|
# 1 ranking enhances national reputation
Efforts to increase awarness about Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology outside the
Midwest are being enhanced by the college’s second consecutive No. 1 ranking in U.S.
News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” issue and
guidebook.
Rose-Hulman not only repeated as the No. 1 ranked college among 140 higher education
institutions that offer the master’s as their top engineering degree program, each of
the institute’s engineering departments also received a No. 1 ranking. The 2001
rankings were the first time the magazine asked engineering educators to rank
undergraduate engineering departments.
“The rankings have benefited almost every aspect of the institution,” said
Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert. “There’s hardly a day that goes by that I
don’t hear from someone complimenting us on being the best.”
“The ranking is extra special because it was based on the opinions of engineering
educators nationwide who responded to the magazine’s survey,” stated Hulbert.
The rankings’ impact benefits Rose-Hulman outside the Midwest, according to several
campus officials.
“We’ve seen increased interest in recruiting from East Coast companies as a
result of our number one ranking,” noted Kevin Heweredine, director of career
services and employer relations.
Admissions Dean Chuck Howard says the rankings have helped get the attention of
high-school seniors who live beyond Rose-Hulman’s traditional Midwest recruiting
area.
“It gives seniors another reason to take a closer look at us and make a campus
visit,” he said. “Our application numbers are up thus far. The rankings have
been a contributing factor along with our improved on-line application,” Howard
noted.
“The number- one ranking creates a high expectation about the quality of the college.
When prospective students and parents visit they’re not disappointed,” he added.
A majority of current freshmen at Rose-Hulman used the U.S. News & World Report
rankings during their college choice process, according to the annual Freshman Poll
conducted by the Office of Student Affairs.
The rankings have given alumni bragging rights. They’re not being humble about using
the No. 1 ranking as a way to encourage their employer to support Rose-Hulman, says Brian
Dyer, director of alumni affairs and special events.
“Alums told me they used the rankings to help convince their employer to send them to
recruit at the Career Fair, he said. The fall Career Fair hosted a record 475 recruiters.
Alumnus Kendra Itskin, who works for the Stent Business Unit of Guidant Corp. in San Jose,
Calif., says the ranking is enhancing the reputation of a Rose-Hulman degree.
“We’re being looked upon at Guidant as receiving the same quality of education
as students from MIT, Stanford or Cal-Berkeley,” she said.
“It’s great having my co-workers link Rose-Hulman’s name with the
magazine’s rankings,” Itskin stated. “The ranking has helped Rose-Hulman
compete with other engineering colleges for Guidant’s support.”
The admissions, alumni, career services, development and public relations offices among
others on campus have made thousands of contacts with key audiences to promote the
ranking.
The alumni office sent e-mail notices to 6,000 alumni in a single afternoon the day the
rankings were announced. “Responses from the e-mail indicated the rankings
created a lot of pride among alumni,” Dyer said.
Hulbert said even though the campus community has a lot of pride in the rankings,
they’ve also accepted the challenge to continue to improve. “It’s
wonderful being considered the best, but it’s quite a challenge to continue that
leadership,” Hulbert noted.
— by David Piker
 
|
