a message
from the President
Jay Gogue
Today’s Auburn students are more mobile and technologically savvy. They embrace digital
learning tools that enhance student performance and deliver innovative content anywhere,
anytime. U.S. News and World Report, in its first ranking of top online programs, rated
Auburn highly, specifically naming courses in education and engineering to its honor roll.
Using technology to improve educational outcomes at Auburn is nothing new, and
we are always looking for ways to enhance our current practices. For example, Auburn is
implementing a new web-based program, DegreeWorks, to help students stay on track with
their individual academic plans. The program will also serve our academic advisors, giving
them the ability to certify degrees, as well as benefitting this institution with improved
retention and transfer recruitment. The program will assist students in “what if ” scenarios; a
student in any major will now have the resources to check DegreeWorks to determine which
additional courses would be required to change to a different major.
Continuing in the area of academics, I have a few other items I would like to bring to
your attention.
In the recently released 2010-2011 National Merit Scholarship Corporation Annual
Report, Auburn ranked second nationally out of 145 public institutions in the enrollment
of National Merit Scholars. Auburn is first in the Southeastern Conference among public
institutions and second, behind Vanderbilt, among all Southeastern Conference institutions.
Auburn ranked ninth overall out of the 359 institutions where these scholars are enrolled,
with Chicago, USC, Harvard, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Washington-St. Louis, Oklahoma
and Yale ranked higher.
In the summer and fall of 2011, Auburn enrolled 181 new scholars, which is a 35 percent
increase over last year’s number of 134. Auburn’s 181 National Merit Scholars are from
23 states and are enrolled in all of the university’s 10 undergraduate colleges and schools.
Auburn also enrolled a record 45 National Achievement Scholars from 19 states, an 80
percent increase over last year. The students are enrolled in five of Auburn’s undergraduate
colleges and schools.
It is truly rewarding to realize that so many academically talented students recognize
Auburn’s commitment to quality education, faculty, and programs and seek to become a part
of our growing family.
War Eagle,
Jay Gogue
College of Sciences and Mathematics
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