For All Generations to Come
One of the cornerstones of the educational enterprise is the capacity to impart the values of education from one generation to the next. While all aspects of education strive toward that end, none is more effective or more transforming than the presence of a mentor in an eager student's life. Mentors are particularly important to undergraduates, and this report tells the stories of a handful of such relationships, revealing the dedication of our faculty, staff, and alumni to the students of The University of Alabama.
These individual relationships, and thousands more like them, help weave the tapestry of accomplishment that is the work of the University. Once again this year, The University of Alabama enjoyed public recognition as a premier institution of higher learning in the state, region, and nation. U.S. News & World Report again named UA as one of the top 50 U.S. public universities for 2003, while Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked us as one of the 100 best U.S. public colleges.
Many of the University's colleges and schools received similar honors. U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Law and our undergraduate business program among the top 50 in the nation for the fourth consecutive year and, in its most recent rankings of graduate communication programs, placed our advertising program 12th and telecommunication program 14th in the nation. In addition, the Journal of Health Education ranked the University's Ph.D. program in health education/health promotion seventh in the nation, and the undergraduate accounting program placed 19th nationally in the latest Public Accounting Report rankings.
At press time, we learned that we are the only university in the nation to have five students named Academic All-Americans by USA Today. We are in good company in this recognition - Harvard and Johns Hopkins each had three students among those honored in the 2003 competition.
We are proud of these recent accolades and are committed to building upon the University's rich tradition of excellence. In 2003 we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the integration of our student body, and with that celebration also reflect upon our ongoing responsibility to all the people of Alabama. As a student-centered research university, we strive to produce graduates who are people of integrity and who will be leaders in their respective fields. Who will, in fact, be the next generation of mentors.
