Oxford University Press to Distribute Fordham
University Press Titles
Beginning in January 2011, Oxford University Press, the world's largest university press, will be the distributor for all Fordham University Press titles in the United States and Canada, supplanting current distribution partner New York University Press. With roots dating back to 1480, OUP began operations in the United States in 1896 and has been a premier publishing press for more than two centuries.
"We're very excited by this new partnership," Fordham University Press Director Fredric W. Nachbaur said in a University press release. "I see this as an incredible opportunity for enhanced recognition and visibility- both for FUP and our authors."
Oxford University Press, which publishes academic journals and sheet music in addition to scholarly books, distributes its own publications and those of several other university presses out of a warehouse in Cary, N.C., near the state capital of Raleigh.
"We are thrilled to have a university press of Fordham's caliber become a part of our family of distributed presses," Colleen Scollans, vice president of global marketing at Oxford University Press said in the same release.
Fordham University Press's publishing focuses mainly on humanities, the social sciences and theological texts, in addition academic journals and series on medieval studies, humanitarian affairs and other interdisciplinary topics.
Fordham, CBA See
Improvements in Influential Rankings
The Aug. 17 release of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue saw Fordham University ascend five notches to 56th nationally among the "top-tier" 262 universities. This improvement comes on the heels of a seven-point drop in BusinessWeek's March release of the "Top Undergraduate Business Programs 2010."
As recently as 2002, Fordham ranked only 84th nationally. Now, ranked the fourth-best Catholic university in the country after Notre Dame, Georgetown and Boston College, Fordham shares its ranking at 56 with much larger schools such as Boston University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Georgia and the University of Maryland-College Park.
"Fordham's continued climb in the U.S. News & World Report rankings is gratifying, of course," Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, said in a press release. "The magazine's designation as one of the nation's best colleges comes once a year, but it speaks to the day-in, day-out labor and attention of faculty and staff, students and trustees- labor that is no less heroic for being largely unsung."
Fordham boasts some of the smallest class sizes of the top-tier universities, with only one percent of classes being larger than 50 students and 50 percent of classes being composed of 20 or fewer students.
Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business Administration, lauded this year's ascension in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
"I am very pleased that the US News ranking of Fordham's undergraduate programs has improved," Rapaccioli said. "fifty-sixth nationally is really an achievement. Fordham is recognized an outstanding Jesuit institution that is committed to academic excellence, globalization and student personal and professional development an institution that uses New York City to reinforce the classroom experience."
Rapaccioli also emphasized recognition for CBA's specific programs as indicated by the BusinessWeek specialty rankings released in May, two months after general business school rankings.
CBA's marketing program was rated fourth nationally, while the ethics, business law, finance and accounting also fared well, ranking eighth, ninth, 19th and 23rd, respectively.
"I am especially proud of the marketing, business law and ethics areas," Rapaccioli said in a press release. "Studying marketing in New York City provides students with opportunities for hands-on experience you can't find in many other locations. Recognition for the quality of our ethics area reinforces our Jesuit approach to educating business leaders as men and women of conscience."
McShane acknowledged the importance of the rankings, while insisting that the University's focus is on quality for its students' sake, not solely the sake of its reputation.
"While the University is justly proud of its national reputation and attendant high rankings, Fordham's most lasting legacies are the men and women educated here, and the research produced by our dedicated and talented faculty," McShane said. "The Fordham community's sustained work in the service of our mission is humbling and the U.S. News ranking is welcome recognition of that effort."
University Mourns Longtime Faculty, Alumni
Over the summer, Fordham University suffered the loss of multiple former students, instructors and administrators.
Charles J. Berine, S.J., a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Education and former president of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., passed away after a long illness on July 14, at the age of 71.
After serving as LeMoyne's president from 2000 to 2007, Fr. Beirne relocated to Africa to serve as a consultant for higher education on that continent. He received a bachelor's and master's degree from Fordham College at Rose Hill and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences before obtaining a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and being ordained in 1969.
Professor Emeritus Edward McGonagle of the School of Law taught at the school from 1964 to 2006, being elevated to Faculty Emeritus in 2007.
McGonagle, who taught in estate, trust and land use law amongst other specialties, held degrees from Princeton, Yale, Boston College and Harvard.
Denise Jefferson, former director of the Ailey School and co-founder of Fordham College at Lincoln Center's Bachelor of Fine Arts program with that school, passed away on July 18 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
The program, which was 10 years old in 2008, has produced many professional dancers in a blend of conservatory training for dance and liberal arts grounding. The program, which was co-founded by Edward J. Bristow, professor of history and former dean of FCLC, now has an acceptance rate of around 10 percent.
Dennis Dillon, FCRH '55 and Law '62, was the third longest-serving district attorney in the United States before passing away of lymphoma on Aug. 15 at the age of 76.
Serving 31 years as Nassau County DA, Dillon oversaw cases including the 1993 trial of Long Island Rail Road shooter Colin Ferguson. Beginning his career as a Democrat, Dillon became a Republican in 1986 when the Democratic Party adopted support for abortion as an official stance.
