Hollins University is among the Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship, according to the college ranking website AcademicInfluence.com
Composed of academics and data scientists, Academic Influence.com ranks Hollins ninth in the country in the category.
“Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we invented the Academic Stewardship metric to reward schools for making the most of what they have,” the website states. “Specifically, Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial resources (using the money they have responsibly without waste) and human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish) to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.”
“…we show why the smart use of an institution’s resources through committed investment in students who need more from their school is a better measure of excellence,” adds Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and Wake Forest University professor of physics. “This is why we want to bring attention to academic stewardship and the schools that exemplify this virtue.”
AcademicInfluence.com says attending a school with strong academic stewardship has several benefits:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. “The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.”
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. “A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing, but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it.”
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. “It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people – whether in business, sports, or academics – has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise….”
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students be their best. “These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school.”
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. “Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.”
AcademicInfluence.com concludes, “Colleges and universities deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.”
