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Magazine Recognizes International CollegeBy: Editorial StaffSpotlights Smaller Class Size |
U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges Index.
International College ranks third among comprehensive colleges and
universities in the southern region with the highest proportion of classes
under 20 students. According to the Best Colleges 2003 Index criteria,
comprehensive colleges are institutions that provide an undergraduate
education and offer a range of degree programs. There are 324 comprehensive
colleges in the report, ranked within four regions: North, South, Midwest
and West.
In the 2002 Best Colleges Index, International College ranked third in the
nation among colleges and universities with the highest percentage of
students age 25 and older. It was the only higher learning institution in
the state of Florida to make the list. The two categories for which the
college has been recognized in the 2002 and 2003 editions define what
International College stands for, said college president Terry
McMahan.
"We tell people we are a school that focuses on adults learners and
received recognition for that mission. We aim for smaller class sizes and
have been recognized for that goal as well," McMahan said. "These rankings
validate what we are doing."
The college's goal is to keep class size between 15 and 20 students. To
keep up with growing enrollment, the administration has increased class
offerings to maintain low student/teacher ratios. Nearly every classroom is
utilized everyday at the Naples and Fort Myers campuses. The current
International College undergraduate Naples campus student/teacher ratio is
14.8:1; the undergraduate Fort Myers campus student/teacher ratio is
14.6:1.
are easier to administer in a smaller class," said Jeanette Brock, executive vice president of academic affairs. "Individuals will seek out
International College, because they want that individual attention and want
to attend a school where they have a teacher they can talk to one-on-one,
rather than attend a school where they are taught in a class of 400
students."
Founded in 1990, International College is accredited by the Commission on
Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award
Associate, Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Degree programs are offered in
13 fields of study in management, business, legal studies, accounting,
healthcare, computer information technology and criminal justice. Class
schedules, academic programs and delivery methods are designed for the
working adult.