Press Release

CONTACT: Debra Humphreys
(202) 387-3760(ext. 422)
e-mail: humphreys@aacu.org

Association of American Colleges and Universities Focuses National Attention on Innovations in College Learning

Works with US News and World Report to Inform Prospective Students about Learning Innovations

Washington, DC—October 24, 2002—Prospective college students are faced with an avalanche of information as they navigate the race to college. Widely used "guides" tell today's students about average SAT scores, sport and fitness facilities, alumni giving, retention and graduation rates, social life on campus, and much more. But how do students learn about the quality of educational programs? How can students find colleges that offer the most innovative and effective designs for learning? How can students know that at their college of choice they will gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the 21st century?

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has taken the lead in refocusing national attention on what really matters in college-what students learn and what they are able to do with this knowledge when they graduate. As part of that effort, AAC&U has worked for the past year with editors of one of the most widely read college admissions guides, U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges, to begin to provide students more information about innovative curricula that help students make the most of their educations.

Thanks to this partnership, the 2003 edition of America's Best Colleges includes a new feature on "Programs That Really Work." Editors at U.S. News consulted with AAC&U staff members and with AAC&U member institutions to identify and describe a set of pace-setting innovations and programs that enhance learning. This year's "America's Best Colleges" features a new ranking of colleges and universities across the country with "outstanding examples of programs that lead to student success." While not yet incorporating data about these programs into its formal rankings, U.S. News has begun asking the schools it polls for information about these sorts of innovations and the numbers of students who benefit from them.

The programs featured include such innovations as:

-First-Year Experiences
-Writing in the Disciplines
-Learning Communities
-Service Learning Programs
-Internships and Co-Ops
-Undergraduate Research Programs
-Study Abroad Initiatives
-Senior Capstone Projects

Research shows that each of these innovations raise the level of students' educational involvement and accomplishment. "Critics have long called on U.S. News and World Report to include more information about student learning in their college ranking publications," said AAC&U president Carol Geary Schneider. "We are extremely pleased that editors at U.S. News were receptive to our idea of collecting information about the educational vitality of colleges and universities. We are delighted that the resulting rankings shine a spotlight on many of higher education's hidden jewels."

AAC&U has also just released a report, Greater Expectations: A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College, that highlights many of these innovative programs and makes recommendations for how to ensure that all college students receive a high quality education, regardless of what school they attend or what field of study they pursue. "The more prospective students know about programs that enhance learning the better," said AAC&U vice president and director of its Greater Expectations initiative, Andrea Leskes. "Our collaboration with U.S. News is but one element of our strategy to improve undergraduate education and provide today's and tomorrow's students with information they need to succeed."

For information about AAC&U's ongoing initiatives, including access to the Greater Expectations report, visit www.aacu.org.

AAC&U is the leading national association devoted to advancing and strengthening liberal learning for all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Since its founding in 1915, AAC&U's membership has grown to more than 1000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

For information about AAC&U, see www.aacu.org.