Together, all of us have worked to implement what I call “Excellence by Design”—a deliberate strategy to propel Northeastern to new heights. Now the world is taking notice, and we are receiving impressive recognition of our achievements.
In January, for example, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an extensive front-page article about Northeastern’s efforts to globalize its educational offerings—citing, in particular, the global expansion of our signature co-op program. At a time when virtually every college and university is working to become more global, it is gratifying for our international efforts to be showcased so prominently in higher education’s newspaper of record. (A reprint of the Chronicle article is enclosed with this issue of the magazine.)
The article came on the heels of the university’s winning the prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. This honor was given to only five American universities in 2010. In addition, our Dialogue of Civilizations program earned the 2011 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education from the Institute of International Education.
These efforts—and many others—have resulted in the achievement of a new milestone. As the Boston Globe reported in January, Northeastern received 43,183 applications for just 2,800 spots in the fall 2011 entering class—a total unrivaled by any other private university. We have also experienced a 42 percent increase in international applicants, and a 28 percent increase in applications for early admission, compared to last year.
These results demonstrate that, after more than a century, our cooperative-education model remains as compelling as ever. They’re also a powerful validation of our deliberate strategy and our shared work together.
As always, the support of you—our alumni and friends—is vital to achieving our shared vision. With your continued help, the best is truly yet to come.
Joseph E. Aoun
President