Lyndon State Makes the Grade

Lyndon State College students now have one more reason to be proud of their school: LSC was recently ranked 15th among the best northern public colleges by U.S. News and World Report.

"I think this is a wonderful and well-deserved recognition of so much of what Lyndon is and does as a college for its students," LSC Interim President Steve Gold said in an email.

Others members of the LSC community were equally pleased.

"It's good for the school," said Professor of Mathematics James Bozeman, chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.

"I think it's a testament to the tremendous job our faculty, administration, and staff do serving our students, and I look forward to helping us reach an even higher ranking next year," said SGA President Nicholas Russo, a junior atmospheric sciences major.

"I think it's awesome to be on the list, but I wish we were kind of higher," said Nora Barney, a senior music business and industry major.

The ranking will be used as a recruiting tool for LSC, Gold said, adding that he believes the ranking will confirm the hard work of LSC's faculty, staff, and students to make the college an excellent institution.

"I think it will open the eyes of many in the state and region to the fact that Lyndon is an excellent public four year college," Gold said.

Keith Chamberlin, director of marketing, said that the ranking will make the college stand out because U.S. News and World Report's college ranking system is one of the most prestigious.

"Naturally, we're pleased," Chamberlin said.

The ranking was posted on U.S. News and World Report's website on September 13, Chamberlin said. According to that site, U.S. News and World Report bases its college rankings factors like a school's academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, class sizes, selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving rates.

Gold said that, while he did not know the specifics of how U.S. News and World Report determined LSC's ranking, he hoped that the college's small class sizes, commitment to experiential education, and focus on first in family, modest income, and rural students all played a role.

The last time LSC made U.S. News and World Report's list of best northern public colleges was in 2003, when the school was ranked fourth. This year, Vermont Technical College also made the list in eighth place.

"It's always good publicity," Bob McCabe, director of student support services, said LSC's the ranking. "It can never hurt, that's for sure."