Alfred State Ranked No. 7 Among Top Public Regional Colleges/ North by U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Colleges Report

Alfred, NY (myPressManager.com) September 28, 2012

Alfred State ranks no. 7 among top public schools/regional colleges (north) according to the most recent U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Colleges report for the second year in a row.

Additionally, Alfred State ranked no. 23 on the list of top regional colleges in the North, up from the no. 25 spot last year. Alfred State was also included in the rankings of those colleges with the highest average freshman retention rate, coming in at 74 percent. These figures represent a gain over previous year’s rankings!

U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking studies more than 1,600 schools nationwide and is the most trusted and comprehensive research tool students and parents look to when considering higher education choices.

Dr. John M. Anderson, Alfred State president,attributes the top ranking and Alfred State’s increased ranking on the list to the compelling relevancy Alfred’s project-based learning has on students and employers alike.

“The way we approach project-based learning is unique to us in many ways which is why it has become a cornerstone of our culture,” said Anderson. “Our focus is on teaching students how to think – not what to think – and that is something that resonates extremely well with employers. In fact, it is the reason why we are able to boast a 99% employment and transfer rate.”

The category of ‘top public schools’ refers to public colleges and universities from small liberal arts colleges to large research institutions. The ‘regional colleges’ category on the report encompasses schools that focus almost exclusively on the undergraduate experience while offering a broad range of programs in the liberal arts and in fields such as business, nursing, and education.

Alfred State is a member of the technology college sector within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The College offers 52 associate degree programs, 20 baccalaureate degree programs, and three certificate programs in addition to an array of online programs.

For more information, contact Tami Bacon, Marketing Communications Specialist at Alfred State at (607) 587-4230 or baconts@alfredstate.edu.

About Alfred State
Project-based learning is a cornerstone of our Alfred State culture. When students work on real-world problems, they learn how to think, not what to think. As a result, Alfred State has a 99 percent employment and transfer rate.

Contract Gurus - A New Business Committed to Attorney-Based Contract Review, Analysis and Negotiation for Individuals, Families and Businesses - Launches Nationwide

Creates Confidence in Legal Contracts; Supports High Growth Entrepreneurship Issues Before Congress

Austin, TX (myPressManager.com) September 06, 2012

Contract Gurus (www.contractgurus.com), a new leader in attorney-based contract review, analysis, and negotiation assistance launched its services today nationwide to help individuals, families, and businesses make the right legal decisions to protect their best interests when signing a contract or agreement. Based in Austin, Texas, Contract Gurus eliminates the legalese and employs only U.S. based, American Bar certified attorneys who graduated from the top ten percent of law schools in the country.

“Contract Gurus creates a pleasant and easy way to translate contracts and legal agreements into plain English, capturing the critical information necessary for our clients to make informed and confident decisions,” said President and CEO, Mike Kiamanesh. “Our business focuses on helping people understand the intricacies and critical aspects of their legal agreements, so they can fully understand each and every term of the contract - whether it is in their best interest to sign the agreement, or whether modifications may be necessary. In short, our clients will never be surprised by the ‘fine-print’.”

“We want to open up legal information and contract assistance to as many individuals, families and businesses as possible, so they don’t ever have to enter into a legally binding agreement again with worry and/or lack of full understanding of what they are signing and how it could affect them; especially, for something like financial inability or lack of a convenient option,” noted Kiamanesh. “Contract Gurus solves both of those issues, because of our sole focus on contract analysis and negotiation assistance, coupled with our exhaustive training and rigorous quality control, our clients will actually fair better than many other options out there - all with the benefit of it being at a fraction of the price of those other options.”

As Contract Gurus enters the national scene, they are ready to position themselves as a frontrunner before national initiatives targeted to improve federal entrepreneurship policy and the startup business climate. Specifically, Contract Gurus is actively promoting awareness and support for the following issues currently under consideration by Congress:

- High-growth entrepreneurship issues like those found in the Start-up Act 2.0 by Senators Moran
(R-KS), Warner (D-VA), Rubio (R-FL) and Coons (D-DE) (S.3217, H.R.5893)

- The creation of an R&D tax credit specifically for startups, many of which can’t access the traditional credit in key early years, also in the Startup Act 2.0 and the focus of the recent Startup Innovation Credit Act by Senators Coons (D-DE) and Enzi (R-WY) (S.3460)

One of the core beliefs Contract Gurus emphasizes is U.S. job creation. That is why they established a scholarship at The University of Texas School of Law L.L.M. program or Master of Laws Program, an internationally recognized post-graduate law degree.

“Besides the reputation Austin has for its new business support and infrastructure, the main attraction is the level of talent Austin has to offer,” said Kiamanesh. “We are proud to say that many of the qualified attorneys we have hired are graduates from The University of Texas School of Law.”

“Not only are we delighted to know that many of our law graduates are newly employed by Contract Gurus, we are thrilled they created a scholarship to benefit our Masters of Laws Program,” said Tim Kubatzky, interim assistant dean for development at The University of Texas School of Law.

“Ultimately, Contract Gurus understands that most people can't afford the normal ‘fees’ associated with traditional law firms,” concluded Kiamanesh. “Unless you're lucky enough to have an attorney in the family, quality legal contract review can be out of reach. Our solution is to bridge that gap by providing affordable, first-rate contract and review services for individuals, business owners, and entrepreneurs nationwide.”

Important to note: Contract Gurus is NOT taking business away from or competing against law firms and attorneys as Contract Gurus clients are people who would not have used their services before. The basic service is to help new and small businesses make sure they are protected, so they do not enter into any agreements that can cause them unknown harm. Contract Gurus provides general contract information on commonly encountered legal issues).