There's a quick mention in Inside Higher Ed today of the latest news on the college presidents opposed to the US News rankings. They're up to 61 signatures on their letter committing college presidents to 1) refusing to provide information for the rankings, and 2) refusing to use the rankings in their publicity.
61 signatories is a good start, but I really doubt that they have the rankers quaking in their boots. I recognize a lot of the names on the list, but then, I'm in the liberal arts college business. Only two of the 61 (Kenyon and Denison) are in the top 50 of the infamous rankings, and a bunch of the schools don't make the top 100. The magazine will just shrug this off as sour grapes on the part of weaker schools, and go on doing what they've been doing.
Changing the status of the rankings would require participation from some of the schools that are doing well, but the Reed College experience is keeping most of them in line. Don't exect anything to change in the near future.
On a vaguely related note, somebody needs to explain to US News that a site distributing what are essnetially press releases really doesn't count as a blog.
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Chad, not that I disagree with your contention that more (and more highly regarded) signatories are necessary, but there are at least 5 signatories from the top 50 list you provided, not 2. Add Lafayette, College of the Holy Cross and Furman.
You're right, of course.
I didn't notice them in the signatory list. Still, five of the top fifty, none in the top twenty, isn't going to scare US News all that much.
I've been told that our president is signing the letter, and DePauw is consistently in the top 50 as well. I don't know when he will (or did) sign it. http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=19739