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Sarasota News Leader January 11, 2013 Page 60 TOURISM OFFICE INVITING PARTICIPATION ON STRATEGIC PLAN Visit Sarasota County, the marketing arm for Sarasota County as a tourism destination, is inviting members of the public to join its staff at planning sessions that will be led by its strategic planning consultant, Bill Geist. Three sessions will be held around the county, The process has been designed to gather infor- to encourage participation: mation to aid in building the county's tourism • Wednesday, Jan. 16, 4 p.m., south Sarasota plan for the next five years, a Visit Sarasota County. County news release says. • Thursday, Jan. 17, 8:30 a.m., mid-county. "We look to those most invested in our com- • Friday, Jan. 18, 8:30 a.m., north county. munity to tell us what [are the] needs … that For meeting site details and other informacan influence tourism in this region," the re- tion, or to RSVP, contact Janis Holland at lease adds. jholland@visitsarasota.org. NEW COLLEGE WINS TOP TEN RANKING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL SUCCESS New College of Florida ranks ninth in the United States for the percentage of students who go on to graduate programs within a year of graduation, according to U.S. News & World Report, the college has announced. within a year of graduation, the release notes. At New College, however, the rate is 55 percent, or double the national average, the release points out. U.S. News published the rankings online Jan. 2 in its ongoing series, The Short List, which explores the data collected for its annual Best Colleges issue, a New College news release says. That placed New College on U.S. News' short list of Top 10 Colleges That Lead to Grad School — in a three-way tie for ninth place, the release says. The study looked at 377 colleges that provided data on alumni graduate school placement. "It is increasingly clear that navigating and contributing to our ever more complex society requires not only a rigorous baccalaureate degree but further specialized study," said New College of Florida President Donal O'Shea in the release. "It is gratifying to see New College and its students leading the nation in recognizing this reality and the value of gaining immediate entry to graduate study." According to U.S. News & World Report, graduate school admission is significant because it improves students' career prospects, the release points out. Citing a 2012 study by Georgetown University, the magazine found that people with advanced degrees earn more money and experience lower unemployment rates throughout their careers. On average, 27 percent of college graduates View the U.S. News & World Report article across the country pursue advanced degrees and complete list at this link.