Ranked again

For the second consecutive year the John L. Grove College of Business was ranked in the Princeton Review’s annual guide to the best business schools in the nation. The Best 290 Business Schools ranks schools based on surveys of students over the past three academic years. Schools are listed with information covering academics, admissions, financial aid, campus life, and career information. The Princeton Review does not name a best business school overall or rank the schools in the book.

Good performance

The university received $3.7 million from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education in performance funding. PASSHE uses criteria from a number of areas related to academics, alumni, and running a university to determine funding levels. One rated variable that Ship was awarded funds for was having the highest four-year graduation rate among the sister institutions. Little more than half of the funding came from two areas: degrees awarded ($585,974) and terminal degrees held by tenured faculty ($1,358,796).

Raising private funds

According to PASSHE, the fourteen universities raised, combined, $42.6 million last year from private sources, including alumni and parents of current students. Alumni continue to be the biggest supporters with private fundraising taking on increasing importance.

As for Ship, contributions last year totaled over $5.5 million. Total assets surpassed the $60 million mark and a record-setting increase of 22.8 percent in endowment growth were noted at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2007.

It’s secure

Each year the university’s department of public safety is responsible for a report detailing statistics for the past three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the university, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from campus. The report is available by contacting the Department of Public Safety at 717-477-1446 or by visiting www.ship.edu/admiss/brochures/Safety.pdf.

This is a test

The new emergency text-messaging system was tested about a month after the start of the semester. The test showed there was an issue with some cell phone providers who did not send the message immediately. The university is working with providers to rectify this situation. University officials are encouraging those who have not signed up for the service to do so by visiting www.ship.edu and on the left-hand side pick the appropriate category (current students, graduate students, faculty/staff, and parents and family) and look for the Get Connected icon. Students must register parents and family.