Whats Wrong With Unt?

meangreenbob · June 5, 2008

Knowledge without Wisdom is utterly and totally useless. Never forget it.

I ask, have we become so dumbed down that we can no longer recognize nonsense when we see it. Or, are we so beaten down that we just turn our heads and walk away, exausted from constantly being pressured into ignoring common sense and simple logic? Oh rest assured, it is not just present in the hallowed halls of UNT. It runs rampet through the streets all across our once great nation. For yes, gibberish and poppeycock are now fashionable even admirable especially if they can bring about a desired result. For doesn't the end always justify the means? And what does dignity, honesty and respect have to do with anything anymore?

Here is an excerp from a letter dated February 8, 2008 signed by our esteemed president, Dr. Bataille asking for a gift of 500 dollars.

"We enrolled more than 400 students in our inaugural class of Emerald Eagle Scholars, assuring that these academically gifted students with high financial need will receive four full years of tuition and fees if they maintain a 2.5 GPA and complete 30 semester hours each year."

Listen carefully. "Academically gifted" but only required to maintain a "2.5" and get "four full years of tuition and fees." Pathetic!! This is an insult to the Universtiy of North Texas. I know students who make 3.7 and above, are active in campus life, support all UNT athletics, belong to fraternities, hold office in student organizations and promote the University of North Texas every day and every where and these solid students can't get ONE dime in financial aid. ZERO!

And who do you think will be the ones that give back to the University?

Our president also says in her P.S. "Your gift sends a message of support to UNT students and adds value to your UNT degree." More insult.

Dr. Bataille, I ask you to donate your entire raise ( BOTH of THEM) and then some to funding the football stadium. A new football stadium will add a lot more value to my UNT degree then the pathetic 2.5 standard you and your administration has deemed worthy of four full years of free tution and fees.

DeepGreen · June 5, 2008

Knowledge without Wisdom is utterly and totally useless. Never forget it.
I ask, have we become so dumbed down that we can no longer recognize nonsense when we see it. Or, are we so beaten down that we just turn our heads and walk away, exausted from constantly being pressured into ignoring common sense and simple logic? Oh rest assured, it is not just present in the hallowed halls of UNT. It runs rampet through the streets all across our once great nation. For yes, gibberish and poppeycock are now fashionable even admirable especially if they can bring about a desired result. For doesn't the end always justify the means? And what does dignity, honesty and respect have to do with anything anymore?
Here is an excerp from a letter dated February 8, 2008 signed by our esteemed president, Dr. Bataille asking for a gift of 500 dollars.
"We enrolled more than 400 students in our inaugural class of Emerald Eagle Scholars, assuring that these academically gifted students with high financial need will receive four full years of tuition and fees if they maintain a 2.5 GPA and complete 30 semester hours each year."
Listen carefully. "Academically gifted" but only required to maintain a "2.5" and get "four full years of tuition and fees." Pathetic!! This is an insult to the Universtiy of North Texas. I know students who make 3.7 and above, are active in campus life, support all UNT athletics, belong to fraternities, hold office in student organizations and promote the University of North Texas every day and every where and these solid students can't get ONE dime in financial aid. ZERO!
And who do you think will be the ones that give back to the University?
Our president also says in her P.S. "Your gift sends a message of support to UNT students and adds value to your UNT degree." More insult.
Dr. Bataille, I ask you to donate your entire raise ( BOTH of THEM) and then some to funding the football stadium. A new football stadium will add a lot more value to my UNT degree then the pathetic 2.5 standard you and your administration has deemed worthy of four full years of free tution and fees.

WOW! A 2.5 GPA and you get a full ride. How generous of Dr. B.

KingDL1 · June 5, 2008

WOW! A 2.5 GPA and you get a full ride. How generous of Dr. B.

I think I need a refund, surely they meant 3.5?

Green P1 · June 5, 2008

A 2.5 gives you a full ride but my 3.7 landed me $23,000 in debt........

GoMeanGreen1999 · June 5, 2008

I think I need a refund, surely they meant 3.5?

I think 2.5 is a little low. The students do have be involved in many other things on campus, but the GPA is a little low, as it should be at least a 3.0.

How did this thread end up in this section?

Edited June 5, 2008 by GoMeanGreen1999

UNTFan23 · June 5, 2008

In most (all?) departments at NT, you need at least a 2.7 to graduate, so you get the free ride but no walking papers.

UNTflyer · June 5, 2008

That's gotta be a misprint... you need a 2.7 to graduate.

Effective Fall 2005, students without a degree plan on file will need a 2.7 UNT GPA to take upper level courses, file for a degree plan, and a 2.7 UNT, Overall, and Professional Field GPA for graduation

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most schools in Texas require a 2.5? UT and SMU only require a 2.0.

Edited June 5, 2008 by UNTflyer

Mean Green Matt · June 5, 2008

That's gotta be a misprint... you need a 2.7 to graduate.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most schools in Texas require a 2.5? UT and SMU only require a 2.0.

College of Business Administration: A 2.7 UNT, 2.7 Overall, and 2.7 Professional Field GPA is required for graduation.

I am not sure about the other colleges, but that is on my degree plan right in front of me.

KingDL1 · June 5, 2008

I think it was 2.25 when I was there.

bstnsportsfan3 · June 5, 2008

i maintain a 3.0 while working and being a president of a dorm hall association and going to all UNT sporting events and fully rooting for UNT where ever i am. i love this school with all my heart...i barley make 10,000 a year and i dont get 1 cent of financial aid....i honestly think its a joke...hell i got aid at NCTC the community college but cant get it when my tuition triples by going to a university.....i love UNT and would do anything for this school.....i just wish they would return the favor once an a while!

UNT_playmaker · June 5, 2008

I just graduated from graduate school in May and had a 3.4. Weird?

Edited June 5, 2008 by UNT_playmaker

untphd · June 5, 2008

Well you could look at it as we now will have 400 more students at the football games. If they bring a couple of friends and their mentor, then we will have 1600 more at the games. One could also look at the amount of money she raised and implemented a new program. Donors want to know that the university is doing what it should be doing. Successful programs bring additional programs, which translates to additional fundraising.

meangreenbob · June 5, 2008

Well you could look at it as we now will have 400 more students at the football games. If they bring a couple of friends and their mentor, then we will have 1600 more at the games. One could also look at the amount of money she raised and implemented a new program. Donors want to know that the university is doing what it should be doing. Successful programs bring additional programs, which translates to additional fundraising.

Tell me you're not serious especially if you really have a PHD.

untphd · June 5, 2008

I went back and read several articles on the program this morning. The students are from homes that make less than 40,000 a year. I not sure when or where gifted was changed from talented, but the original statements stated talented. In addition, I found other programs called emerald. They had a much higher GPA to go with it.

Quoner · June 5, 2008

I just graduated from graduate school in May and had a 3.4. Weird?

I kept a 4.0 during my entire time at UNT and left with every reason to be frustrated. I was not offered money until my final Spring semester and only because a professor decided to finally ask "what the hell?" in a nice way. I was told I could stay and add another minor and have full tuition - which would have been awesome if not for the fact that the scholarship would not cover the classes between May and August and I was already accepted to grad school (NT didn't have my program.)

I left pissed, but then realized a few things:

1) GPA does not equal being smart. It equals ability to work and reason. If you need proof, read the crap I write.

2) UNT is bigger than us, and feeling entitled to something, even with the criteria, gets you a karmatic groin kick both at school or your career

3) UNT caters to a lot of people who will never care about it and takes the ones who do for granted.

4) There is too much good here to let one experience or slight ruin it for you. I could have stayed bitter like a recently departed poster, but I decided it was not worth it.

5) Finally, richard joke.

Green Mean · June 5, 2008

Depending on the program, to graduate from UNT in general requires just a 2.0 GPA. Business requires 2.7 and I know RTVF requires a 2.5. I knew somebody who graduated and he had like a 2.2 GPA. Also he was not dumbass. He was smart that just didnt give a darn about school. He got a 60K a year job on his first job out of college. Though the 2.5 GPA for a full ride is kinda odd, it doesnt mean those students are any less than 4.0 GPA students in my opinion.

Mean Green Matt · June 5, 2008

Depending on the program, to graduate from UNT in general requires just a 2.0 GPA. Business requires 2.7 and I know RTVF requires a 2.5. I knew somebody who graduated and he had like a 2.2 GPA. Also he was not dumbass. He was smart that just didnt give a darn about school. He got a 60K a year job on his first job out of college. Though the 2.5 GPA for a full ride is kinda odd, it doesnt mean those students are any less than 4.0 GPA students in my opinion.

Yes, GPA doesn't mean you are "smart", but if you are getting a full ride, I think you should be able to do better than a 3.0 at least.

UNTflyer · June 5, 2008

Yes, GPA doesn't mean you are "smart".

Agreed. But a high GPA does mean you have a higher level of commitment to your education.

untphd · June 5, 2008

Helping you succeed

If you are a talented student with high financial need, tuition and fees will not be an issue at the University of North Texas.

UNT’s new program, Emerald Eagle Scholars, has been created for students who are academically talented, as shown by their admission acceptance into UNT, who have an average freshman class SAT score of 1105. Qualifying students will also have limited financial resources, making it difficult to fulfill their dreams of a university education.

They are getting quite a bit of money, but it isn't a full ride. It is a great program that gives UNT free publicity. It also shows she can raise some money if she wants to.

3XNTGRAD · June 5, 2008

Helping you succeed
If you are a talented student with high financial need, tuition and fees will not be an issue at the University of North Texas.
UNT’s new program, Emerald Eagle Scholars, has been created for students who are academically talented, as shown by their admission acceptance into UNT, who have an average freshman class SAT score of 1105. Qualifying students will also have limited financial resources, making it difficult to fulfill their dreams of a university education.
They are getting quite a bit of money, but it isn't a full ride. It is a great program that gives UNT free publicity. It also shows she can raise some money if she wants to.

I will also point out that many of the comments in this thread pertaining to lack of scholarships at UNT for strong students are also on target. Rather than trash the idea of the Emerald Eagle Scholarships program because you have issues with it, then step up and make a donation to the UNT General Scholarship Fund or to your department's scholarship fund. Either way, you are helping to solve the problem.

For what it's worth, I personally match my Mean Green Club donation amount with another donation to the academic program of my choice each year.

Mean Green Matt · June 5, 2008

Agreed. But a high GPA does mean you have a higher level of commitment to your education.

That was my general point. haha.

June 5, 2008

I would be happy to explain the purpose behind the Emerald Eagles Scholarship in detail to any poster that requests.

Let me give you the highlights.

As mentioned it is a financial need and timely graduation program. It is not a scholarship that is based on grades only. The students do have to maintain a minimum GPA and complete 30 hours per year. They must register for a minimum of 15 hours per semester to get the aid. Additionally, they are required to work on campus and/or maintain a high level of involvement in campus activities, such as membership/leadership in student organizations. The student must meet all the program requirements to continue as as EES.

Let me also clear up a misunderstanding about the funding. These students qualify for federal aid already. What UNT does is make up the gap between federal and state grants and the cost of tution (if any exists). The students still have to pay for housing, hence the requirement of working on campus to make money. Some students in the program still have to take out loans to cover housing, books, etc. This is not a full-ride in the sense that some of you are thinking of.

This type of program exists at many universities around the country, including U of Florida and UNC (which is where Dr B comes from).

As I said earlier, I can go into more detail if needed. But let me say this about the program and its participants. They are generally pretty good kids that are very motivated to succeed. In some cases, UNT has given them an opportunity that may not have existed otherwise. And these students appreciate UNT for it. Don't you think that student will donate to the university that gave them this chance?

Now, regarding UNT scholarships...They definately need more scholarship dollars to reward high acheiving students. Especially current UNT students that didn't get a scholarship out of high school.

I also received the donation letter from UNT. My problem with it was that it didn't make me want to give money. I just thought it was bad marketing. I also found it odd that they touted the Emerald Eagle Scholarship and then didn't even include a check box to give to that particular scholarship fund! Around the same time, I got a request from George Mason. Good stuff. They are getting some money from me because of it. (I am giving to UNT this year because I am helping to start an endowed scholarship.)

untphd · June 5, 2008

I would be happy to explain the purpose behind the Emerald Eagles Scholarship in detail to any poster that requests.
Let me give you the highlights.
As mentioned it is a financial need and timely graduation program. It is not a scholarship that is based on grades only. The students do have to maintain a minimum GPA and complete 30 hours per year. They must register for a minimum of 15 hours per semester to get the aid. Additionally, they are required to work on campus and/or maintain a high level of involvement in campus activities, such as membership/leadership in student organizations. The student must meet all the program requirements to continue as as EES.
Let me also clear up a misunderstanding about the funding. These students qualify for federal aid already. What UNT does is make up the gap between federal and state grants and the cost of tution (if any exists). The students still have to pay for housing, hence the requirement of working on campus to make money. Some students in the program still have to take out loans to cover housing, books, etc. This is not a full-ride in the sense that some of you are thinking of.
This type of program exists at many universities around the country, including U of Florida and UNC (which is where Dr B comes from).
As I said earlier, I can go into more detail if needed. But let me say this about the program and its participants. They are generally pretty good kids that are very motivated to succeed. In some cases, UNT has given them an opportunity that may not have existed otherwise. And these students appreciate UNT for it. Don't you think that student will donate to the university that gave them this chance?
Now, regarding UNT scholarships...They definately need more scholarship dollars to reward high acheiving students. Especially current UNT students that didn't get a scholarship out of high school.
I also received the donation letter from UNT. My problem with it was that it didn't make me want to give money. I just thought it was bad marketing. I also found it odd that they touted the Emerald Eagle Scholarship and then didn't even include a check box to give to that particular scholarship fund! Around the same time, I got a request from George Mason. Good stuff. They are getting some money from me because of it. (I am giving to UNT this year because I am helping to start an endowed scholarship.)

Thanks for the post. They also have to graduate in eight semesters.

Boomer23 · June 5, 2008

I maintain a 3.0, full time student double major President of Talons, Run Cannon Crew, active on many committees (one started by Bataille), work 2 part time jobs, have a widowed mother and get screwed constantly with little to no financial aid.

I give everything to this university like many of you did. But I guess those truly involved dont need help because they want to be here. Lets give money to the minimum gpa students so they will stay here.

I love it here but sometimes I am just ready to get out and away from this daily bs.

GoMeanGreen1999 · June 5, 2008

I maintain a 3.0, full time student double major President of Talons, Run Cannon Crew, active on many committees (one started by Bataille), work 2 part time jobs, have a widowed mother and get screwed constantly with little to no financial aid.
I give everything to this university like many of you did. But I guess those truly involved dont need help because they want to be here. Lets give money to the minimum gpa students so they will stay here.
I love it here but sometimes I am just ready to get out and away from this daily bs.

Everyone should go to "UNT News" and read Boomer23's post about the UNT daily - that there is some good stuff. The stupidity of the UNT Daily is still making me laugh.