Regent’s grade on curriculum lands school $400,000

The Portsmouth-based Beazley Foundation said Wednesday it will award $400,000 to Regent University in support of its recently lauded core curriculum.

Regent’s curriculum received an “A” grade from the nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni, the school said Tuesday. Regent was the only university in the state and one of only 21 in the country to received the highest letter grade, said Dr. Michael Poliakoff, the council’s policy director.

Poliakoff and Regent President Carlos Campo called the recognition a milestone for the university, saying it sets an example for colleges across the country.

“There should be no mistake about the significance of what Regent University is doing for our nation,” Poliakoff said.

As part of its annual “What Will They Learn?” report, ACTA graded 1,070 institutions on their general education curriculum. The council graded each school based on how many of the following seven “crucial subjects” it requires of all graduates: composition, U.S. government or history, economics, literature, college-level math, science, and intermediate-level foreign language.

An “A” grade was awarded to schools requiring six or seven courses, according to ACTA.

When the foundation began looking into the tools universities needed to enhance their general education curriculum, said its president and CEO, Richard Bray, they learned that most institutions didn’t have enough money to fund the necessary faculty.

Campo said Regent will use the foundation’s award to fund a full-time economics professor.