McMaster's focus on innovation and excellence is reinforced in Maclean's magazine.

McMaster once again ranked as the second most innovative university among research-intensive universities in the magazine's ranking issue. The University placed fifth in the country in the highest quality of education category.

The annual magazine ranking exercise takes a measure of the undergraduate experience, comparing universities in three peer groupings. McMaster is ranked in the medical doctoral category that includes universities with a broad range of PhD programs and research, as well as medical schools.

President Peter George said innovative approaches to teaching, learning and research continue to be cornerstones of the McMaster experience.

“We are committed to providing an innovative, stimulating learning experience for our students that centres on academic excellence and integrating teaching and scholarship at the undergraduate level,” said President Peter George. “McMaster's culture of innovation is a mainstay of our success and we will continue to cultivate it to attract the highest quality students and faculty to participate in a unique learning and research environment.”

Several other recent surveys measuring satisfaction confirm McMaster's position as a university dedicated to innovation and excellence:

• The Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC) report from last year's graduating class shows that the vast majority of McMaster students were satisfied with the quality of education they received and that the learning experience was intellectually stimulating.
• McMaster placed third among Ontario universities in the medical doctoral category in the Globe and Mail's second annual University Report Card. This survey measures quality of education, student services, reputation and career opportunities and atmosphere, etc.
• For the second year in a row, McMaster is ranked third in the country for research intensity and seventh overall for universities with more than $100 million in research income. McMaster had more than $197 million in sponsored research in 2002.

Ken Norrie, provost and vice-president academic, said he is pleased with the picture of success emerging from the broad range of surveys measuring teaching, learning and research.

“We're always listening and evaluating feedback received about our performance as an academic institution,” said Norrie. “We've set exciting and ambitious goals for the future through our Refining Directions planning process. We're committed to embracing the linked concepts of scholarship and teaching with discovery at the centre of the learning experience and the approach outlined in this planning exercise will guide us for the coming years.”