Monthly Archives: September 2015

Posted: Friday, September 11, 2015 6:17 am By TONY BROWN Staff writer, Maryville Daily Forum Northwest Missouri State University is included as a ranked institution in U.S. News & World Report’s “2016 Best Colleges” survey, which declared the school to be the top moderately selective regional university in Missouri for the second consecutive year. U.S. News placed Northwest at No. 74 on its list of “Best Regional Universities” in the Midwest, up six spots from last year. The Midwest regional schools roster includes public and private universities in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. A number of Missouri campuses placed higher than Northwest on the Midwest regional list. All are either private colleges or state-assisted institutions with more rigorous admissions standards. Those schools include Truman State University in Kirksville, a “highly selective” institution that tied with the University of Evansville (Indiana) for the No. 8 spot; Drury University in Springfield, No. 11; Rockhurst University in Kansas City, which tied for 18th with the University of Northern Iowa; Webster University in St. Louis, No. 26; and Missouri State University, No. 64, a “selective” university whose admissions standards are a step below Truman and a notch above Northwest. There are only three other moderately selective state-assisted public universities in Missouri aside from Northwest: the University of Central Missouri, Missouri Southern State University, and Southeast Missouri State University. Of those three, Northwest edged out the University of Central Missouri, which US news ranked at No. 75 in an eight-way tie with Wayne State College in Nebraska, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Concordia University in Chicago, and the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau claimed another of the 112 ranked positions at No. 92. Other Missouri Midwest regionals finishing below Northwest included Fontbonne University in St. Louis, No. 85, and Williams Woods University in Fulton, which placed 90th. Also on the ranked list, at No. 85, is Northwest’s arch-rival on the football field, Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. President John Jasinski hailed the ranking as an indication that “Northwest continues to deliver academic excellence.” “Our focus is on people, relationships, and student success, and we deliver on those objectives through profession-based experiences and programming,” Jasinski was quoted as saying in a university release. “I thank all who help us help students succeed, build better communities, and deliver economic impact.” To develop its survey, U.S. News analyzes a wide variety of data, including statistics on freshman retention, graduation rates, class sizes, ACT and SAT scores, financial aid, and alumni giving. The survey reported Northwest’s freshman retention rate, a common measure of student satisfaction, at 68 percent, which university officials said places the school in the 66th percentile of its national peer group. In addition, Northwest had a fall 2014 the applicant acceptance rate of just under 74 percent. Degree programs at Northwest attracting the most students, the survey stated, include business, management, and marketing; education; agriculture and related sciences; psychology; and communication, journalism, and related disciplines. U.S. News reported that Northwest has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 5,500 students with a gender distribution of 44.7 percent male and 55.3 percent female. The consumer news organization also found that 41 percent of students live in campus housing. Other statistics presented in a survey profile show that 68.7 percent of full-time undergraduates at Northwest receive some kind of needs-based financial aid, and that the average needs-based scholarship or grant award is $5,602. Standard tuition and fees at Northwest, according to its website, total just under $8,000 a year for Missouri residents, assuming a student course load of 14 credit hours. Northwest’s fall enrollment of 6,415 students on the first day of class included 1,478 first-time freshmen, which represents an 11-percent increase over last year and ranks as one of the largest freshman classes in the institution’s history.

Tony Brown, Maryville Daily Forum Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2015 7:57 am Maryville has been chosen as one of the “50 Safest College Towns in America” in an online listing compiled by SafeWise, a web-based company that markets home security systems and security consulting services. Ranked No. 32, Maryville was the only Missouri city on the list, finishing just behind Athens, Ohio, home to Ohio University, and ahead of Logan Utah, which boasts Utah State. The top five cities recognized were Brookings, South Dakota (South Dakota State University), Charleston, Illinois (Eastern Illinois University), Rexburg, Idaho (Brigham Young University-Idaho), Elon, North Carolina (Elon University), and Canyon, Texas (West Texas A&M). In compiling the rankings, SafeWise said it evaluated the most recent FBI crime statistics, combining that data with company research focused on safety-related programs and initiatives. Maryville Public Safety Director Keith Wood said the city’s inclusion on the list resulted from cooperative efforts involving law enforcement, private citizens, and Northwest Missouri State University, which offers numerous programs related to personal security, victim advocacy, responsible drinking, and healthy relationships. “Maryville Public Safety would like to thank our citizens, law enforcement partners, and Northwest Missouri State University for joint efforts in community betterment initiatives,” Wood said. “Public Safety continues to work with the Nodaway County Sheriffs Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Northwest Missouri State University Police Department, and various support services to ensure an ongoing commitment toward community safety.” City Manager Greg McDanel likewise said Maryville’s inclusion on the list resulted from both effective enforcement and local services and institutions, such as the Children and Family Center of Northwest Missouri, which operates a domestic abuse shelter, and a victims’ rights initiative spearheaded by Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice. Other initiatives promoting citizen safety include the university’s Safe Ride Home late-night shuttle service, a bar patrol program operated by Maryville Public Safety, and the Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE) initiative headed up by Meghann Kosman of the Children and Family Center and MPS Officer Sarah Kahmann.