Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_26207" align="alignnone" width="770"] Undergraduate students showcased 3,050 presentations at the 2013 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held at UW-L April 11-13. UW-L was listed in the U.S.News & World Report as “A Focus on Student Success” for undergraduate research and creative projects, which recognizes “outstanding examples” of programs educators say are key for student success.[/caption]

Campus earns undergraduate research recognition

UW-La Crosse is the No. 3 best regional public university in the Midwest, according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2014 America’s Best Colleges list. It’s the 13^th year in a row that UW-L has remained the top-ranked comprehensive university in the UW System. The rank continues UW-L’s trend of being among the Midwest’s top four public universities for more than a decade in the category that includes institutions providing a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs. And, for the first time, UW-L is included in the elite group of national universities that provide excellence in undergraduate research. UW-L was listed in the magazine’s “A Focus on Student Success” for undergraduate research and creative projects, which recognizes “outstanding examples” of programs educators say are key for student success. UW-L was one of only 39 institutions nationally in this select group — a group that includes Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina and UW-Madison, the only other Wisconsin school on the list. The list is generated by nominations from college administrators nationwide as stellar examples of programs key to student success. “It’s wonderful to see UW-L ranked among the top universities of our kind in the nation and also to be listed alongside universities like Harvard, Yale and UW-Madison when it comes to the extraordinary quality of our undergraduate research experience,” says Chancellor Joe Gow.  “Our faculty and staff are tirelessly dedicated to providing exceptional research opportunities to our students. So it’s gratifying to see their fine efforts recognized alongside the work of the top universities in the nation in U.S.News.” U.S.News also listed UW-L among “A-Plus Schools for B Students.” The list identifies “where non-superstars have a decent shot at being accepted and thriving — where spirit and hard work could make all the difference to admissions offices.” Other UW schools on that list were UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point. Truman State University in Missouri earned the top spot among Midwestern public colleges. The University of Northern Iowa was second. UW-L moved ahead of the University of Illinois-Springfield, which shared the No. 2 spot a year ago. Among all private and public Midwestern universities, UW-L ranked No. 26, tying with Augsburg College. Among other UW four-year campuses in the top 10 in the Best Regional Universities rankings, UW-Eau Claire was No. 5 (30^th overall) and UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater tied for No. 9 (42^nd overall).?UW-Madison is tied for No. 11 in the Best National Public Universities category. The rankings are a thorough examination of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of up to 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.  Complete listings are available at www.usnews.com/colleges.