Mercy Awarded National Honors For Diversity
Sarah Epstein
Issue date: 12/15/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Mercy College was listed in the Racial Diversity (Universities-Master's) category in the 2008 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S News & World Report.
Mercy College was named one of the most racially and ethnically diverse colleges and universities in the northeast and was one of only two colleges mentioned on the list.
"Mercy College remains dedicated to providing an inclusive learning environment that encourages success," said President Louise H. Feroe in a press release. "Our unique ability to provide access and demand excellence fills our classrooms with people from every conceivable background. This provides our community with an uncommon richness, and having this fact recognized by a national publication is a great source of pride for us all."
According to a Mercy Facts pamphlet distributed by Mercy College last spring, Mercy College's student body was comprised of 32 percent Hispanic students, 31.7 percent Caucasian and 30.2 percent African-American during the 2005-2006 school year. Asian students made up 3.4 percent of the student body, as international students made up nearly two percent of the population. Around one-third of Mercy College students live in Westchester County.
According to an American Council of Education report released in 2006, Hispanic and black undergraduate enrollment has increased, but still trails the number of white and Asian students attending college.
The report by Universities-Masters, which compiles stats and information from more than 1,400 four-year schools, stated that nearly half of white high school students (ages 18-24) will attend college. The numbers for minorities are lower, as 41 percent of black students and 35 percent of Hispanic students will attend college post high school graduation. Graduation rates were also higher among whites (58 percent) and Asians (62 percent), as 36 percent of blacks and 42 percent of Hispanics graduate.
The President of Spelman College, a predominately black female college in Atlanta, Beverly Daniel Tatum told the USA Today last year that she was pleased with the increase but was "concerned by what still seems to be a slow growth. While we see forward movement, it is incremental and not transformational."
Mercy College's was also recognized by Diverseeducation.com and The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Diverseeducation.com noted the diversity of Mercy's master's level education program, which ranked 9th in graduating Hispanic Americans, 10th in graduating African Americans, and 7th overall in the country in graduating minorities. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education included Mercy on its list of top 100 colleges for Hispanics and ranked the College 20th in total number of master's degrees awarded; 21st in enrollment and 87th in bachelor's degrees awarded.
To rank colleges and universities, U.S. News & World Report assigned schools to a group of their peers, based on the basic categories developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2006. Universities-Master's is one of these categories and refers to institutions offering a full range of undergraduate and master's programs but few, if any, doctoral programs.
Mercy College was named one of the most racially and ethnically diverse colleges and universities in the northeast and was one of only two colleges mentioned on the list.
"Mercy College remains dedicated to providing an inclusive learning environment that encourages success," said President Louise H. Feroe in a press release. "Our unique ability to provide access and demand excellence fills our classrooms with people from every conceivable background. This provides our community with an uncommon richness, and having this fact recognized by a national publication is a great source of pride for us all."
According to a Mercy Facts pamphlet distributed by Mercy College last spring, Mercy College's student body was comprised of 32 percent Hispanic students, 31.7 percent Caucasian and 30.2 percent African-American during the 2005-2006 school year. Asian students made up 3.4 percent of the student body, as international students made up nearly two percent of the population. Around one-third of Mercy College students live in Westchester County.
According to an American Council of Education report released in 2006, Hispanic and black undergraduate enrollment has increased, but still trails the number of white and Asian students attending college.
The report by Universities-Masters, which compiles stats and information from more than 1,400 four-year schools, stated that nearly half of white high school students (ages 18-24) will attend college. The numbers for minorities are lower, as 41 percent of black students and 35 percent of Hispanic students will attend college post high school graduation. Graduation rates were also higher among whites (58 percent) and Asians (62 percent), as 36 percent of blacks and 42 percent of Hispanics graduate.
The President of Spelman College, a predominately black female college in Atlanta, Beverly Daniel Tatum told the USA Today last year that she was pleased with the increase but was "concerned by what still seems to be a slow growth. While we see forward movement, it is incremental and not transformational."
Mercy College's was also recognized by Diverseeducation.com and The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Diverseeducation.com noted the diversity of Mercy's master's level education program, which ranked 9th in graduating Hispanic Americans, 10th in graduating African Americans, and 7th overall in the country in graduating minorities. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education included Mercy on its list of top 100 colleges for Hispanics and ranked the College 20th in total number of master's degrees awarded; 21st in enrollment and 87th in bachelor's degrees awarded.
To rank colleges and universities, U.S. News & World Report assigned schools to a group of their peers, based on the basic categories developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2006. Universities-Master's is one of these categories and refers to institutions offering a full range of undergraduate and master's programs but few, if any, doctoral programs.
Be the first to comment on this story