Academics
Alma utilizes a 4-4-1 academic calendar with 14-week terms in the fall and winter and a four-week term in May. The intensive Spring Term in May provides an opportunity for innovative course patterns, travel classes, research and internships during an ideal season.
Alma's small size affords its students a variety of opportunities not commonly available at larger universities. For example, Alma is one of the few colleges of its size to offer a real cadaver laboratory for pre-med students, giving them an advantage in the medical school application process. Many students are able to write a senior thesis, or create a senior project in the arts, working one-on-one with recognized scholars in their fields to create original research. These efforts are underwritten with several grants available to students for undergraduate research, such as the Currie Summer Scholar program, offering $2500 each summer to one returning junior or senior student each in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to pursue a topic in-depth.
The College has a Nationally Competitive Scholarship Committee, designed to help juniors and seniors apply for funding opportunities for graduate and professional school. This has produced winners of the Fulbright, Gates-Cambridge, Truman, and Udall Scholarships, as well as finalists for the Marshall and Rhodes Scholarships. As of May 2011, 20 students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships.
In the 2005-2006 school year, the College introduced several new leadership programs. These programs—the Posey Global Fellowships and the Center for Responsible Leadership—were generously funded by alumni with the goal of furthering students' awareness of ethical leadership and service in an increasingly global economy and political landscape. In addition, an Honors Program was begun with the specific intention of preparing candidates for application to Phi Beta Kappa, a liberal arts honorary.
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Famous quotes containing the word academics:
“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)