Mizzou student diversity increases

On the first day of classes, the University of Missouri welcomed the most diverse student body in its history.

With 34,111 students enrolled, diversity in the student body increased 3.4 percent compared to this time last year. In spite of declining high school graduates, Mizzou’s freshman class of 6,227 is the second largest in MU’s history, second only to last year’s class of 6,560. International and out-of-state students increased as well.

“We are pleased to once again welcome another very large class of students to MU,” said Ann Korschgen, vice provost for enrollment management.

“This year, we’re experiencing significant increases in our international student population and diversity on campus. This is very important as we prepare our students for a globally positioned job market because they will have the opportunity to interact with globally diverse students during their time at MU.”

The number of international students enrolled this year is currently 2,109 compared to 2,041 last year, a 3.3 percent increase. The number of minority students enrolled also rose 3.6 percent to 5,116 compared to 4,940 last year.

This year’s mean ACT score of incoming freshmen remained steady at 25.7. In comparison, students across the state of Missouri averaged 21.6 on their ACT scores, and students throughout the nation had an average score of 21.1.

“Mizzou continues to attract a large number of Bright Flight and Curators Scholars from across the state,” Korschgen said. “These high-quality students know we continue to be an institution that can prepare them for their chosen career fields and provide opportunities to enrich their educational experiences.”

Mizzou’s six-year graduation rate increased to an all-time high of 70.8 this year, indicating that as enrollments have grown, more students are staying at MU and graduating.

“It is significant that our graduation rate is the highest in our history,” Korschgen said.

“This indicates that not only are large numbers of students from all over the world continuing to choose MU, they are staying here to graduate in unprecedented numbers. This tells us that our students recognize the wonderful, diverse learning environment at MU that well prepares them for the future.”

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

FIRST DAY ENROLLMENT FIGURES 2013

* indicates record figure

Webster recognized for diverse graduates 

Webster University’s graduate degree-seeking student population represents the largest number of individuals of diverse backgrounds among all traditional, non-profit U.S. higher education institutions, according to recently released survey published in Diverse Issues in Higher Education (DIHE).

The “Top 100 Degree Producers” survey for 2013 is the only national report of graduate degrees earned by African American, Hispanic, Asian American and American Indian students by U.S. colleges and universities.

Webster has consistently achieved top rankings since DIHE began publishing the survey in 1991.

This year, Webster’s national rankings include:

• First among traditional non-profit universities in Total Minority and African American master’s degrees, all disciplines combined.
• Twelfth in Hispanic master’s degrees, all disciplines combined.

In the category of African American master’s degrees, all disciplines combined, Webster’s enrollment jumped from 1,502 last year to 1,643 this year, an increase of 9 percent. Currently, African Americans represent 30 percent of the University’s graduate student population.

$10K nursing scholarships 

The University of Missouri in Columbia’s Sinclair School of Nursing will award $10,000 scholarships to 10 students admitted to the 2014-2015 accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The school is looking for traditionally underrepresented persons in the field of nursing. Qualified scholarship applicants include racial/ethnic minorities, men and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program is for students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in non-nursing fields.

The 15-month accelerated BSN program begins in May and ends in July the following year. Scholarship recipients also receive leadership and mentorship opportunities through its funder, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program, including a pre-entry immersion program.

Deadline for the Accelerated BSN application is October 11, 2013 and the deadline for the NCIN scholarship application is December 13, 2013.

The NCIN program enables schools of nursing to expand student capacity in accelerated programs and build a more diverse workforce ready to serve the needs of the changing patient population.

For more information, visit http://nursing.missouri.edu/academics/accelerated-bsn/index.php.