August 23, 2017
La Roche College Named a College of Distinction
PITTSBURGH, August 23, 2017 – La Roche University has recently earned recognition among the nation’s Colleges of Distinction for the sixth consecutive year.
Colleges of Distinction is a website and corresponding e-guidebook dedicated to honoring schools nationwide for their excellence in undergraduate-focused higher education. Schools must demonstrate results across four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes. High school counselors and educators make nominations, and each school is evaluated on key indicators including student engagement, student empowerment and curricular innovation.
“In becoming a College of Distinction, La Roche University joins our select group of schools who are fully invested in the success of their students, from day one,” Tyson Schritter, chief operating officer for Colleges of Distinction, said. “Thanks to the programs they implement, these schools consistently produce well-rounded graduates who are lifelong learners. Their alumni are prepared to make significant contributions in their careers and to society at large.”
The new e-guidebook highlights La Roche’s business, education and nursing programs with the newly introduced College of Distinction Fields of Study badges, and names La Roche a Pennsylvania College of Distinction and Catholic College of Distinction. the University of Distinction Fields of Study badges are awarded to colleges with first-rate programs with recognized professional accreditations.
La Roche’s business, nursing and education programs are accredited, growing and cutting-edge. Since 1995 the University’s business programs have been accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). These accredited programs include management, finance, international management, accounting, marketing and management information systems.
La Roche’s nursing programs, accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN) and Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), continue to grow as the University recently added a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) concentration to prepare graduate level students for advanced practice roles in all health care delivery settings.
Accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, La Roche’s education program offers post-baccalaureate certifications in special education and advanced studies in autism.
La Roche students develop valuable skills through transformative experiences such as study abroad courses, internships, service learning, campus engagement, independent research, professional networking and student activities. Through Study Abroad+Study USA, a unique program included in the cost of tuition, students travel abroad or domestically at little or no additional cost. During the 2016-2017 academic year, students studied in Greece, Germany, Austria, Russia, The Netherlands, Peru and Japan.
Students also examine social issues and meet the needs of the marginalized by serving as volunteers through the Office of Mission and Ministry. As part of Alternative Spring Break in March 2017, volunteers visited Chicago, Ill., to assist in after school tutoring programs and community resource centers, and to help stock food pantries.
Colleges of Distinction looks beyond rankings and test scores to find colleges that are the ideal places to learn, grow and succeed. The selection process reviews such factors as the school’s first year experience, general education program, experiential components of the curriculum, the strategic plan, and alumni success and satisfaction.
Visit collegesofdistinction.com to view La Roche’s online profile.
About La Roche University: A private liberal arts college in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, six graduate degree programs and one doctoral program, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, and health and medical sciences as well as interior design and graphic design. This residential college provides a vibrant campus community for more than 1,500 men and women enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
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