Washington Monthly: C-N in Top Ten of U.S. Colleges

Dr. Christine Jones teaches Old Testament near Henderson Humanities Building. The Washington Monthly has ranked C-N 9th in U.S. on its list of leading baccalaureate institutions, in part because of the social mobility granted to students and for the sense of community service instilled in class and through extracurricular offerings.

Carson-Newman is ranked 9th among America’s baccalaureate colleges, says Washington Monthly magazine. C-N is first in community service among the 352 schools the publication cites as the country’s leading baccalaureate institutions.

In its 2012 College Guide released this week, the Washington Monthly examines and ranks institutions across four categories: baccalaureate colleges, liberal arts colleges, master’s universities and national universities. Carson-Newman is ranked highest across all categories among both Tennessee colleges and universities and those which are Baptist-affiliated.

C-N President Randall O’Brien says the Washington Monthly’s spotlight is welcomed news. “Our motivation to be academically rigorous and excellent in Christian compassion comes from striving to be what God would have us all become. We do not pursue our mission for rankings, but, I must say the recognition that the Carson-Newman experience is changing the lives of students and those they serve is wonderful.”

The Washington Monthly measures an institution based on its “contribution to the public good” in three areas: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), service (encouraging students to give something back to their country) and research (producing cutting-edge scholarship). The guide’s editors champion institutions like C-N, noting, “…our other top-ranked master’s and baccalaureate institutions don’t spend a lot of time and money chasing after fame and glory. They’re too busy serving their students and communities well. In doing so, they have a lot to teach academia about giving back to the country.”

The most recent accolade continues to spread news about Carson-Newman’s mission of education and service. In the spring, C-N received the Presidential Award for General Community Service as part of the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Carson-Newman volunteers, including students, faculty and staff, regularly provide more that 200,000 combined hours of service per year. According to the 2011 Assessment of Service and Civic Engagement, 70 percent of C-N students provide service within their communities each week.

The College Guide’s baccalaureate is available at http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2012/baccalaureate_rank.php