| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 15, 2003 |
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| Hispanic
Outlook in Higher Education Names St. Edward’s University
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| For
efforts to recruit and retain Hispanic students, St. Edward’s
University has been named as one of the “Top 100 Schools Graduating
Hispanics” and as a “Publisher’s Pick” by
the national academic journal The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.
The “Publisher’s Pick” schools were selected through
questionnaires sent to university presidents nationwide, in addition
to considering graduation and retention rates of Hispanic students.
Out of a possible 3,800 colleges and universities across the country,
only 500 were recognized as a “Publisher’s Picks.”
In a published letter, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education publisher José López-Isa stated, “Every year at this time, we offer our Publisher’s Picks, a list of colleges and universities that in our view do a fine job of recruiting, enabling and graduating Hispanic students. Our selections are based on your responses to our formal inquiries on data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics and on anecdotal evidence from all directions. “Many institutions on the list are located in states with sizable populations of Hispanics. Some attract a great many Hispanic students. But sheer numbers never tell the whole story. A warm welcome and a solid follow-through count for a lot, especially for students who might be blazing a new family path to higher education.” “Our mission speaks of providing educational opportunities to students of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds,” said George E. Martin, president of St. Edward’s University. “As full participants in the St. Edward’s educational experience, Hispanic students enrich the university’s learning community. Through personal interactions they and other students develop a broader understanding of the shared cultural heritage of Americans.” More than 26 percent of St. Edward’s total enrollment of 4,443 students are Hispanic, which qualified St. Edward’s to be designated a Hispanic-serving institution in 2001. Federal guidelines limit the Hispanic-serving designation to institutions with a minimum of 25 percent of Hispanic students and at least half coming from low-income backgrounds. Founded
by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward’s University
has been named as one of America’s Best Colleges for 2004
by U.S. News & World Report. St. Edward’s is a private
Catholic, liberal arts university of approximately 4,450 students
located in Austin, Texas. # # # |
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Communications Director
512-448-8404/C: 512-750-3649
stephane@admin.stedwards.edu