Programs at Bloomington, IUPUI again among those "to look for"

August 22, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University continues to offer one of the best experiences for undergraduate students, including those aiming to start their own companies, says U.S. News & World Report, which also designated Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) as an "up-and-coming school."

And, for the seventh consecutive year, the magazine cited both IU Bloomington and IUPUI for offering "academic programs that are commonly linked to student success."

Indiana University Kelley School of Business

Overall, U.S. News ranked IU Bloomington 30th among public national research universities, an improvement from 33rd last year.

"Indiana University has experienced a number of positive developments that are reflected in these improvements in our overall rankings," said IU President Michael A. McRobbie. "We have welcomed increasing numbers of top-performing students who have chosen IU because of our world-class faculty, the breadth and scope of our academic programs and activities, our international programs, and our overall supportive environment.

"The construction of several new buildings and facilities on our campuses is serving to strengthen that environment. I am pleased this remarkable growth and progress, a result of the university's strong commitment to academic excellence, is getting the recognition it deserves."

U.S. News continues to rank the Kelley School as the 11th best in the nation overall. It was second only to the University of Michigan among undergraduate business programs in the Big Ten and sixth nationally among public universities. The school's overall ranking also places it among the top 2 percent of nationally accredited programs.

"The remarkable consistency of the Kelley School of Business' undergraduate rankings and our Top 10 ranking among public schools is a testimony to our commitment to excellence in teaching and research," said M.A. Venkataramanan, chair of the 3,000-student program.

"This focus on excellence has resulted in a significant increase in students seeking a Kelley business degree," he added. "We've seen an 80 point increase in SAT scores over the past four years for the incoming class. In an era of interest in entrepreneurship across the globe, our position of No. 1 among public schools and No. 2 among all schools is particularly gratifying."

The magazine also praised the school's entrepreneurship program led by Donald F. Kuratko, the Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship and executive director of its Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The school's undergraduate offerings in entrepreneurship were ranked second overall by U.S. News and continue to be first among public universities, as is its graduate program.

"I am extremely proud that we have maintained our No. 1 ranking in entrepreneurship among public universities and No. 2 overall," Kuratko said. "It demonstrates the leadership of our world class faculty and our students dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship and setting a world standard of excellence. That leadership is now being recognized by our consistency in the U.S. News & World Report rankings as one of the elite schools in entrepreneurship today."

IUPUI

For the first time, U.S. News asked college presidents and other administrators which higher education institutions recently had made "striking improvements or innovations. The magazine reported that IUPUI is among 70 colleges and universities that have "recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities." It was ranked 14th (with Ball State University) in this separate listing of national universities "to watch."

"For prospective applicants, we believe the schools on this list offer the reassurance that whatever their historical reputation (or lack of it), they're firmly focused on improving the job they're doing today -- at least in the judgment of their peers," U.S. News editors wrote.

IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said the magazine's report reinforces what many on his campus and elsewhere already know.

"IUPUI is a school to watch because the faculty focus on transforming lives through learning," Bantz said. "The willingness to be creative with teaching strategies, to be innovative in research and to engage the community in finding solutions creates a cascade of impact that attracts attention and influences opinion-makers."

Under the heading "Programs to Look For," U.S. News recognized IU Bloomington and IUPUI for their success in promoting learning communities that build connections among fellow students and between students and professors.

IU Bloomington's study abroad programs were recognized for combining substantive academic work for credit with "considerable interaction with the local culture." IU Bloomington also was cited for programs that make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

IUPUI was again cited for its efforts to promote service learning -- the use of volunteering in the community as an educational strategy -- and the quality of its first-year experiences. The campus was noted for building into its curriculum seminars and programs that bring together small groups of students with faculty.

Highlights of the rankings will be published in the Sept. 1 issue of U.S.News, which also will publish its 2009 America's Best Colleges guidebook.