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The College

Roanoke College, the countrys second-oldest Lutheran-related college, is an independent, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college. Located in Salem, Virginia, just a few miles from the Appalachian Trail, the College offers a picturesque and safe historic campus for 2,000 students from around the country and around the world. Roanoke College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Roanoke College was founded as the Virginia Institute in 1842 in Staunton by two Lutheran pastors as a preparatory school for boys who wished to enroll in Gettysburg College and, hopefully, the seminary. In 1845, the school was moved to its current home in Salem, and in 1853 it was renamed Roanoke College.

Today, Roanoke College is a center of learning offering programs in the arts, science, and business as well as a number of preprofessional programs. Princeton Review names it as one of the best in the Southeast. U.S. News & World Report named Roanoke among the top 10 regional liberal arts colleges in the South in its annual Best Colleges Guide and places it in the competitive Best National Liberal Arts Colleges category. Also, the College was ranked the nineteenth fittest college in America by Mens Fitness magazine.

Approximately 2,000 students are enrolled in Roanoke College each year. Sixty percent come from Virginia, and the other 40 percent represent forty-one other states and twenty-two foreign countries. Two thirds of all students live on campus, ensuring that campus life is robust. More than 100 clubs and organizations, including fraternities and sororities and a variety of ethnic and religious organizations, operate on campus. Community service and campus ministry are vital to campus life. During freshman orientation, students work together to construct a Habitat for Humanity house that is built on campus, then moved across town where it is presented to its recipient. The Dean of the Chapel is an ordained Lutheran pastor who directs a variety of religious life programs, including weekly worship, Bible studies, and fellowship activities. Although the College is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, more than a dozen religious and ethnic groups are represented on campus.

The Colket Center, the community hub of the college, serves students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests. The Colket Center sponsors late-night programming, such as open mic nights, box office hit movie showings, and student performances, as well as billiards, Ping Pong, and air hockey tournaments.

Roanoke has excellent facilities to support every phase of a well-rounded athletic program. The brand-new Donald J. Kerr Stadium, home to mens and womens soccer, field hockey, and mens and womens lacrosse, features all-weather artificial turf, seating for approximately 1,000, and nonglare lights. There are an additional six athletic fields, an all-weather track, and tennis courts. The physical education and recreation center includes two basketball courts, a state-of-the-art fitness center, classrooms, an athletic training room, offices, and locker rooms.

The College is a member of the NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Men compete in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Womens varsity sports include basketball, cross-country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. In addition, the College has twelve intramural programs and an extensive outdoor adventures program.

Location

Located in the Roanoke Valley of southwest Virginia, between the scenic Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, the area is home to approximately 250,000 people. The Roanoke Valley serves as the regions cultural, economic, education, and entertainment center. Roanoke College resides in the small city of Salem, which has several community parks, tennis courts, and golf courses. Nearby, Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail provide excellent opportunities for outdoor recreation. Salem Civic Center hosts concerts and spectator sports. A variety of festivals are held throughout the year, including Olde Salem Days, which includes one of the largest antique cars shows on the East Coast, and Floydfest, a world music and arts festival. The Center in the Square, 8 miles away in downtown Roanoke, houses numerous art museums. Other attractions include the Virginia Museum of Transportation and Mill Mountain Zoo. Salem is just a few hours drive from Richmond or Washington, D.C. From Roanoke Regional Airport, New York, Atlanta, and Charlotte are less than an hours flight.

Majors and Degrees

Bachelor of Arts degrees are available in art, art history, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, English, environmental policy, French, history, international relations, music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, Spanish, theater, and theology.

Bachelor of Science degrees are available in athletic training, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer information systems, computer science, environmental science, health and human performance, mathematics, medical technology, physics, and psychology.

Students interested in business can earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Students may also enroll in preprofessional programs in engineering, the health professions, law, and ministry.

Academic Programs

To earn a bachelors degree, students must pass a minimum of 33 academic units, including general education requirements, courses in the students major program of study, at least one intensive-learning experience, two -unit physical education activities, one -unit cocurricular requirement, and elective courses. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required to complete the degree.

The academic year is divided into three semesters. The fall term begins in late August and ends in early December. Following a four-week winter break, the spring term begins in mid-January and ends in mid-April. A three-week Intensive Learning Term takes place in May, and is intended for students to take a single, nontraditional course such as Tropical Marine Biology, History of Hawaii, or Forensic Chemistry. Many courses involve domestic or international travel. This is followed by two summer sessions, one in June and one in July.

The general education requirements include 2 units in critical writing and reading; 2 units in the humanities; 1 unit in values; 2 units in foreign languages; 3 units in mathematics, science, and computer science; 3 units in scientific reasoning; 2 units in social sciences; a course in health and human performance; and a symposium to be taken during the senior year. The major requirements vary from program to program. In addition, students may elect a minor program of study, a second major, or an area of concentration.

Off-Campus Programs

The Summer Scholar Program enables students to conduct independent research for 8 to 12 weeks during the summer. Each student works with a faculty mentor and presents finished work through oral presentations, poster sessions, and research exhibits. A one-semester program in Washington, D.C., through the Lutheran College Washington Consortium, allows students to live and work in the nations capital, completing an internship in a field of interest to the student, whether in government, nonprofit, or the arts.

More than ten study-abroad programs allow students to earn academic credit while pursuing summer, semester, or academic-year opportunities outside the U.S. Programs are available at prestigious universities in Canada, China, England, Italy, Japan, Northern Ireland, and Norway. Through the Virginia Summer Program at Oxford University in England, students may spend six weeks studying literature and history with Oxford dons. Even the Intensive Learning Program in May offers highly focused study-abroad programs in cities like Athens, Florence, Kyoto, Lima, Madrid, and Paris.

Academic Facilities

The Fintel Library has a collection containing over 218,000 volumes, 710 journal subscriptions, and 326,200 microfilm/fiche, DVD, VHS, and audiovisual items. In addition, the library has access to more than 23,000 full-text and online periodicals and newspapers. More than 3,000 new items are added to the librarys collection annually. In addition, the library houses the Roanoke College Archives as well as historical records relating to the College. Roanoke is a selective depository library for United States government documents.

Eleven computer labs comprise a total of 178 workstations, all equipped with Microsoft Office, Mathematica, Minitab, SPSS, Microcase, and Netscape. Linux is available on fifty workstations in Trexler Hall.

Costs

In 200708, full-time tuition was $25,550 per academic year. Students living on campus expected to spend $4076 per year for room and $4650 for a nineteen-meal dining plan. Other mandatory fees included a student activity fee of $250, a technology fee of $450, a telecommunications fee of $250, and an orientation fee of $125. Depending on their circumstances, students also expected to spend approximately $1000 per year on books and supplies, $1250 for transportation, and $1000 on miscellaneous costs.

Financial Aid

Roanoke College makes every effort to see that no student is denied an opportunity to attend because of financial circumstances. Eighty-five percent of full-time students receive financial assistance of some kind, with an average award of $20,200. In order to be considered for financial assistance, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the financial aid office.

Incoming freshmen are eligible for a number of scholarships, ranging from $1000 to full tuition plus room and board. Other scholarships may be available from private sources. The Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) Program awards grants to Virginia residents who are enrolled full-time in a participating Virginia private college or university. Assistance is also available in the form of loans and part-time employment. Students may borrow up to $23,000 under the Stafford Loan Program or up to $1500 annually under the Federal Perkins Loan Program. Other loans may be available through the Roanoke College Student Loan Fund or from private lenders. Under the Federal Work-Study Program, students may earn money by working up to 20 hours per week, either on or off campus.

Faculty

About 120 tenured professors teach at the College; 95 percent of these professors hold the highest degrees in their fields. Students consider the faculty to be open to questions in class, giving them a 4.6 rating on a 15 scale in one survey. The large number of faculty members means that class sizes are small. Class sizes range from 3 to 41 students, with an average class size of 18 and a student-faculty ratio of 14:1.

Student Government

Participation in the Student Government Association helps students develop the discipline and sound judgment necessary to put education to the wisest possible use. Responsibility for certain areas of campus life is delegated to the students by the President of the College. As a result, students serve on numerous bodies involved in college life, academic integrity, student conduct, and resources and planning.

The Executive Committee consists of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The president of the student body is invited as a student observer to meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the faculty. Each class also elects a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer, and 2 students serve as commuter representatives.

Admission Requirements

Because of the Colleges challenging liberal arts and sciences curriculum, prospective students must have substantial preparation in a broad range of academic subjects, including English, social studies, foreign languages, mathematics, and laboratory sciences. While the Admissions Committee places primary emphasis on the applicants secondary school record, other factors, such as SAT or ACT scores, class rank, and courses taken are considered. More than 90 percent of accepted students rank in the upper half of their graduating class.

When applying for admission, prospective students must submit a completed application form, an official copy of their high school transcripts, official results of either the SAT or the ACT, and the $33 application fee. A visit to the College is strongly recommended; visitors are able to talk with a member of the admissions staff, tour the campus with a student guide, attend classes, and dine in the Commons as guests of the College.

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