Hope Named Outstanding Employer

For the third consecutive year, Hope College has been named one of the "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" in West Michigan.

The competition is a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) and the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). Hope and the region's other 2008 winners will be recognized during an awards luncheon at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 1.

Businesses are evaluated in nine categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, recruitment and selection, and work-life balance. Considerations within each category include a unique thought process with top support from senior management and policy makers; the quality of programs, services and solutions for employees; and adaptation to new factors in the marketplace. learn more

Hope Highlighted as a Favorite

Loren Pope’s newest edition Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that's Right for You highlights Hope in a chapter titled "A Few Favorites."

"Hope, in Holland, Michigan, is another that merits a lot more attention than it gets, raising higher education's moral and intellectual levels. It is a place where parents can send children of a wide range of abilities, knowing that their talents will be increased, their visions broadened, their ethical acuities sharpened, and they will be prepared to prosper in a changed and changing world."

Hope Remains Rated in the Top Tier among National Liberal Arts Colleges

In the "American's Best Colleges 2008" guide published by "U.S. News and World Report," Hope again appears in the top tier among the "National Liberal Arts Colleges" category. A total of 266 liberal arts colleges are considered on the national list.

For the sixth consecutive year, Hope is again recognized as a leader in providing undergraduate research experiences.

Hope is also mentioned as an "A+ Option for B Students" Hope is ranked 97th among 266 institutions in this classification. America's Best Colleges website

Hope's Teacher Preparation
Programs Rates High

Hope College and Oakland University had the best performance scores among all teacher-preparation institutions in Michigan according to data by the Michigan Department of Education. The ranking complies with new federal rules designed to evaluate the quality of teaching-preparation institutions. Out of a possible score of 70, Hope's education program received a 68.
Detroit Free Press story / Holland Sentinel story

Learning the Hope Way

A new book features Hope as an example of a college that gets it right.

Hope is one of only 10 church-related colleges and universities nationwide highlighted in Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully, which argues “that an effective and ideal undergraduate college education is one that centers on holistic student development, including the search for meaning and purpose in life.” Published by Anker Publishing Company Inc. of Bolton, Mass., the book was co-authored by Dr. Larry A. Braskamp, Dr. Lois Calian Trautvetter and Dr. Kelly Ward. Learn more

Hope Highlighted in Fiske Guide to Colleges

Since its inception 24 years ago, the "Fiske Guide to Colleges" has annually included Hope College in its listing of "the country's best and most interesting colleges and universities." Done in a narrative style instead of through rankings, the Fiske Guide gathers the opinions of students, faculty and administrators. One student for the 2008 edition noted that "the quality of teaching is off the charts."

Another student, a senior, described Hope as "a very happy, energetic, caring place to be." The editor, former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, observed: "Hope's academic and athletic programs continue to grow and prosper, helped out by an array of new facilities. For those seeking an institution with traditional Christian roots and an emphasis on undergraduates, Hope may be worth a look."

International Acclaim

Hope College is the top Baccalaureate school in the nation for having the largest number of students enroll in long-term study-abroad programs. A survey by the Institute of International Education ranked Hope first among four-year colleges for the number of students it sent on long-term study-abroad programs during 2004-05. The college also placed sixth nationwide on the same measure among colleges and universities of any type.

Titled “Meeting America’s Global Education Challenge: Current Trends in U.S. Study Abroad and The Impact of Strategic Diversity Initiatives,” the report was released in May by the Institute for International Education (IIE). The report emphasizes the importance of study abroad, noting “To succeed and prosper in a global economy and interconnected world, U.S. students need international knowledge, intercultural communication skills, and global perspectives.”

The report defines long-term study as a program running an entire academic year. The program also provided information concerning mid-term (single-semester) and short-term (eight weeks or less) programs. During 2006-07, 134 Hope students spent either the academic year or a semester in 27 different countries.

Colleges That Change Lives

Loren Pope’s newest edition book Colleges that Change Lives, cites Hope as one of 40 "lilfe-changing" colleges that are outdoing the Ivies and the major universities in producing winners" and describes the college as a place that "raises higher education's moral and intellectual levels."

Hope Recommended in Guide
by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Hope is among 50 colleges recommended by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in its guide All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals and People of Faith, which notes that “The students and faculty we spoke with confirm that the school walks its talk; Hope College is both academically serious and theologically earnest.”

Hope's Academic Programs
Earn National Accreditation

Hope is the only private, four-year liberal arts college in the United States with national accreditation in art, dance, music and theatre. Hope also has accredited programs in Athletic Training, Chemistry, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Social Work. Hope is the only college or university in Michigan where business students can participate in the George F. Baker Scholars Program, which provides a wide range of real-world experiences beyond the classroom.

Hope Students Lauded for
Making a Difference

In October 2006, Hope was named to the new federal President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, one of 15 colleges or universities from Michigan included, designed to increase public awareness of the contributions that college students are making within their local communities and across the country through voluntary service.

Learn about our most
recent buidling projects

Read about "Faith in Action" at Hope College

A Hope College basketball player's selfless act is having an effect far beyond her team's recent national championship season. It's led to the creation of a scholarship that will help other students in perpetuity. learn more / learn about other giving stories

Learn about the experiences of some of the people connected to Hope

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