Standards high at Laurier

Re: Confessions of a recovering dean, Feb. 13

It was disappointing to read Dr. Michael Carroll’s characterization of enrolment and research strategies at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Contrary to the picture that Dr. Carroll paints, Laurier maintains high academic standards and aspirations for all programs. The facts speak for themselves: the average entering grade for Laurier undergraduates has risen in each of the past four years and stood at 83.4 per cent last year; student retention was 88.7 per cent.

Laurier graduates go on to professional and graduate schools and rewarding careers.

The most recent Ontario university graduate survey found that Laurier students who graduated in 2013 obtained employment within six months and two years at levels above provincial averages.

Our pilot program demonstrates that the small number of students admitted below the minimum entering grade (two per cent of all students in 2015) can succeed when in the right environment; 80 per cent are still at Laurier.

Laurier has evolved from a primarily undergraduate to a comprehensive university that includes meaningful graduate programs and a research commitment grounded in student training and experience. This approach has a positive influence on teaching. It exposes undergraduates to leading-edge academic inquiry and attracts talented faculty who bring research into the classroom and engage students in all aspects of scholarship.

The final word should go to our students: last fall, Maclean’s magazine used student surveys to rank Laurier No. 1 for ‘student satisfaction’ among comprehensive universities, with top ranking in six sub- categories: academic advising, course instructors, extracurricular activities, residence living, student-life staff, and mental health services.