University praised by its peers for commitments to innovation, undergraduate teaching, internships
Belmont University catapulted today into the Top 5 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of America’s Best Colleges in the South region. After three years at No. 7, Belmont’s ranking at No. 5 for the publication’s 2015 edition marks another check on the University’s Vision 2015 goal-setting list, an accomplishment achieved a full year ahead of schedule as was Belmont’s enrollment target (set for 7,000, the University hit 7,301 this fall at the start of classes).
Belmont was also lauded for the seventh year in a row as a top “Up-and-Comer,” indicating the university has made “the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities.” Moreover, Belmont was ranked second in the South for its “unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching” and was lauded by its peers for the internships the University emphasizes as part of its overall educational experience, an academic enrichment closely paired with student success.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “This is great news. I’m so privileged to be associated with faculty and staff who give their best every day to create extraordinary learning experiences for our students. While it’s gratifying and humbling to achieve this part of our Vision, we’re far from done. Planning has already begun on Vision 2020, and I fully expect our campus to raise the bar even higher as we imagine our future together.”
In the Best Regional Universities-South, Belmont is again the highest-ranked university of the 15 ranked Tennessee institutions in its category, a feat the University has claimed for more than a decade.The No. 5 ranking places Belmont in a premier position among the 126 public and private institutions included in the South region, an area that covers Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana.Other southern regional institutions in the Top 5 included Elon University (NC), Rollins College (FL), Samford University (AL) and The Citadel (SC).
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recently released a report that cites 
Mallory White, a class of 2016 mathematics major, passed Actuarial Exam P/1 on her first try on May 24
Massachusetts Institute of Technology-trained physicist Dr. Deborah Haarsma spoke to students, faculty and staff about the intersection of science and faith during a convocation lecture in the Belmont University Chapel on Wednesday.
Congressman Marsha Blackburn joined Belmont’s Pipeline Project students earlier this month in historical Columbia Studio A to hear about their summer research and suggestions regarding licensing reform. Marc Driskill, general manager of Sea Gayle Music and chair of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), and Brad Peterson of 5/3 Bank engaged Belmont and the nine Pipeline students this summer to take a deeper dive into the current copyright conversations that will shape these students’ futures. The students shared their research of identifying common patterns between stakeholders and expressed what they thought to be the ‘three keys to licensing reform’: efficiency, fair compensation and understanding. The students will be submitting a full proposal to the copyright office regarding their recommendations in addition to presenting at an open forum to students and the music industry in late September.