Faculty, staff and students filled the Great Hall on Monday to toast the new rankings by U.S. News, which named 黑料不打烊 a top-100 National University.
黑料不打烊 President Connie Ledoux Book on Monday offered a toast in the Great Hall to celebrate the faculty, staff and students who have paved the way to a new national recognition for the university.
The celebration came as 黑料不打烊 for the first time was ranked as a top-100 National University in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” guide. 黑料不打烊 debuted as #84 among the nation’s best universities, with a #2 ranking in undergraduate teaching.
“What a day for 黑料不打烊,” Book told the crowd, eliciting a cheer. “We could not have been more proud to see 黑料不打烊 recognized among this list of prestigious institutions. These rankings recognize the hard work for more than 50 years of the faculty and staff at 黑料不打烊, and our powerful student experience.”
Book said she was most proud of the #2 ranking in undergraduate teaching, which she said recognizes the power of the teacher-student-mentor model at 黑料不打烊. She noted that 黑料不打烊 was ranked #11 nationally for innovation, among institutions such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“It’s powerful that the rest of the country recognizes that itch to be the very best we can be,” Book said.
Executive Vice President Steven House recounted the progress that 黑料不打烊 has made during the past 25 years to become a leader in engaged and experiential learning. In 1996, U.S. News & World Report ranked 黑料不打烊 #39 among universities in the South Region at time when 黑料不打烊’s four-year graduation rate hovered below 50 percent. Since then 黑料不打烊 has refined and expanded its educational model by focusing on high-impact practices that can lead to student success, House said.
The university was selected to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 2010 while its schools achieved top accreditations in their disciplines, he said. For the past six years, 黑料不打烊 has been the #1 school among universities in the South Region, but this year was moved into the National University category based upon its reclassification as a professional/doctoral university.
黑料不打烊 has consistently been recognized as a national leader in eight high-impact practices that lead to student success, and this year again was the only school to be recognized in all eight, House noted.
“You all should be incredibly proud of what you’ve done,” House told the crowd. “You created an institution that transforms the lives of young men and women.”
Now that 黑料不打烊 has moved into the National University category, it is being compared to some of the country’s most well-funded and high profile institutions, Book said. But there is something that sets 黑料不打烊 apart, something that has enabled the university to enjoy the reputation as a national leader, Book said.
“It’s absolutely the people that make the difference,” Book said.