The saga of UM and the THES rankings

what has begun as a simple and straightforward story of a university and its quest for improvement has turned into a saga of epic proportions...
behold the THES (Times Higher Education Supplement) rankings, and UM's steep drop from a respectable place of no. 89 to a somewhat lesser position of no. 169...and the words, recriminations and defenses that are still flying all about in the papers, even as i write this.

i would be among the first to admit that UM is still lacking in many fronts, and there is much room for improvement especially with regards to its research input and its infrastructure and facilities. but let this not be an admission that i do not have any pride in the institution i belong to. after all what is love, if it is blind to the faults of the other? it is because i am proud of being a UM student that i dare speak openly of its weaknesses.

it is not a time for positive spin, although the PR experts would have us believe otherwise (!) ...nor is it a time to point fingers. it is a time to learn and to improve from the present circumstances that UM has found itself in. to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go.

further, i hold to the truth that no matter what, we will still need to work. and keep at what we are doing. even if UM were to climb to the top of the scale, we would still need to keep on improving and building on our strengths and overcoming our weaknesses...it does not change anything.
the idea is to be fruitful seed...the kind of seed that is hardy enough to grow and bloom in the toughest of surroundings. and to achieve that is to learn first that much depends on our choices and whether we choose to make the best of our circumstances. even when they are patently unpalatable.

and i believe that this is the true test that separates the sheep from the goats. the substance from the mere image.

p/s all the best to all UM students for the exams...God is with us all...!