October 13, 2015
Rankings reflect SIU’s commitment to diversity
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Recently released national rankings prove Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion remains strong.
The magazine “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” announced its annual Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producers and SIU earned recognition in 29 undergraduate categories, including several first-place rankings.
“It speaks well of our students, staff and faculty that we at SIU have achieved strong rankings in this prestigious publication for our accomplishments in diversity,” Linda McCabe Smith, associate chancellor for institutional diversity, said. “Our programs are successfully graduating a diverse workforce in a variety of fields and that is a source of great pride. The rankings show that our actions are consistent with our mission.”
As it has on several previous occasions, SIU earned accolades for placing in the top three for the number of education degrees awarded to minority students. The university also placed among the top three for engineering technologies and engineering-related fields degrees awarded to African Americans, to Native Americans and to Asian Americans. The university earned a rank of 36th in the nation for the number of total degrees from all disciplines awarded to African American students.
McCabe Smith said that while her office oversees campus diversity and inclusivity efforts, the rankings and successes are indicative of a campus-wide commitment.
“There’s no way one unit or college can be successful in and of itself. This reflects a collective effort and commitment to diversity and inclusivity campus-wide and it shows,” she said. “SIU has consistently earned high Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producer rankings from ‘Diverse: Issues in Higher Education,’ and for the fourth consecutive year we recently earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from ‘INSIGHT Into Diversity’ magazine. This dual accomplishment is really something to boast about because it is evidence of our effectiveness in the areas of diversity and inclusivity.”
The rankings are based on the 2013-2014 academic year statistics. In some instances, more than one institution is tied for a specific ranking.
SIU’s bachelor degree rankings include:
- First for engineering technologies and engineering-related field degrees to African Americans and to Native Americans, for transportation and materials moving to Hispanic students and for education degrees earned by all minorities
- Second for engineering technologies and engineering-related fields degrees to Asian Americans
- Third for education degrees to African Americans and for transportation and materials moving degrees both to Asian Americans and to all minorities
- Sixth for education degrees to students of two or more ethnicities
- Eighth for health and medical administrative services degrees to African Americans and to students of two or more races as well as education degrees to Asian Americans
- Ninth for engineering technologies and engineering-related fields degrees to those of two or more races
- 10th for English language and literature/letters degrees to African Americans
- 11th for engineering technologies and engineering-related field degrees to
Hispanics and to all minorities as well as Hispanic education degrees
- 12th for Asian American degrees in transportation and materials moving and in health and medical administrative services
- 14th for African American degrees in communication disorders, sciences and services and in communication, journalism and related programs
- 15th for African American degrees in agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences
- 17th for Hispanic health and medical administrative services degrees
- 21st for African American architecture and related services degrees
- 22nd for African American degrees in hospitality administration/management
- 27th for social sciences degrees to African Americans
- 36th for all degrees earned by African American students
- 40th for Hispanic administration/management degrees
- 47th for marketing degrees earned by African Americans.
The Diverse Top 100 is a national analysis based upon the most recent statistical data from the U.S. Department of Education as reported by institutions of higher learning.