" of the state, that's fine by me. If it in turn means Vander Blue winds up at MU (qualified and meets the standards), then I'm all for it. They can keep their Ivy League requirements, I'll enjoy watching Vander Blue and MU beat down the Badgers and their rocket scientists.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Mayor McCheese on May 13, 2009, 07:41:01 PM
If Wisconsin wants to be the "Harvard" of the state, that's fine by me. If it in turn means Vander Blue winds up at MU (qualified and meets the standards), then I'm all for it. They can keep their Ivy League requirements, I'll enjoy watching Vander Blue and MU beat down the Badgers and their rocket scientists.

rocket scientists?  They all want to follow Mike Wilkinson and become full-time farmers.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: PuertoRicanNightmare on May 13, 2009, 09:02:25 PM
I'm sure all this talk about Marquette's academic standards will cease when the team contains 5 or more junior college transfers.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: sailwi on May 13, 2009, 09:12:26 PM
What I find the most ironic in all the threads on the Badger board is BB Fran espousing about the UW academic standards, this coming from a person who graduated from UWM.  Of course every person who graduated from a UW dash school seems to think they graduated form UW-Madison.

Having done a lot of campus recruiting most employers look at the program (accounting, etc) and not the institiution as a whole, so this whole institution superiority doesn't translate to the real world.  I was accepted to Michigan but went to MU so according to most of the badger pundits I am inferior to them intellectually yet most objective 3rd parties would rate UM superior to UW acadmeically.  The whole academic superiority really is old and tired but whatever works I guess.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Blackhat on May 13, 2009, 09:13:12 PM
junior college player= the devil


mom and kid walking down Wells:

"look mommy it's jimmy butler a JUCO transfer"  

"Run Johnny, Run!!!!!"
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: esotericmindguy on May 13, 2009, 09:13:49 PM
rocket scientists?  They all want to follow Mike Wilkinson and become full-time farmers.

Strange post, are you suggesting farmers aren't smart?
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: MUfan12 on May 13, 2009, 09:19:31 PM
No, he's saying people who write about farmers aren't smart.  :P

(Wilkinson majored in Agricultural Journalism)
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: avid1010 on May 13, 2009, 09:37:18 PM
I think it's safe to say UW and MU are both wonderful schools that also happen to toss out some easy credits for  athletes.  I've taken courses from more schools than I care to admit, and at every school I've seen this happen.  Then again, if you think grades or GPA's are valid and/or reliable you're nuts.  I'm always a bit surprised there aren't more kids not qualifying who decide to get a lawyer and go to town. 
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: HoopsMalone on May 14, 2009, 01:12:44 AM
UW-Madison only really carries weight inside of the state, and rightfully so.  In Chicago, no one is impressed by UW-Madison.  When I was applying for law schools, Madison was one of the schools people specifically told me not to go to because people know that it is easy. 
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: MilWarrior on May 14, 2009, 03:35:24 AM
Also, I'll give you one gimme class at MU:  History of Jazz.  All the basketball players take it at one point or another, but it's also one of the first classes to fill up because every student needs a fine arts credit while at Marquette now.
[/quote]

History of Jazz = Awesome. Slept through the final and still got a B. So pretty much a joke of a class. But as a roommate of a UW transfer, I can guarantee you that weightlifting is just as much of a joke. I found it hard to discover any joke classes at MU while I was there. (Tried pretty hard) Simply put, they are few and far between. The only difference between UW and MU is that UW has more students and thus more competition to enter into the respective colleges. And Marquette girls are uglier. (I dare you to refute that one.)
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Lighthouse 84 on May 14, 2009, 07:17:53 AM
Also, I'll give you one gimme class at MU: 
Quote

Back in the day, there was a class at MU everyone called "Basketball Physics".  It was at the Varsity Theater and as I remember, all the basketball players took it.  Attendance wasn't taken and for the mid term and final,
 you were allowed to bring in a half sheet of paper with as much tiny writing on it as you could fit and use it during the multiple choice exam.

Marquette girls are uglier. (I dare you to refute that one.)

Again, back in the day, as a whole that was true.  But UW has so many more to choose from.  And exceptions were certainly there....like my wife...
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Marquette84 on May 14, 2009, 07:53:49 AM
Also, I'll give you one gimme class at MU:  History of Jazz.  All the basketball players take it at one point or another, but it's also one of the first classes to fill up because every student needs a fine arts credit while at Marquette now.


Rick Majerus--as a Raymond's assistant-- used to teach a class called something like "the Philosophy of Coaching."



Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Mayor McCheese on May 14, 2009, 09:07:48 AM
Strange post, are you suggesting farmers aren't smart?

I'm suggesting they're not rocket scientists.



And I resent whoevers comment it was that anybody that went to a UW dash school acts like they went to Madison.  I went to one of those UW dash schools, and theres not a chance in hell I would say I went to Madison.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: GGGG on May 14, 2009, 09:19:28 AM
Both UW and MU admit athletes that wouldn't get into the schools otherwise.  Both UW and MU have easier majors that athletes gravitate towards.  I think it is silly from people on either side to claim some superiority in both regards.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Avenue Commons on May 14, 2009, 09:29:05 AM
UW-Madison only really carries weight inside of the state, and rightfully so.  In Chicago, no one is impressed by UW-Madison.  When I was applying for law schools, Madison was one of the schools people specifically told me not to go to because people know that it is easy. 

True. Northwestern is held in very high regard locally for the obvious reasons. But with the possible exception of Michigan, the Big 10 schools in Chicago are considered "6 of one, a half dozen of another." Which isn't to say they aren't respected, just that no one (outside of Big 10 alumns) really care.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Avenue Commons on May 14, 2009, 09:31:22 AM
Both UW and MU admit athletes that wouldn't get into the schools otherwise.  Both UW and MU have easier majors that athletes gravitate towards.  I think it is silly from people on either side to claim some superiority in both regards.

At Duke most of the b-ball players major in sociology. At many schools there are majors like geography, communications, etc. that the athletes (and lazy, unmotivated students) gravitate towards for majors.

How many of you majored in a hard science, by the way? Doubt there were many here with a pre-med focus.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: GGGG on May 14, 2009, 09:34:48 AM
UW-Madison only really carries weight inside of the state, and rightfully so.  In Chicago, no one is impressed by UW-Madison.  When I was applying for law schools, Madison was one of the schools people specifically told me not to go to because people know that it is easy. 


Every state has a school like Madison.  It is where many of the top students in (mostly) the public high schools want to go.  By and large Madison doesn't impress people from outside the state, and those other schools don't impress kids from Wisconsin.  That's fine.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Hards Alumni on May 14, 2009, 09:49:37 AM
At Duke most of the b-ball players major in sociology. At many schools there are majors like geography, communications, etc. that the athletes (and lazy, unmotivated students) gravitate towards for majors.

How many of you majored in a hard science, by the way? Doubt there were many here with a pre-med focus.

Biomedical Science 2004.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: sailwi on May 14, 2009, 10:44:14 AM
Mayor M, I'm the one who made the generalization about the dash schools should have said most or many not all with you being an obvious exception and a standard many others should aspire to.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: HoopsMalone on May 14, 2009, 11:57:35 AM

Every state has a school like Madison.  It is where many of the top students in (mostly) the public high schools want to go.  By and large Madison doesn't impress people from outside the state, and those other schools don't impress kids from Wisconsin.  That's fine.

Very true, but UW-Madison should not think it is this tough school or highly respected school.  They are good, but at the end of the day in an interview Marquette and UW are the same thing.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: ZiggysFryBoy on May 14, 2009, 12:39:14 PM
"easy classes" that I took at MU 1996-summer 2000:

History of Rock n Roll w/ Dr. Naylor
Jewish Thought and Practice
Intro to Advertising.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: bma725 on May 14, 2009, 12:46:32 PM
Very true, but UW-Madison should not think it is this tough school or highly respected school.  They are good, but at the end of the day in an interview Marquette and UW are the same thing.

You've got to be kidding.  The notion that UW not a highly respected school is one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on this board.

There's a reason they rank in the top 35 according to US News.  There's a reason UW is tied with Harvard and Princeton for most Fortune 500 CEOs as graduates.  There's a reason the London Times named it the 55th best university in the world.  There's a reason the Gourman Report ranked it as the third best undergraduate public school in the country.

Not only that, but the notion that a resume saying MU and one saying UW get the same thing just isn't true.  The UW name carries a ton of weight, especially when you get into the scientific fields.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Hards Alumni on May 14, 2009, 12:47:13 PM
You've got to be kidding.  The notion that UW not a highly respected school is one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on this board.

There's a reason they rank in the top 35 according to US News.  There's a reason UW is tied with Harvard and Princeton for most Fortune 500 CEOs as graduates.  There's a reason the London Times named it the 55th best university in the world.  There's a reason the Gourman Report ranked it as the third best undergraduate public school in the country.

Not only that, but the notion that a resume saying MU and one saying UW get the same thing just isn't true.  The UW name carries a ton of weight, especially when you get into the scientific fields.


you beat me to it bma
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: StillAWarrior on May 14, 2009, 12:50:12 PM
You've got to be kidding.  The notion that UW not a highly respected school is one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on this board.

There's a reason they rank in the top 35 according to US News.  There's a reason UW is tied with Harvard and Princeton for most Fortune 500 CEOs as graduates.  There's a reason the London Times named it the 55th best university in the world.  There's a reason the Gourman Report ranked it as the third best undergraduate public school in the country.

Not only that, but the notion that a resume saying MU and one saying UW get the same thing just isn't true.  The UW name carries a ton of weight, especially when you get into the scientific fields.


I can't comment on most of the specifics in this post, but I do know that here in Cleveland, UW is pretty highly regarded.  People have heard of Marquette, but typically don't know where it is.  All they know is that it's a basketball school...which isn't so bad.  I'm not saying UW is better or worse than MU, but I do know that it's thought of as a good school.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: 4everwarriors on May 14, 2009, 01:00:06 PM
"easy classes" that I took at MU 1996-summer 2000:

History of Rock n Roll w/ Dr. Naylor
Jewish Thought and Practice
Intro to Advertising.


Dude, did you take that gem, "Individual and Dual Sports?" I pulled an all-nighter for the final. Studying golf, tennis, and bowling was a bitch. Lab consisted of bowling at the Y. Maurice Lucas was a member of my 4 person bowling team. Frazier, Ostrand, and Spychalla were also in the class.
My English lecture with John Pick included Chones, Lackey, McGuire, Frazier, and Lens' pop. Pick wearing a rubber chicken around his neck for "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" was priceless.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: 4everwarriors on May 14, 2009, 01:32:25 PM
Speaking as a double graduate of MU, UW-Madison is an outstanding school with tougher admission standards, especially for Wisconsin residents. In addition, their endowment dwarfs Marquette's. Each offers their students a different experience and to compare and contrast the two is rather pointless. Don't let your emotions confuse the obvious, UW is one of the country's outstanding universities whose graduates are well thought of by industry, professional and graduate schools.

Sorry ecompt.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Canned Goods n Ammo on May 14, 2009, 01:53:30 PM
Speaking as a double graduate of MU, UW-Madison is an outstanding school with tougher admission standards, especially for Wisconsin residents. In addition, their endowment dwarfs Marquette's. Each offers their students a different experience and to compare and contrast the two is rather pointless. Don't let your emotions confuse the obvious, UW is one of the country's outstanding universities whose graduates are well thought of by industry, professional and graduate schools.

Sorry ecompt.

Shockingly enough, I agree with you 100%.

UW is a great school. I can openly admit that.

I still hate everything about "Bucky", but it's a great school.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: TVDirector on May 14, 2009, 02:27:29 PM
Rick Majerus--as a Raymond's assistant-- used to teach a class called something like "the Philosophy of Coaching."





took it.
rick was awesome... knew every diner, every HS coach, everywhere.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: spartan3186 on May 14, 2009, 02:31:59 PM
At Duke most of the b-ball players major in sociology. At many schools there are majors like geography, communications, etc. that the athletes (and lazy, unmotivated students) gravitate towards for majors.

How many of you majored in a hard science, by the way? Doubt there were many here with a pre-med focus.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology- 2008
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: ecompt on May 14, 2009, 02:36:41 PM
I never said UW wasn't a fine school. What I said was that to build a Top 25 Division I football team and powerhouse men's and women's hockey teams they need to take a bunch of kids who wouldn't normally be accepted there. And once there they can hide these kids in programs like Phys. Ed, which MU cannot do.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: reinko on May 14, 2009, 02:53:11 PM
You've got to be kidding.  The notion that UW not a highly respected school is one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on this board.

There's a reason they rank in the top 35 according to US News.  There's a reason UW is tied with Harvard and Princeton for most Fortune 500 CEOs as graduates.  There's a reason the London Times named it the 55th best university in the world.  There's a reason the Gourman Report ranked it as the third best undergraduate public school in the country.

Not only that, but the notion that a resume saying MU and one saying UW get the same thing just isn't true.  The UW name carries a ton of weight, especially when you get into the scientific fields.


The only issue, I have with your comment bma is about Fortune 500 CEOs.  UW graduates what 9,000 a year?  Harvard and Princeton together graduate about 2,600-2,800 per year.  Kind of a BS # IMO, but the rest I agree.

I got rejected from UW, best thing I could have ever happened to me. 

Suck on this Bucky!
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: ChicosBailBonds on May 14, 2009, 03:00:08 PM
Speaking as a double graduate of MU, UW-Madison is an outstanding school with tougher admission standards, especially for Wisconsin residents. In addition, their endowment dwarfs Marquette's. Each offers their students a different experience and to compare and contrast the two is rather pointless. Don't let your emotions confuse the obvious, UW is one of the country's outstanding universities whose graduates are well thought of by industry, professional and graduate schools.

Sorry ecompt.

UW_Madison is a great school.  I think at the end of the day, however, the crying over there is pretty weak because we're talking about student athletes.  The difference between admission standards for student athletes at UW-madison and MU is nil.  So they can pontificate about UW-madison's ratings, blah, blah, blah, but they don't mean a squirt of piss in terms of accepting athletes to their teams (or ours) for that matter.  A student athlete that is accepted to MU would be accepted to UW-madison.  Period.   Just look at the clowns they've had over the years on the football, hockey and basketball teams (even soccer) to illustrate the point. 

Ron Dayne is exhibit one and ends all arguments on the spot.  UW-madison will accept anyone, if they choose, that they feel is worth taking the risk on.  MU is no different.   Their whining is just nonsense, they need to look into the mirror.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: GooooMarquette on May 15, 2009, 12:32:30 PM
You've got to be kidding.  The notion that UW not a highly respected school is one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on this board.

There's a reason they rank in the top 35 according to US News.  There's a reason UW is tied with Harvard and Princeton for most Fortune 500 CEOs as graduates.  There's a reason the London Times named it the 55th best university in the world.  There's a reason the Gourman Report ranked it as the third best undergraduate public school in the country.

Not only that, but the notion that a resume saying MU and one saying UW get the same thing just isn't true.  The UW name carries a ton of weight, especially when you get into the scientific fields.


Yes, there are reasons.  And those reasons relate to UW's larger and more prestigious graduate and professional programs, extensive research by internationally-known professors, broad (and sometimes esoteric) majors that aren't available at many other schools...and many other reasons that have no impact whatsoever for most undergraduate students.

As a result, the value of an undergraduate degree is pretty much the same as an undergraduate degree at a school like MU or many others.  The value of a PhD in Biochemistry might be different...but tell me how many football or basketball players from UW have those?

I am speaking from firsthand knowledge, as I attended and have degrees from both schools.  For undergraduates, MU is every bit as good as UW.  The differences start only when you go back for a graduate or professional degree.

As a matter of fact, I witnessed firsthand some situations where things that improved UW's reputation on paper actually compromised the undergraduate education.  I worked directly with an internationally-renouned researcher in cardiovascular physiology - huge funding from NIH, AHA and other places - the kind of reputation that US News loves.  Well, this guy was also in charge of teaching an undergraduate physiology course, and he basically ignored that part of the job.  I asked him why, and he muttered something about his research being more important, and that the curriculum was OK on autopilot.  And knowing many other folks in the biological sciences at UW, this was a common feeling.  In contrast, I worked with people who taught similar courses at MU, and they almost universally viewed teaching as the most important aspect of their job.  Result?  UW gets great external ratings, does great research, and provides nearly incomparable opportunities for graduate and professional students.  But if you just want to go and get a BS or BA, you will probably be just as well off (maybe even better) at a school like MU.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Hards Alumni on May 15, 2009, 12:40:14 PM
well, that and alumni associations and networking.
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: GooooMarquette on May 15, 2009, 12:43:00 PM
well, that and alumni associations and networking.

Ahhh...the "bigger is better" theory....
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: WellsstreetWanderer on May 15, 2009, 12:45:09 PM
"My English lecture with John Pick included Chones, Lackey, McGuire, Frazier, and Lens' pop. Pick wearing a rubber chicken around his neck for "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" was priceless."


   John Pick was one of my favorite teachers at MU. Others were Roger Parr and "DAD Murphy"  Sorry if you didin't get to know them
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: AZWarrior on May 15, 2009, 01:04:32 PM
At Duke most of the b-ball players major in sociology. At many schools there are majors like geography, communications, etc. that the athletes (and lazy, unmotivated students) gravitate towards for majors.

How many of you majored in a hard science, by the way? Doubt there were many here with a pre-med focus.

Electrical Engineering
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: GooooMarquette on May 15, 2009, 01:11:48 PM
How many of you majored in a hard science, by the way? Doubt there were many here with a pre-med focus.

Biology '83...followed by med school.  And yes, I had plenty of friends who did the same, ending up at med schools like UW, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University of Chicago and Northwestern.  All from little old Marquette.

If this kind of thing surprises you, it makes me wonder who you hung around with....
Title: Re: "Academic Standards"
Post by: Hards Alumni on May 15, 2009, 01:19:07 PM
i think he was mostly referencing people who populate this board.