| See UMC's Ranking |
Posted 04/19/2000
Contact: Andrew Svec, 218-281-8380
UMC Ranked #1 on Yahoo! Wired Colleges List
The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) has been ranked one of “America’s Most Wired Colleges” by the online version of Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine. UMC ranked at number one in the “Baccalaureate II” category, one of four categories of colleges and universities.
According to Yahoo!, nearly 1,300 schools from all 50 states contributed data for consideration in this year’s ranking. The survey asked participating schools for information regarding the number of computers on campus, the number of classrooms wired to the Internet, web services for students, faculty and staff, and the incorporation and use of technology in all aspects of campus life.
“Recognition like this doesn’t just happen,” says Dr. Donald Sargeant, UMC’s Chancellor. “In 1993 UMC implemented a strategy to embrace the use of technology in all programs and services. We’ve now been able show the results of that plan. We don’t use technology just for the sake of using technology, but to improve every course and every service on campus. We planned and took action. This has led to a change in the culture of this campus and in the very nature of teaching and learning here today.”
Since 1993, the campus has continually integrated technology into its coursework and its physical environment. Every faculty member at UMC works with course web pages and other computer technologies in some way. All students have notebook computers and web page accounts. Over 85 percent of all classrooms are wired to the campus local area network and to the Internet. Most classrooms have Internet connections at every seat, and all residence hall rooms provide Internet connectivity.
“Our faculty and staff have worked every day to improve the educational environment with technology,” says Sargeant. “It’s nice to have the recognition of a national publication such as Yahoo! This number one ranking reinforces the added value of our educational outcomes as seen by our students and by employers. It reaffirms that we really are doing something special here at UMC.”
This is the first year UMC has been asked to complete the Yahoo! survey. The magazine increased the number of colleges in the survey pool this year and broke the rankings into four separate categories in an effort to compare similar institutions. The categories were “Universities and Research Schools,” “Colleges and Baccalaureate Schools” (selective admissions), “Colleges and Baccalaureate Schools II” (less selective admissions), and “Two-Year Institutions.”
Learn more at the Yahoo! top wired colleges website, www.wiredcolleges.com , and at www.umcrookston.edu , UMC’s website.