OT: Large donation to JHU's Philosophy Dept

[RUnTeX]

Rich getting richer at Hopkins

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/arts/bill-miller-75-million-gift-philosophy-johns-hopkins.html

 

[DJ Spanky]

Just scary: they get a single large donation that matches what's in our Big 10 Build Fund.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Just scary: they get a single large donation that matches what's in our Big 10 Build Fund.

Why is there such a connect between other schools and their alums, but not at RU? I am certainly part of the problem, but something just doesn't seem to click with RU. And I had a very good experience.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Why is there such a connect between other schools and their alums, but not at RU? I am certainly part of the problem, but something just doesn't seem to click with RU. And I had a very good experience.

As did I.

But many alums I know have an RU Screw story, so I'm sure that plays into it. But somehow I don't think that that is limited to just Rutgers: I think many large universities have the same issues.

I have to wonder if it's just the area of the country we're in, and the antipathy projected by so many NJ residents towards RU. People with no relation to the school know so little about it, and at times seem shocked when good news hits the headlines.

 

[RUnTeX]

The RU Screw (or perception of same) plays a role even if it seems overstated by the students. We've all dealt with some bureaucracy or administrative hurdle and didn't get what we wanted resulting from an encounter with a university office or department so it left a negative impression in some way. But overall there was plenty of positive experiences in my mind that overcame the handful of less than ideal circumstances.

It definitely happens at other places but perhaps the fact that at Rutgers it has been given a name/label allows it to carry more weight than it should. Dealing with red tape is good lesson to learn that helps with real life.

That said, I think much of the staff at the university (and in other public sector/government settings) could use some customer service training. If the attitude changed or if engagement with staff was more pleasant, it would have a positive impact on the student experience. It often felt adversarial and that's not how you achieve customer loyalty.

 

[DJ Spanky]

That said, I think much of the staff at the university (and in other public sector/government settings) could use some customer service training. If the attitude changed or if engagement with staff was more pleasant, it would have a positive impact on the student experience. It often felt adversarial and that's not how you achieve customer loyalty.

I completely agree with this: part of the problem is the attitude of "What do you want me to do?" displayed by the administrative staff when there are issues. They rarely give guidance or advice, just kind of do the "Not my problem" shoulder shrug and move on to the next person.