UA Receives First ‘Extra Mile’ Award for Top Minority Graduate Program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama has received the prestigious Extra Mile Award and has been ranked number one in the Southern Regional Education Board’s State Minority Doctoral Scholars program, coordinated by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

The first-ever Extra Mile Award was presented to UA for extraordinary leadership and support of participating scholars at the Compact for Faculty Diversity’s 13th annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring held recently in Miami.

The honor will be given annually to an individual or institution demonstrating extraordinary resolve, commitment and support of scholars.

“The Extra Mile Award is especially gratifying to us at The University of Alabama. It recognizes the Capstone’s long-standing, national leadership position in matriculating and graduating large numbers of minority doctoral students who become leaders in their professions after leaving UA.

“Second, it recognizes UA’s proactive stance in hiring and developing successful faculty members who were SREB Fellows at other institutions. For our part, we in the Graduate School pledge to do all that we can in coming years to build on this foundation of success,” said Dr. David Francko, dean of the UA Graduate School.

The scholar’s program was created to increase the number of minority scholars who earn doctorates and become faculty members at colleges and universities where they are under-represented. Alabama is one of 16 states in the higher education Southern region.

Since the program began in 1993, UA has had 52 scholars further their education and the University has consistently led all 89 participating institutions. UA has also been a leader among the institutions that participate in the number of scholars who have been employed as faculty members.

“The commitment from the faculty and nurturing from the University was what really helped Alabama stand out,” said Dr. Carl Williams, admissions director of the UA Graduate School, who accepted the Extra Mile Award at the Miami meeting.

Williams added that the University has been number one for the past 10 years in enrolling, recruiting, graduating and hiring SREB scholars.

“In addition to the success rate of students continuing their education through the scholar’s program, many are choosing to remain in the state and teach at an Alabama university,” said Gregory G. Fitch, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

“The Commission has supported a commitment over the years to build enrollment gradually. Now, we’re in the position that we have the most scholars in the program,” Fitch noted.