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Public AffairsNews Service

News Release

Friday, January 21, 2011

Writer: Ben Benson, 706/425-2953, bbenson@uga.eduContact: Judy Milton, 706/425-2953, jmilton@uga.edu

UGA Graduate School receives award for excellence and innovation in graduate

admissions practices

Athens, Ga. The University of Georgia Graduate School recently received the 2010-2011 Award for Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Admissions from the Council of

Historically Black Graduate Schools and the Educational Testing Service. The awardacknowledges outstanding practices in graduate admissions.

We are honored to be recognized by these organizations for our innovative efforts, saidMaureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School. This award reflects our commitment toprovide an excellent experience for prospective and current students and promotediversity at the University of Georgia.

The Graduate School received the award for its data-based Recruitment throughGraduation initiative. This initiative grew out of the innovative practices developedduring the Ph.D. Completion Project, a research project funded by the Council of

Graduate Schools.

The expanded use of these practices dramatically improved the acceptance andgraduation rates of underrepresented graduate students, said Grasso.

Since 2004, enrollment of African-American and Hispanic graduate students hasincreased by 31 percent and 75 percent, respectively, in UGA graduate programs. In thesame time period, degree completion rates for African-American and Hispanic graduatestudents improved by more than 20 percent.

As part of the Recruitment through Graduation initiative, the Graduate School conducted

quantitative and qualitative research to understand why graduate students drop out ofprograms before completion. The results allowed the Graduate School to developprograms to assist graduate students from initial contact with UGA through completion oftheir degree.

The Recruitment through Graduation initiative has enhanced our understanding of howto recruit top graduate students and provide them with sufficient resources throughouttheir education at UGA, said Grasso.

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Award, page 2

The Graduate School has implemented innovative recruitment efforts to contact and stayin touch with graduate students. It uses a variety of technologies to connect students,departments and the Graduate School, including Connect a Web-based database, andFacebook. The Graduate School also provides funding, professional developmentopportunities, social networks, and academic and personal advising to help studentsnavigate through graduate education.

As the recipient of the award, the Graduate School will receive $2,500 to fund additionalinnovative practices for graduate student recruitment, admissions programs or retentionefforts.

The Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools helps its member universitiesincrease enrollment, retention and graduation of African-American students in graduateprograms. Educational Testing Service develops and administers the GRE and TOEFLtests and conducts research to improve education practices and assessments.

For more information on the Graduate School, see http://www.grad.uga.edu/.

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