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AE 87

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Semantics is important.

As @forensicbuzz points out well, GT is a university.

Still, the distinction raised by the other side is important. Unlike most universities, Tech does not offer a significant number of degrees in the humanities. It functions within a context of math and science not literature, left brain not right, primarily.
 

B Lifsey

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BOR put GT in the "Research Universities" sector along with Augusta University, Georgia State University and University of Georgia. http://www.usg.edu/institutions
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education lists GT as "Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity" http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/

So, yes, we are a university but, as pointed out, a very unique one that uses Institution in it's name and not University.

They should ask a trivia question about that on TV during our games! :cool::p:cool:
 

jwsavhGT

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RonJohn

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By definition, Georgia Institute of Technology or Georgia Tech is a university. To say otherwise suggests you don't understand what a university is. We are a university because: 1) we offer multiple undergranduate programs; 2) we are a collection of various colleges; 3) we offer postgraduate degrees is multiple programs.

A university (Latin: universitas, "a whole", "a corporation") is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which grants academic degrees in various subjects. Universities typically provide undergraduate education and postgraduate education.

Taken from http://www.gatech.edu/about on our website:

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading research university committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology.

As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech has more than 100 centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to American government, industry, and business.

There is no doubt that Georgia Tech stands out as a distinctively different kind of university, one that is eagerly encouraging and developing the revolutionary technologies of the 21st century

I guess according to some Georgia Tech supporters, we should immediately withdraw from the American Association of Universities.
 
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I guess according to some Georgia Tech supporters, we should immediately withdraw from the American Association of Universities.
I never said anything like that. I just believe that when comparing different colleges in the country, one has to distinguish those that offer BA and BS degrees from those that offer ONLY BS degrees. The easiest way to do that, using the fewest words, is simply to refer to one group as universities and the other group as institutes. If you want to use a lot of words to describe what one single word describes, that's fine, but Northwestern and Stanford are NOT institutes, and using my usually accepted terminology, Tech is NOT a university. See how simple it is: one word distinguishes one from the other.
 
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I think most Tech grads cringe every time some announcer calls us Georgia Tech University, and we should. Can you imagine if people referred to Cal Tech or MIT as Cal Tech University or MIT University. We are in a unique class, so drop the word "university" when talking about Tech and keep us in that unique class. Virginia Tech, even though they too were once an "institute," now falls under the class of "university," and I suppose it is acceptable to them to be called Virginia Tech University, because they sure don't like being called VPI anymore.
 

dressedcheeseside

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Semantics is important.

As @forensicbuzz points out well, GT is a university.

Still, the distinction raised by the other side is important. Unlike most universities, Tech does not offer a significant number of degrees in the humanities. It functions within a context of math and science not literature, left brain not right, primarily.
All STEM schools are Universities, but all universities are not STEM schools.
 

MikeJackets

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I think most Tech grads cringe every time some announcer calls us Georgia Tech University, and we should. Can you imagine if people referred to Cal Tech or MIT as Cal Tech University or MIT University. We are in a unique class, so drop the word "university" when talking about Tech and keep us in that unique class. Virginia Tech, even though they too were once an "institute," now falls under the class of "university," and I suppose it is acceptable to them to be called Virginia Tech University, because they sure don't like being called VPI anymore.
I think schools that are very difficult to get into like Georgia Tech,Duke,Vanderbilt,Northwestern,Tulane,Rice and Stanford need to be in their own category.
 

forensicbuzz

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I think most Tech grads cringe every time some announcer calls us Georgia Tech University, and we should. Can you imagine if people referred to Cal Tech or MIT as Cal Tech University or MIT University. We are in a unique class, so drop the word "university" when talking about Tech and keep us in that unique class. Virginia Tech, even though they too were once an "institute," now falls under the class of "university," and I suppose it is acceptable to them to be called Virginia Tech University, because they sure don't like being called VPI anymore.
Sigh. Virginia Tech is a university, without doubt. They call themselves VT or Virginia Tech, but their full name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which is why some people call them Vippie Sue.

You are the only person I've ever seen clasify "university" based on BA versus BS degrees for undergranduates. There is no such distinction. To be classified as a university, there are 3 requirements: 1) multiple undergraduate programs; 2) these programs separated into different colleges; and 3) post-graduate degrees in multiple programs. Since we are also a major research organization (~$300MM/year), we are designated as a research university.

It's not a bad word. It doesn't lessen Tech to be identified as a university. Yes, we are also an institute of higher education, a technical institute and many other things. But to apply your narrow definition of what a university and expect the rest of higher education to follow suit isn't realistic.

MIT: The Institute is an independent, coeducational, privately endowed university, organized into five Schools (architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts, and social sciences; management; and science).

Cal Tech: The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private doctorate-granting university located in Pasadena, California, United States.
 
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Sigh. Virginia Tech is a university, without doubt. They call themselves VT or Virginia Tech, but their full name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which is why some people call them Vippie Sue.

You are the only person I've ever seen clasify "university" based on BA versus BS degrees for undergranduates. There is no such distinction. To be classified as a university, there are 3 requirements: 1) multiple undergraduate programs; 2) these programs separated into different colleges; and 3) post-graduate degrees in multiple programs. Since we are also a major research organization (~$300MM/year), we are designated as a research university.

It's not a bad word. It doesn't lessen Tech to be identified as a university. Yes, we are also an institute of higher education, a technical institute and many other things. But to apply your narrow definition of what a university and expect the rest of higher education to follow suit isn't realistic.

MIT: The Institute is an independent, coeducational, privately endowed university, organized into five Schools (architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts, and social sciences; management; and science).

Cal Tech: The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private doctorate-granting university located in Pasadena, California, United States.
To be honest, you are the first person I have come across who didn't understand the distinction I am trying to make. Of course, Tech is a "university" according to the accepted definition. But when it comes to recruiting, virtually everyone differentiates Tech from liberal arts schools by referring to them as "universities" and to Tech as an "institute." To do so may not be correct according to the definition of the word, but it still conveys the distinction between schools like Stanford, Northwestern, even Georgia and Tech. I really think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. After all, we are talking about ease of recruiting for athletics here, so why bother to say or type "liberal arts colleges," when you can say or type "university," and virtually everyone knows what you mean. When you get right down to it, all universities are institutes as well, but nobody refers to liberal arts colleges, even those with engineering schools, as institutes. People would consider you crazy if you referred to Stanford as Stanford Institute, and people consider you crazy if you refer to Tech as Ga Tech University. It's really no BFD, but you seem to have let it become one.
 

GTpdm

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Look, folks. This is simple.

Georgia Tech is an Institute...and a major research university.
Lots of other institutes of post-secondary education are also Universities. (Not all are research universities.)
Vippy-Sue is a collidge, no matter how much they might want to attach an "I" or a "U" (or both) to their name.
Athens has a pretty good remedial middle school...which doubles as a top-notch elementary school for their "student"-athletes.
 
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MWBATL

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I have seen TV announcers use the trivia question a lot....what 4 D-1 football playing schools are not universities? (Army, Navy, Air Force and GT)
 
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