How is IUB's reputation? I've seen a variety of opinions...
Indiana University (Bloomington)-opinons?
(38 posts) (1 voice)-
Posted 2 months ago #
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Decent basketball, if that's what your asking. (You don't specify.) Football generally sucks, though.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Which field?
Posted 2 months ago # -
^comparative
Posted 2 months ago # -
Qually wasteland
Posted 2 months ago # -
Declining. Well, maybe not anymore. But it's gone downhill.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Comparative is okay. You can do worse.
Posted 2 months ago # -
True. You could do worse, like Purdue. It's still a qually wasteland.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Declining, maybe, but comparative's got a pretty good group. There's a south asian studies center too run by Ganguly, so if that's your thing it will be easy to get in-house funding for fieldwork etc.
Posted 2 months ago # -
THey just landed B Fraga. impressive.
Posted 2 months ago # -
You're not going to place very well and they struggle to fund grad students.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Pals from there say that the everything but IR is pretty good, though American may go down because of retirements. The only significant information is that Ganguly (listed in CP and IR) isn't incharge of the South Asia program anymore; he was fired a few years ago and tends to bad mouth it everywhere he goes. He is now in-charge of some security studies program at IU; they don't do the real quant/model or even long-term research projects; they're the type that invites old ambassadors to chit-chat.
Posted 2 months ago # -
sounds like theres general agreement that comparative is good (southeast asia in particular), program is old school, and its heavy on the qual research... and basketball is good
Posted 2 months ago # -
^^ Any info why he was fired?
Posted 2 months ago # -
^No clear idea. There was some stuff about financial mismanagement and bad administration. Frankly, it appears that he wasn't liked by other faculty. It is rumoured that he was pushed out of UT, Austin because of terrible people skills and temper tantrums, but these things haven't prevented others from retaining their positions. Anyway, he's just one guy. The department is much more than him unless you want to study South Asian foreign policy, yawn!
Posted 2 months ago # -
If you want to study policy, IUB is solid. Some of the profs in the department are jointly appointed in the policy school, which is always Top 3.
Posted 2 months ago # -
They've hired four or five new people in the last year. Should only help...
Posted 2 months ago # -
Big Ten universities have the resources and the desire to create great programs. Even if a little weak now, the pendulum will swing back
Posted 2 months ago # -
It's a dept with some definite potential. Not sure how placement is though.
Posted 2 months ago # -
For comparativists, the university also has more language and regional studies outside the department than many of its peer institutions.
Posted 2 months ago # -
It's good for area studies. It might be one of the last good places for an area studies focus... but then again, area studies aren't exactly trendy
Posted 2 months ago # -
Mediocre in all respects.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Except SPIA.
Posted 2 months ago # -
There is much that can be said about this or that prof, this or that hire or retirement. They have hired and will hire some more.
But in the big picture this is the kind of place that is going to have trouble retaining their standing long-term. I think they have already declined, whether the rankings will show this or not. People can joke about rapid rail, but really, what is a spouse going to do in Bloomington? They aren't all going to be hired by the university. And the weather is not good. This was much less of an issue in previous generations. All this goes for Iowa and to an extent Illinois. Minnesota and Ohio State are in cities. Michigan has critical mass and is on the edge of a metro area. Re Wisconsin: at least the state government is in Madison and it's a nicer town than Bloomington, Iowa City or Champaign-Urbana, so they will probably be OK too. Illinois is at least a big state, albeit one with financial problems. Iowa and Indiana have long been fine schools and they will continue to be decent, but they have structural problems.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Bloomington has a hip, offbeat vibe that might appeal to some people. By virtue of the world famous music school you have access to some of the very best classical music in the world (seriously) if that is something you enjoy.
Posted 2 months ago # -
^^ You have a problem with Minnesota because of the Twin Cities? Dude, you have absolutely no taste and no judgment about what is cool
Posted 2 months ago # -
^
You have a problem with reading. He said Minnesota and Ohio State are in cities. So they will be OK. Indiana isn't. Iowa isn't. They probably won't be OK.Posted 2 months ago # -
Correct, I missed the period where the dismissal of various universities ended.
Posted 2 months ago # -
The city issue is probably overstated. Many enter grad school without having a spouse. Cornell does fine in Ithaca.
Posted 2 months ago # -
In grad school you have loads of free time and quite a bit of disposable income, so being in an expensive urban area with many high end restaurants and entertainment venues is vital
Posted 2 months ago #