August 2008

APPLETON, WIS. — For the 10th consecutive year, Lawrence University has landed among the top quarter of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Colleges” report released today (8/22).

Lawrence was the top-ranked institution in Wisconsin and 56th overall among 248 national colleges and universities in the magazine’s “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” category.

Among the factors used in determining the rankings, Lawrence again had strong showings in the areas of graduation rate (79 percent), acceptance rate (56 percent), percent of classes with fewer than 20 students (75 percent) and alumni giving rate (46 percent).

“We’re happy that U.S. News continues to recognize Lawrence as being among the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges,” said Director of Admissions Ken Anselment. “But we also remind students that these rankings — while interesting and fun to talk about — never give you all the information you need to make a good decision about a college. Campus visits are a much better way for students and their families to evaluate whether a college’s academics, community and environment are the right fit.”

In its report, U.S. News also includes lists and rankings of a wide variety of other niche categories. In a survey of guidance counselors from America’s best high schools who were asked which liberal arts colleges they think offer the best education to their students, Lawrence was ranked 42nd nationally. And in a reaffirmation of its status as a residential campus, Lawrence tied for 29th nationally in the percentage of students (97) who reside in university-provided housing.

Williams College, the top-ranked institution the past five years in the national liberal arts college category, shared the no. 1 ranking this year with Amherst College, last year’s runner-up. Swarthmore College was ranked third. Ivy Leaguers Harvard, Princeton and Yale were ranked first, second and third, respectively, in U.S. News’ national universities category.

In compiling its annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide, U.S. News & World Report evaluates nearly 1,500 of the nation’s public and private four-year schools, using data from 15 separate indicators of academic excellence such as peer assessment, selectivity, graduation rates, student retention, faculty resources and alumni satisfaction. Each factor is assigned a “weight” that reflects the magazine editor’s judgment as to how much that measure matters. Each school’s composite weighted score is then compared to peer institutions to determine final rankings.

Institutions are divided into several distinct categories. In addition to the best liberal arts college category that measures national institutions like Lawrence, other rankings are based on universities that grant master and doctorate degrees and colleges that are considered “regional” institutions.

APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University is the top-ranked undergraduate institution in Wisconsin and 68th best in the nation according to a recently released report on America’s top colleges by Forbes.com.

Hailing it as “an alternative” to the annual rankings done by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes has ventured into the college rankings business for the first time with the release of its own “America’s Best Colleges” list.

The Forbes.com report ranks 569 of the nation’s 4,000 colleges and universities without regard for size. Forbes.com says it used data from a variety of sources to help answer questions from a student’s perspective: How good will my professors be? Will the school help me achieve notable career success? If I have to borrow money to pay for college, how deeply will I go into debt? What are the chances I will graduate in four years? Are the students and faculty recognized nationally, or even globally?

In addition to finishing first among 10 ranked Wisconsin institutions, Lawrence also was ranked on Forbes.com’s list ahead of such traditional heavyweights as the University of California-Berkeley (73), Duke University (80) and the Ivy League’s Cornell University (121) and Dartmouth College (127). Princeton University, California Institute of Technology and Harvard University were ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the report.

“We’re happy that Forbes has discovered what a lot of people already know about Lawrence: with our excellent faculty and extraordinary focus on individualized learning, Lawrence is a place that has a meaningful and transformational effect on its students,” said Ken Anselment, director of admissions. “Of course, no ranking report — no matter how favorable — is a substitute for a thoughtful college search that includes visits to the campuses a student is seriously considering.”

In compiling its rankings, Forbes.com applied a strong student perspective, basing its points system on the quality of the education the college or university provides and how much their students achieve. Its methodology was developed by Ohio University economist Richard Vedder in conjunction with researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

Three factors determined the remaining 50 percent of an institution’s score: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by students who borrowed; the percentage of students who graduated in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards such as Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

Forbes.com used seven million student evaluations of college courses and professors from the Web site RateMyProfessors.com, for 25 percent of the score. The remaining quarter of the score was based on the number of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, listed in “Who’s Who in America.”

Generally speaking, smaller liberal arts colleges, with their personal attention and strong faculties, fare well in Forbes.com’s rankings, while larger state schools performed poorly. Eight liberal arts colleges were ranked among the top 20 institutions nationally, including two in the top five, Swarthmore (4) and Williams (5). Many of the large state universities landed well down Forbes.com’s list, including UW-Madison (335), the University of Arizona (383) and the University of Minnesota (524).

APPLETON, WIS. — A gift of more than $1.6 million from the trust of a family with deep roots to Lawrence University will help future generations of students interested in the theatre obtain a Lawrence education college officials announced today (8/14).

The gift from the estate of F. Stansbury (Stans) Young will be directed to the F. Theodore Cloak Scholarship. It was the second gift of more than $1 million for scholarship support Lawrence has received in the past month.

The Cloak Scholarship, established in 1969, honors former professor Ted Cloak, the founder of Lawrence’s theatre department and supports theatre arts majors with financial need on the basis of talent and promise.

Cloak, who taught at Lawrence from 1929 until his retirement in 1969, was a close friend and mentor to Young, who enjoyed a long career with Thilmany Pulp & Paper Company in Kaukauna. Young died in 2003.

“The Young family’s ties to Lawrence span nearly the entire history of the college,” said Calvin Husmann, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Stans’ years working at Thilmany and staying in touch with his alma mater and his home town prompted his desire to carry forward his family’s impressive tradition of giving to the college. We are deeply grateful for Stans’ years of generosity and this ultimate gift to benefit students studying theatre at Lawrence.”

F. Stansbury Young, who earned a degree in chemistry from Lawrence in 1936, has extensive family connections to Appleton and the college dating to his grandparents. Emory and Mary Anne Phinney Humphrey Stansbury were both trustees of Lawrence in the late 1800s. In 1859, Mary Anne Stansbury became the 24th graduate in Lawrence history — and at age 16, also its youngest.

In 1996, Young established the Carmen N. and F. Stansbury Young Scholarship in honor of his wife, a 1931 Lawrence graduate. Young went on to name a space in Lawrence’s new Science Hall in the late 1990s. Young’s uncle, Karl Stansbury, established several funds at the college, as well as named the Stansbury Theatre in Lawrence’s Music-Drama Center.

APPLETON, WIS. — A $1.125 million gift from the trust of two former long-time Appleton residents will provide financial assistance to Lawrence University students from low-income families college officials announced today (8/1).

The Raymond C. Krueger Industrialist Scholarship will be established by a gift from the trust of Amond “Ralph” and Marjorie Ballinger. The scholarship honors Marjorie’s father, a 1914 graduate of Lawrence.

“This gift was really like an unexpected Christmas present,” said Calvin Husmann, Lawrence vice president for development and alumni relations. “It is gratifying to know that the Ballingers felt such passion for ensuring students with financial need would have the opportunity to receive a Lawrence education. Their action is evidence of what thoughtful members of the Fox Valley community can do for students wishing to study here at Lawrence.”

The Ballingers spent most of their lives in Appleton and were generous supporters of many Fox Valley organizations, including the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin and the Appleton Medical Center Foundation as well as The Post-Crescent-sponsored Backpacks for Kids program and the Stock the Shelves Campaign for area food pantries. They also were long-time members of First United Methodist Church, where they first met at a singles gathering in 1948.

Marjorie Ballinger was a 1928 graduate of Appleton High School and earned a degree from Bowlby’s Business College. She enjoyed a 30-year career with Fox River Tractor Company, retiring in 1970. She died last August at the age of 87.

Amond Ballinger, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, spent 28 years with the United States Department of Defense, retiring as a quality assurance specialist. He served as a supply officer for the Outagamie Chapter of the American Red Cross for more than 12 years. He passed away at the age of 84 in March of this year.