MEDICALUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT

Why We Are Different

As an academic health center, the Medical University of South Carolina possesses characteristics unique to a mission that differentiates it from that of the traditional comprehensive university. The translation of that mission into reality as an academic enterprise imposes a uniqueness alluded to by many but expressed by few. The following attributes impart an exclusivity to MUSC both as an institution and as an academic health center.

The concern here is not the collecting or reporting of data to external agencies. Rather it is in the erroneous perceptions of MUSC based upon data that have been forced into apriori categories or not supplied because such data are inappropriate or lack reliability and validity. The “one size fits all” assumptions of these data requests require MUSC [and other academic health centers] to withhold information, “craft” data to fit data categories, and leave data sets blank. The quality of the data submitted does not reflect the quality of the academic enterprises on the MUSC campus.

The Medical University of South Carolina is an upper division/graduate institution that:

  • stands independent as an academic health sciences center
  • does not enroll first time, first year/freshman students
  • has admission criteria which vary both among and within its six colleges
  • utilizes lockstep curricula which do not generate credit hour data per se
  • does not offer general education course work
  • has class start dates which vary by program
  • provides no on-campus housing
  • does not provide career counseling or job placement services
  • has few student organizations [e.g., clubs, service groups]
  • sponsors no intercollegiate athletic programs
  • charges tuition and fees that vary by academic program and year within program
  • does not utilize student recruitment strategies
  • rarely uses SAT/ACT scores for admission decisions
  • exhibits low attrition and high graduation rates
  • enrolls students who make career decisions prior to matriculation
  • does not determine faculty workload by credit hour generation
  • interprets “teaching” in distinctive and atypical contexts
  • compensates faculty in unique ways
  • has only 28% of its annual graduates enrolled in undergraduate programs
  • possesses an extraordinarily low student to faculty ratio
  • finds CIP codes do not reflect faculty workload responsibilities and departmental affiliation
  • does not collect cohort data
  • does not accept transfer students [undergraduate programs, student’s undergraduate work is evaluated for admission purposes but not entered on the MUSC transcript.]