NJIT Ranked 11th in Nation for Graduating African Americans
NJIT ranked eleventh in the nation for conferring bachelor’s degrees in engineering to African Americans, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education (formerly Black Issues in Higher Education). NJIT graduated 48 African-American undergraduate engineers in the 2008-2009 academic year—a 50 percent increase from the previous academic year.
“NJIT has been repeatedly recognized for being in the top 10 percent in the nation for awarding baccalaureate degrees to minority and African-American engineers,” said Joel S. Bloom, EdD, vice president for academic affairs and student services and dean of the Dorman Honors College at NJIT. “Historically, NJIT's commitment has included academic programs, services, financial support and a climate conducive to enrolling and graduating minority students,” added Bloom. “All of this produces results, and it’s great for the university to be recognized for its hard work and commitment.”
NJIT was cited in other key categories. NJIT ranked 16th nationally for conferring undergraduate engineering degrees to Hispanics; 8th for awarding computer and information science and support service degrees to Asian Americans; 13th for awarding these degrees to minorities in general and 19th overall for granting undergraduate engineering degrees to minorities.
Two programs have helped the university achieve these national rankings, said Bloom. NJIT’s Center for Pre-College programs, which offers classes to fourth through 12th graders, particularly minorities, is the pipeline that cultivates early student interest in science, math, engineering and technology. Second, NJIT’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) allows NJIT to remain a top opportunity school due to the counseling, tutoring and scholarships that EOP offers its students. The program is so successful that Laurence Howell, executive director of EOP, was named minority-engineering program director of the year (2004) by the National Society of Black Engineers. That same year, Howell was also named chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Minority Engineering Programs Administrators.
A new accolade will be received next month when the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) will present NJIT with its Rising University Star Award at its 35th anniversary awards dinner and celebration dinner.
More than 500 leaders from industry, academia, government, universities, foundations, and other organizations from across the country are expected to attend this premier, black-tie event. Since 1985, NACME has supported NJIT in preparing EOP students through five scholarship and grant programs. To date, more than 400 NJIT students and alumni have been the beneficiaries.