Page 2 - Alcorn - The University Magazine: Spring, 2017

As the spring 2017 semester begins, I want to welcome you back to Alcorn State University with hopes that you had a pleasant break. The start of a new year offers us a moment for both reflection and renewal.
Alcorn continues to earn accolades for being an exceptional University. ESSENCE and MONEY magazine’s Best Colleges for African-Americans list ranked Alcorn number one in Mississippi, number nine among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and number 32 overall.
Alcorn stands at number one on The U.S. News’ 10 Universities with the Most Affordable Out-of-State Tuition list. Alcorn is also recognized as a top university in the Top Public Schools- Regional Universities (South) category of the 2017 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list.
In addition, to better serve our students and ensure timely degree completion, Alcorn decreased the credit hour requirement from 124 to 120. We increased the number of university-funded academic scholarships from five to seven, giving more students more opportunities to earn scholarships.
The President’s Excellence Scholarship fully funds tuition, room and board, provides a $500 book scholarship and $1000 stipend per semester for students who earn a 3.0 GPA and a 28 or above on the ACT. Students who demonstrate academic excellence by completing 30-credit hours while maintaining a 3.3 GPA qualify for the Alcorn Achieve Scholarship, which includes full tuition, room and board.
Alcorn’s enrollment increased six percent for the 2016 Fall Semester, representing our first rise in enrollment since 2011. The figures include another surge in freshmen and transfer enrollment, a growing out-of-state student population, and some of the nation’s most academically talented students.
I am currently traveling the state of Mississippi on my inaugural Presidential Recruitment Tour. The aim of the tour is to recruit students, individuals who will share in our belief of Alcorn excellence.
Please join me and help recruit the next generation of Braves. Use the recruitment brochure contained in this publication to inform prospective students that they too can receive an affordable and quality Alcorn education. The recruitment process must be collaborative, drawing upon the collective strengths of the Alcorn family.
For now, please give thought to how we can further strengthen our beloved Alcorn. I look forward to working with each of you.
Forever Brave,
Alfred Rankins Jr., Ph.D. 19th President
From the President