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Top 100 Diversity Employers Announced

Universum Communications announces the names of the Top 100 Diversity Employers and will partner exclusively with THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine to publish the list. Many minority students have identified THE BLACK COLLEGIAN as the publication they go to in order to learn about future employers. The Universum Top Diversity Employer ranking is based solely on preferences of over 12,300 university students whose preferences were identified in a survey. Therefore, Universum's ranking differs from any other ranking of diversity employers today.

Universum expanded its survey from 6,695 students at 61 universities to 12,376 ethnically diverse students at 107 universities. The Universum survey -- the American Diversity Edition 2005 -- is a quantitative survey of the career expectation and employment preferences of the next generation of business, professional, academic, and political leaders. In addition to revealing the similarities and differences among ethnic groups when it comes to their expectations of work life after graduation, Universum analyzes the students' perceptions captured in the research to measure Employer Brand Image, Employer Value Proposition and the best vehicles and practices for employers. The survey also asked students to select their top 5 "ideal" employers. The results of the survey determined the Top 100 Diversity Employers, also referred to as Ideal employers.

For the 5th consecutive year, Universum will grant exclusive partnership rights to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine to publish the 2005 Top Diversity Employer Rankings and trend information as the diverse publication has once again been identified as a medium students read to learn more about their ideal employers. The Top 100 Diversity Employers list and other findings will be published in THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's First Semester Super Issue in October.

According to the findings, the best way for employers to attract minority students is by offering them internships, scholarships and mentorships. Because students tell others about their experiences, these programs help employers recruit more students.

"Employers that have gained recognition for their commitment to diversity are viewed as employers of choice for both minority and non-minority students because they are generally more progressive and people-oriented," says Claudia Tattanelli, CEO of Universum Communications, Inc.

"Minority students, first and foremost, are searching for the best place to launch their career. They believe they have a better comfort level with employers that are known to value diversity and have made a public commitment to recruiting a more diverse workforce," said Preston J. Edwards, Sr., CEO and Publisher of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine.

It is important to note that this ranking of the Top 100 Diversity Employers is based solely on a preference survey of university students. The preference is based upon what the students know about these employers, which is based upon "word-of-mouth," advertising, brand recognition and goodwill. These employers have been successful in communicating to college students that the "American dream" can be a reality for them, and they believe that these employers can deliver on that dream.

The first ten on the Top 100 Diversity Employers list are 1- BMW, 2- Johnson & Johnson, 3- Goldman Sachs, 4- IBM, 5- Microsoft, 6- Citigroup, 7- McKinsey & Company, 8- Deloitte, 9- Coca-Cola, and 10- JPMorganChase. For the complete list, go to www.blackcollegian.com.

Distributed by Market Wire