Competition Drives Rankings race Among Colleges
Dr. [Walter] Kimbrough certainly has legitimate grounds for complaint, and he is not alone (see “Are U.S. News’ Rankings Inherently Biased Against Black Colleges?” June 28).

What I would hope, however, is that the institutions that refuse to participate in the U.S. News rankings would extend beyond HBCUs to include institutions that feel the rankings are flawed as well as those who find themselves in the Top 100. Competition for students, research
dollars and corporate and individual contributions continues to stiffen among U.S. postsecondary institutions. With the increasing globalization of higher ed, U.S. institutions find themselves also competing with campuses abroad.

Rankings such as the U.S. News’ listings are one tool schools use to distinguish themselves from the rest. But until these rankings are reengineered or U.S. News goes out of business, it is in every institutions’ best interest to continue to identify ways to tell their own stories of success beyond the rankings, and to tap into “markets” of students and benefactors who can appreciate the unique contribution they make to today’s higher education landscape.

— Cheryl D. Fields, Vice President
 Langhum Mitchell Communications

Advocating for Students
My daughter is presently attending a HBCU, and it’s individuals like Ms. Jackson (see “Getting to Know: Yolanda Cash Jackson, June 28) that give the parent hope and the child encouragement. There is such a need to see more minorities in educational institutions and not in criminal institutions. This goal can be accomplished if more individuals band together to help our young people.

— Bobbie Barnwell
Miami-Dade County Public Schools

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