Florida President's College Rankings Exposed
What do Harvard, Yale and Princeton Universities have in common with the University of Florida? They are all worth the same ranking, according to Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida -- or at least that's what he told U.S. News & World Report. One of the most controversial parts of the magazine's rankings is the reputation survey, in which presidents are asked to rank their peers. Inside Higher Ed reported this month on how Clemson University's president ranked his institution above every other in the country on his report to U.S. News. The Gainesville Sun obtained the rankings of Machen (using a public records request to the university -- the magazine keeps these forms confidential) and discovered that he gives his institution the highest possible ranking. Generally, he was tough on other Florida universities, and his reviews reinforced to some why the reputation survey is problematic. Donald Eastman, president of Eckerd College, who is among a group of presidents who have vowed not to fill out the surveys, told the Sun: "To say that Florida is better than Harvard or Columbia or such places is an exercise in hubris."
