Volume 6, Number 2, 1997

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

A dozen of the many things to brag
about the next time someone asks you,
"What's happening at UD?" More later!

  1. Average SAT scores for incoming freshmen are well above the national average of 1000. The Class of 2000 includes 114 National Merit, Achievement and Hispanic Scholar finalists, semifinalists and commended students. There are 73 valedictorians and salutatorians and 164 students who graduated from high school with perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

  2. The University Honors Program recruits some of the best and brightest. This year, the Honors Program enrolled about 400 students with average SAT scores of 1330 and high school grade point averages of 3.7. Applications are up for fall 1997 by 24 perce nt.

  3. The UD is considered a top value and best buy in current rankings by such publications as U.S. News and World Report and Money magazine, and several graduate-level offerings are included in USN WR's web Index of Best Gradua te Schools, including the College of Engineering, the Professional Theatre Training Program and the physical therapy program. The chemical engineering doctoral program has been judged "distinguished in quality" by the National Research Council in its nati onal evaluations, conducted every 10 years, and doctoral programs in art history and psychology are considered "strong."

  4. The University's computing network, which was cited in 1994 as a model for the nation, enhances student life at UD. Prospective students can apply for admission via the World Wide Web, with 1,200 applications received for the fall of 1997. On campus, all students have e-mail and voice mail, and all residence hall rooms have computing and cable TV connections. Additionally, seniors conduct long distance job interviews via video conferences.

  5. Student satisfaction with almost all components of UD campus life has grown in recent years, based on national student opinion surveys administered on campus. One of the most positive responses was to the following question, "If I had to do it all ove r, would I still enroll at the University of Delaware?" This sentiment was echoed by proud alumni in a recent survey: Almost nine in 10 said they would want their children to attend the University of Delaware.

  6. According to a survey by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, the University of Delaware ranked sixth among all public institutions in graduation rates for black students, with 56 percent graduating within six years. Only 10 public instit utions had graduation rates for blacks of more than 50 percent.

  7. Contracts and research grants have increased by 63 percent over the past six years, reaching a total of $67.6 million this year.

  8. UD is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, a prestigious, by-invitation-only membership organization composed of the largest libraries in North America. In addition to DELCAT, the on-line catalog system, UD's electronic library makes a l arge and growing number of networked databases accessible to students and researchers from their homes, offices, laboratories and residence halls.

  9. The University of Delaware is ranked among the top campuses in the nation in family friendliness, according to a College and University Personnel Association and Families and Work Institute survey. UD has at least 30 programs or policies designed to h elp employees balance their personal and family life with their work responsibilities.

  10. The Newark campus continues to grow with the addition of three new buildings: MBNA America Hall, providing new classrooms, offices and conference areas for the College of Business and Economics; the Allen Laboratory for sophisticated research in the C ollege of Agricultural Sciences; and Gore Hall, a central Mall classroom building that will be a showcase for advanced multimedia teaching. Existing classrooms across campus also have been retrofitted with similar capacity for state-of-the-art teaching.

  11. Discovery-based learning in undergraduate science is being emphasized at UD. The innovative approach encourages students to go beyond factual knowledge by thinking critically and analytically, learning to use resource materials and working cooperative ly in groups on real-world problems. Some 40 percent of faculty members have learned how to use this method through the University's Center for Teaching Effectiveness, whose activities are well-supported by grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Post secondary Education, National Science Foundation and other agencies.

  12. Seven UD scholar-athletes have been tapped for National Collegiate Athletic Association postgraduate scholarships.The prestigious award provides up to $10,000 for graduate education. In its recent NCAA certification review, the University intercollegi ate athletics program was cited for its commitment to gender equity, having increased support for women's teams, coaches, scholarships and facilities.