Post From Community: U.S. News & World Report recognizes Alverno for strong commitment to teaching, innovation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Cole
September 15, 2022
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Alverno College was recognized for its strong commitment to teaching in rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. The college was also highlighted as the most innovative school in Wisconsin. The publication’s 2023 America’s Best Colleges guidebook also noted Alverno’s first-year student experiences, senior capstone, social mobility, ethnic diversity, service learning, economic diversity and undergraduate nursing.
This marks the thirteenth consecutive year Alverno was recognized for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, the only college in the state included in this category for its entire 13-year history. The ranking highlights schools “where the faculty have an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.”
“We are deeply committed to student success, and to preparing exceptional women to have an impact in their communities,” said Joseph Foy, Ph.D., interim president and vice president for Academic Affairs at Alverno. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our commitment to teaching because our students, and their personal and academic growth, are central to everything we do. I am proud of our staff and faculty who extend this excellence to women and men in our graduate and adult programs as well.”
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Alverno was ranked the second most innovative school among Midwest regional universities, higher than any other Wisconsin college or university. Schools in this category are “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.”
Alverno was also given honors in several other categories including the list of “Best Value Schools” among regional universities, which factors academic quality and cost after accounting for total expenses and financial aid. “First Year Experience” highlights schools skillfully bringing together small groups of students with faculty or staff on a regular basis as part of curricular and academic programming. “Senior Capstones” are culminating activities for students nearing graduation. At Alverno, regardless of their major, students articulate what they learned, what it means to them, how their learning is a part of them, and how it drives their future goals and actions. Alverno was the only Wisconsin school noted in this category.
Further, the college ranked second for “Ethnic Diversity” among Midwest regional universities where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from a different ethnic group than their own. Of the undergraduate population for the 2021-22 school year, 24% of Alverno students identified as Hispanic or Latina, 16% as Black or African American, 6% as Asian and 3% as two or more races. This makes Alverno, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, one of the state’s most diverse colleges.
Alverno was also recognized as a top performer for “Social Mobility,” which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Pell grants.
With these rankings, Alverno College is noted among such prestigious schools as Brown University, Duke University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Stanford University and Yale University.
This year’s rankings evaluated an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, first-year retention and faculty resources. Colleges and universities are grouped into 10 ranking categories based on their academic missions. Within each category, the sum of weighted, normalized values determine each school’s overall score. The full listing can be found at usnews.com.
About Alverno College
Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.