Belmont University | FYI


August 22, 2008

BELMONT NEWS


Belmont Cited Most as 'School to Watch' in 2009 U.S. News & World Report Rankings
University remains top school in Tennessee in Master’s category-South
all-colleges-hi-res.pngIn its newest analysis of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report announced that Belmont University was a most cited “School to Watch” in its current research, a high honor that indicates the strength of Belmont’s reputation among universities nationwide. For the first time, U.S. News & World Report asked its experts to identify “colleges and universities that have recently made striking improvements or innovations—schools everyone should be watching.” Belmont and Elon University in North Carolina were mentioned by experts more than any other universities appearing in the category.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “I don’t believe Belmont University could have received a higher compliment than to be noted by our peer institutions as a Top School to Watch. These are the most entrepreneurial people I’ve ever worked with. Sometimes I wonder if there’s a sign outside my office door that says, ‘Anyone who has a crazy idea, come on in!’ The amazing thing is, most of these crazy ideas are working.”

topschool.jpgIn addition, for the fourth year in a row Nashville’s Belmont University achieved a Top 15 regional ranking in the “Best Universities—Masters” category in the annual U.S. News & World Report college guide, again landing the highest spot of any Tennessee university. Ranked for 2009 at No. 11, Belmont is joined in the South’s Top 15 by such institutions as Rollins College, Elon University, James Madison University, The Citadel and Mercer University.

University Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander added, “Belmont is taking significant steps in the right directions, focusing our efforts on giving today’s students the tools they need to engage and transform the world. Higher retention and graduation rates as well as strong assessments from our peers indicate we’re meeting our goals, providing students with the best resources for a quality educational experience through ground-breaking, cross-disciplinary programs, small class sizes and outstanding faculty.” Click here to read more.

School of Humanities to Host Seventh Annual Symposium on 'Debate, Dissent and Dialogue'
Featured lecturers include Michael Bérubé, Daniel Frick and Masood Raja

HUM-symposium-logo_08[1].gifAs part of Belmont’s year-long programming to celebrate the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate, the School of Humanities will be hosting its seventh annual symposium Sept. 7-15 based on the topic “Debate, Dissent and Dialogue.” Focusing on the nature of argument and language in discourse, especially political, the symposium will feature talks by Family Professor in Literature at Pennsylvania State University Dr. Michael Bérubé, Marshall College Writing Center Director Dr. Daniel Frick and Belmont alumnus and current Kent State University faculty member Dr. Masood Raja. More than 20 academic lectures and special events will be held during the eight-day symposium, including the viewing and discussion of two recent films, William Wilberforce biopic Amazing Grace and the Edward R. Morrow-inspired Good Night, and Good Luck.

HUM-symposium-Michael-Berube.jpgBérubé—who will speak Thurs. night Sept. 11 and participate in a panel on Fri., Sept. 12—is the author of six books to date as well as the editor of The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies and, with Cary Nelson, of Higher Education Under Fire: Politics, Economics and the Crisis of the Humanities. He has written more than 150 essays for a wide variety of academic journals such as American Quarterly, the Yale Journal of Criticism, Social Text and Modern Fiction Studies as well as more popular venues such as Harper's, the New Yorker, Dissent, The New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post, the Nation and the Boston Globe. His book Life As We Know It was a New York Times' Notable Book of the Year for 1996 and was chosen as one of the best books of the year by Maureen Corrigan of National Public Radio.

Dr. Daniel Frick is Director of the Writing Center and adjunct professor of English at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He teaches courses in rhetoric and American fiction, and his book, Reinventing Richard Nixon: The Cultural History of an American Obsession, has just been published by the University Press of Kansas.

Belmont alum Dr. Masood Raja moved to the United States in 1996 after resigning his commission in the Pakistan Army. He teaches in the English department at Kent State, and he specializes in Postcolonial Literature and Theory with a special emphasis on the Literature of South Asia, the Islamic world and global responses, popular and literary, to the neoliberal globalization.

For a complete listing of all events in this year’s symposium, click here to visit the online program.

Men's, Women's Basketball Teams Announce Schedules
FullColorBruinlogo4.jpgPerennial major conference powers and area rivals highlight Belmont University’s men’s basketball schedule for the upcoming 2008-09 season. The three-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference champions will play no fewer than nine games against teams from the state of Tennessee during the regular season, with four contests at the Curb Event Center.

In addition, one season after playing the toughest regular season schedule under Head Coach Tony Cross, the Belmont women’s basketball team is poised to rebuild on its legacy of excellence and vie for a return to the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Bruins’ slate features match-ups with several intrastate rivals and appearances in two tournaments that should give the team confidence heading into the always competitive Atlantic Sun.

For more information on both of these stories and a preview of both teams' schedules, click here to visit the newly redesigned Belmont Athletics Web site.


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