Impact Careers Initiative Announces Public Service Focused Higher Education Rankings

The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative publishes new rankings in The Washington Monthly and announces upcoming forum

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative announces new college and university rankings in The Washington Monthly as well as its first forum on rankings and performance evaluation in higher education, the 2013 Forum on Higher Education: Rankings and the Future of Public Service. The publication in The Washington Monthly ranks colleges and universities according to the number of graduates working in public service by using data made available by LinkedIn. To continue the conversation ignited by the new rankings, the Forum will convene national leaders from higher education, government, the social and private sectors, and ranking organizations to discuss the role of college and university rankings and evaluation practices in fostering the public interest.

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"The Impact Careers Initiative is working to solve our society's most urgent problems by engaging the brightest minds of the next generation. This innovative ranking, and thoughtful analysis, will support more colleges and universities in that effort," said Elliot Gerson, executive vice president of The Aspen Institute. 

Earlier this year, President Obama announced that the federal government would publish its own ratings after engaging the American people in a series of town halls and discussions about evaluation practices and performance-based funding in higher education. The Forum will provide an opportunity to colleges and universities, think tanks and foundations, ranking organizations, and a range of public, private, and social sector organizations to inform the public discourse about the role of rankings and evaluation practices in higher education. The Forum will be held in early 2014 at the Aspen headquarters in Washington D.C., and the Impact Careers Initiative will host a planning meeting in early November.

"The commitment to serve the public good that I see in the Millennial Generation gives me great hope for our future. Talented young people from across the country are graduating from top colleges and choosing to pursue socially responsible work," said CNN Political Analyst David Gergen. "They are ready to step up, lead, and solve our great problems. Our nation's universities must match the commitment of these students with equally inspired efforts to help its graduates launch careers in public service. This insightful ranking and article helps illuminate where we are succeeding, where we need to do better, and how to improve across the board."

The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative analyzed LinkedIn data to produce a new college and university ranking based on the number of graduates entering public service. For its November/December issue, The Washington Monthly published an article by The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative, featuring the new ranking and analysis about strategies to encourage public service careers. The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative will use this ranking as a conversation starter about the role of rankings in higher education and the importance of public service, and fostering the public good, to future rankings. Brown University and The College of William and Mary are among the many universities and colleges committed to participating in the forum, which is co-sponsored by The Washington Monthly.

The Aspen Institute Impact Careers Initiative endeavors to bridge the disconnect between the Millennial generation and careers of service and social impact. The ICI team utilizes innovative techniques and new data to shed light on why such a disconnect persists and how we can ask and empower more of the next generation to solve society's biggest problems. Visit http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/impact-careers-initiative to learn more and to download the Impact Careers Initiative's publications, Winning the War for Talent, for Good, and Higher Education and Social Impact.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute