U.S. News & World is seeking a letter from the University of Oklahoma guaranteeing that it will provide accurate data over the next three years, to be considered for inclusion in the next three “Best Colleges” rankings.
According to an article published on the U.S. News website, the University’s Board of Regents chairman, Leslie Rainbolt, and president Joseph Harroz Jr. will be required to submit a letter certifying the accuracy of the data that the school submits over the next three years.
In May, the website stripped the university of its ranking for reporting inflated data on its two-year alumni giving. The school reported a rate of 14 percent, instead of the correct rate of 9.7 percent for 2019. The school has been inflating this data since 1999.
The average alumni giving rate is assigned a weight of 5 percent in accordance with the Best Colleges ranking methodology.
The move affected the university’s placement in the National Universities, Best Value Schools, Top Public Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans and A-Plus Schools for B Students rankings and lists that U.S. News puts out.
“The U.S. News Education rankings strive to provide readers with accurate data that assist consumers as they evaluate their education options,” the U.S. News article reads. “U.S. News relies on schools to accurately report their data. As a result, U.S. News takes misreporting very seriously.”
Former University of Oklahoma president Jim Gallogly, who announced his plans to retire from the position earlier this year, was the first to uncover the misreporting of data which began under former university president David Boren.