Fordham College at Rose Hill
Photo by Kathryn Gamble
FCRH is at a moment in time when dramatic advances are possible. In particular, while building on its longstanding strengths, the college can take major strides forward in three crucial areas:
• The development of the sciences
• Advances in international education
FCRH has already achieved significant steps in these areas through the targeted use of discretionary funds, renewed engagement of faculty in curricular innovation and facilities renovation, and the creation of programs. In the years ahead, additional gains in student research, innovations in the sciences, and new opportunities in international education will enable FCRH students to realize their full potential.
The following is a brief overview of the three major areas of focus for FCRH, including progress attained thus far and additional steps to be taken. Major advances in these three areas promise to significantly strengthen the college, amplifying its national reputation and improving its ability to recruit and retain the very best students and faculty.
Area of Focus: The Advancement of Undergraduate Research
At the nation’s best liberal arts colleges, undergraduate research is not reserved for an elite few. It is an integral part of the curriculum and the academic culture, providing students with the resources they need to discover hidden talents, discern new interests, and distinguish themselves as they prepare for professional life. FCRH has launched major new initiatives to promote research among students and faculty from all academic disciplines.
The FCRH Research Grant Program. In 2010-2011, FCRH drew on discretionary funds to support a total of 119 student-faculty research projects, allocating $303,647.
Among the results of this effort, most notable were the following:
The FCRH Undergraduate Research Symposium. The FCRH research symposium continued to grow. In 2011, an impressive 193 students from across the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences participated, a 128 percent increase over 2010.
The Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal (FURJ). In 2011, FCRH published the inaugural issue of its undergraduate research journal, which featured the work of 14 highly talented students.
Student Publications in Professional Journals. The FCRH research grant program enabled students to develop close working relationships with outstanding faculty. As a result, students from five departments were co-authors on 23 professional publications.
Student Presentations at Professional Conferences. FCRH grants also enabled students to complete research projects and present them at national academic conferences. In total, FCRH students either made or co-authored 48 conference presentations.
Student Research Awards, Competitive Internships, and Summer Programs. FCRH students won three awards at professional conferences for their research, as well as 12 National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates awards and four DAAD-RISE research awards sponsored by the German government.
This is a remarkable record, especially for a program that has only been made a top priority in the past year. FCRH now seeks to continue developing a first-rate, comprehensive undergraduate research program. In turn, this effort will strengthen the admissions pool, give students greater advantages in gaining admission to outstanding graduate and professional programs, and increase FCRH’s ability to compete for prestigious fellowships and scholarships.
Area of Focus: The Development of the Sciences
A superior liberal arts college requires excellent science programs, yet the state of the sciences at Fordham College at Rose Hill demands improvement. Students and faculty have accomplished a great deal, but further progress will require innovations in curriculum, the development of new interdisciplinary programs, full use of the University’s external partnerships, and improvements in facilities that are firmly linked to enhanced pedagogy. In the past year, FCRH has made major efforts in the following areas.
The Science Education Committee and Science Chairs Council. The Science Education Committee, chaired by Donna Heald, Ph.D., includes representatives from each of the science departments at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center. Its charge focuses on the need to: identify best practice models in undergraduate science education; make recommendations regarding lab and classroom renovations; consider ways in which existing graduate programs can support undergraduate science; improve communication across the sciences; more effectively use external partnerships; define goals for undergraduate science, including benchmarks and timelines; and formulate an assessment plan. Through the work of this committee and regular meetings of the Science Chairs Council, FCRH has now undertaken a major effort to engage in essential longer-term planning for the sciences.
New Program in Integrative Neuroscience. Faculty from the Departments of Biology, Computer Science, Natural Science, and Psychology are now planning a new interdisciplinary program in integrative neuroscience. This program will be of major interest to students in the sciences and the pre-health program and allow FCRH to take a step already attained by most peer institutions.
Facilities Renovations Linked to Innovations in Pedagogy. Based on the projected capital funding of roughly $2 million per year, Michael Latham, Ph.D., dean of FCRH, and Donna Heald are guiding systematic renovations of the college’s science facilities for the next five years. As part of this process, renovation projects will be directly linked to pedagogical goals.
Further Development of External Partnerships and the Calder Center.
In the past year, FCRH faculty and students have made significantly greater use of the University’s external partnerships, including research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, laboratory sites at the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society for ecology and introductory biology courses, and participation in new early acceptance agreements with New York Medical College (NYMC) for Speech Language Pathology and its highly ranked Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Area of Focus: Advances in International Education
As a liberal arts college within a Jesuit university in one of the world’s greatest cities, it is most fitting that FCRH should make international education a high priority. Its advancement, moreover, will be essential if the college is to fulfill its mission to educate global leaders as defined in the University’s strategic plan. During 2010-2011, efforts focused on the following:
Expanded Foreign Language Offerings. In collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, FCRH secured the creation and approval of minors in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.
Study Abroad Opportunities. In collaboration with the University of Pretoria, FCRH and the Office of International and Study Abroad Programs have created a new service learning program in South Africa. The first contingent of students will take courses at the University of Pretoria in the spring of 2012, working on community service projects under the guidance of the Jesuit Institute of South Africa.
Support for International Students. FCRH has led the arts and sciences deans in providing funding for expanded English-as-a-Second Language training for new international students. FCRH is also implementing a mentorship program through which experienced, upper-class international students will be paired with incoming international freshmen to provide academic guidance and support.
In the coming year, FCRH will also seek additional ways in which international education can be strengthened via curriculum improvements. The new minor in International Humanitarian Affairs at Lincoln Center has started very well, and approximately half of the students enrolled in the program’s introductory course this year were FCRH students. In the coming year, FCRH will explore the ways that its program in International Political Economy can be promoted as well.
Fordham College at Rose Hill
At a Glance
FCRH Fall 2010
Entering Class Profile
Average SAT: 1252
down 1 point from fall 2009 and up 37 points since fall 2005
National Merit Award winners: 47
compared to 58 in fall 2009 and 12 in fall 2005
Freshmen in the top 10 percent of class: 45.5 percent
compared to 41.3 percent in fall 2009 and
36.6 percent in fall 2005
Minority percentage: 26.2 percent
compared to 23.6 percent in fall 2009 and
21.9 percent in fall 2005
Male/Female ratio: 43.1 percent male/
56.9 percent female
compared to 47.4 percent/52.6 percent in fall 2009 and 40.9 percent/59.1 percent in fall 2005
Acceptance rate: 50.6 percent for fall 2009
compared to 51.9 percent in fall 2009 and
53.6 percent in fall 2005
FCRH By The Numbers
US News and World Report Ranking: 56
(Fall 2010 magazine)
compared to 61 in 2009 and 68 in 2005
Prestigious fellowships and awards: 53
compared to 39 and 26 in the two previous years, respectively
Number of degrees conferred: 761
569 bachelor of arts and 192 bachelor of sciences compared to 753 in 2010 (564 BAs and 189 BSs) compared to 747 in 2006 (591 BAs and 196 BSs)
Total enrollment: 3,548 (fall 2010)
compared to 3,371 in fall 2009 (a 5.3 percent increase)compared to 3,269 in fall 2005
(an 8.5 percent increase)
International enrollment: 62
compared to 43 in fall 2009 (a 44.1 percent increase)compared to 21 in fall 2005 (a 195.2 percent increase)
FCRH Post-graduation Statistics*
Medical School (US): 80.8 percent
compared to 76.2 percent in fall 2009 and
77.3 percent in fall 2008
national average is 46.0 percent
Medical School (Foreign) and other Health Professional Schools: 90.9 percent
compared to 84.2 percent in fall 2009 and
83.3 percent in fall 2008
Law School (US): 76.0 percent
compared to 73.9 percent in fall 2009 and
68.1 percent in fall 2008
national average is 68.7 percent
* class of 2010 and prior
