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Time names IU one of its four Colleges of the Year
Sept. 3, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Time magazine has named Indiana University as its College of the Year among research institutions. The magazine's editors made the selection based on IU's range of programs to help freshmen to succeed and, as a result, to improve retention and graduation rates.
"Helping new students survive has, in our judgment, become an essential responsibility of every college," the magazine states in its Sept. 10 edition, now on the newsstands. "In selecting our 2001 Colleges of the Year from among candidates recommended by our advisory board, the editors sought institutions with comprehensive freshman programs that have improved retention rates and created a sense of community for students."
IU was recognized for its variety of programs geared to the different needs of entering freshmen. "The university has launched several small, targeted efforts rather than a one-size-fits-all solution," according to Time.
Among the programs cited by the magazine are the Intensive Freshman Seminars, which bring small groups of freshmen to campus before the start of regular classes to work with faculty members and older students in specific subject areas; Freshman Interest Groups, in which freshmen can live and study with other incoming students with similar academic interests; the Groups program, which offers a summer course and continuing financial and academic support throughout the year for low-income and first-generation freshmen; and other mentoring, support and tutoring programs.
Through these efforts, IU has improved its retention rate from freshman to sophomore year to 85 percent. The programs have been particularly successful among African American and Latino students, raising the retention rate from the first to the second year to 82 percent, from 64 percent in 1994.
Other research institutions cited by Time for having notable success in encouraging freshman learning were Harvard University; the University of Michigan and Stanford University.
The magazine's College of the Year selections in other categories were Appalachian State (N.C.) University for master colleges; William Jewell (Mo.) College for liberal arts colleges; and Seattle Central Community College for community colleges.
(Susan Dillman, 812-334-6377 (pager), sdillman@indiana.edu)