This article is about Alma College in Alma, Michigan. For historic Alma College in St. Thomas, Ontario, see Alma College (St. Thomas).

Alma College
Established:	1886
Type:	Private
President:	Saundra J. Tracy
Faculty:	82
Undergraduates:	1,300
Location:	Alma, Michigan, United States
Campus:	small town, 100 acres
Colors:	Maroon and Cream
Nickname:	Scots
Mascot:	Scotty
Affiliations:	Presbyterian
Website:	alma.edu

Alma College is a selective, private, liberal arts college located in the small city of Alma in the U.S. state of Michigan. The date of establishment or date of founding of an Institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered University president is the title of the highest ranking officer within a University, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as A faculty is a division within a University. The concept of a university with different faculties for different subjects dates back to Al-Azhar University, which had In some Educational systems undergraduate education is Post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the School colors are the Colors chosen by a School to represent it on uniforms and other items of identification The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a University or College within the United States is the name officially adopted by The term mascot – defined as a term for any person animal or object thought to bring Luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common The Presbyterian Church (USA or PC (USA is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Liberal arts colleges in the United States are institutions of Higher education in the United States. Alma is a city in Gratiot County in the US state of Michigan. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The enrollment is approximately 1,300 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA, also referred to as North Central, is one of six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the

Alma College offers four degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Fine Arts) in 28 majors. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S Bachelor of Music ( BM, BMus or MusB) is an Academic degree awarded by a College, University, or conservatory In the USA the Bachelor of Fine Arts, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard Undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the Academic programs that typically produce the most graduates are business administration, biology, psychology, exercise and health science, and education. In Business, administration consists of the performance or management of business operations and thus the making or implementing of major decisions Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Exercise Physiology is a discipline involving the study of how exercise alters the structure and function of the human body Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Students are encouraged to participate in service learning and study abroad opportunities designed to enhance classroom learning.

The College's stated mission is "to prepare graduates who think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully and live responsibly as stewards of the world they bequeath to future generations. " Alma College was one of 81 schools in the United States selected in 2005 as a "College with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement" by The Princeton Review and Campus Compact. The Princeton Review (TPR is an American educational preparation company Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education

Contents 1 History 1.1 Rankings 2 Academics 3 Campus 4 Scottish heritage 5 Athletics 5.1 Honors 6 Performing Arts 7 Greek Life 8 Notable alumni 9 Notable faculty 10 Notes 11 External links

History

The College was founded by Michigan Presbyterians in 1886, and received funding from lumber magnate Ammi Wright, for whom Wright Hall on campus and Wright Avenue in the city of Alma are named. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity At one point the mascot was the Fighting Presbyterians, but according to most sources, it just wasn't very intimidating. While still maintaining a close relationship with the Presbyterian Church, Alma College offers an environment that welcomes students of all religious backgrounds. The Presbyterian Church (USA or PC (USA is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States.

Rankings

Main article: Criticism of college and university rankings (North America)

In January 1997, then-president of Alma College, Alan Stone, asked 480 colleges to boycott the U.S. News and World Report Rankings due to the peer assessment survey which counts for 25% of a college's ranking. Criticism of College and university rankings refers to movements which developed among faculty and administrators in American Institutions of Higher Education as USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, in 1996, Alma College surveyed 158 colleges about the rankings. The Chronicle of Higher Education is a Newspaper that represents a source of news information and jobs for college and university faculty and administration The result of the survey indicated that "84 per cent of the respondents admitted that they were unfamiliar with some of the institutions they had been asked to rank. Almost 44 per cent indicated that they 'tended to leave responses for unfamiliar schools blank. ' " Stone stated, "this makes me wonder just how many votes are being considered for each school's academic-reputation ranking. " ^[1], ^[2] After a June 2007 meeting of the Annapolis Group, Alma college joined others who would be boycotting the rankings. The Annapolis Group describes itself as "a nonprofit alliance of the nation’s leading independent Liberal arts colleges " It represents over 100 Liberal arts According to a 22 June 2007 article for the The Morning Sun:

President Dr. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Saundra Tracy said she agreed with a majority of her peers at a meeting this week to stop participating in the personality assessment portion of the annual college rankings published by U. S. News and World Report. A consensus was taken at the end of an annual meeting of the Annapolis Group, an association of liberal arts colleges. Tracy supported the action and criticized the magazine‘s unscientific process to rate the popularity and reputation of a school based on what presidents, provosts and admission deans say in a survey. ^[3]

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. Incoming freshmen and transfer students arrive a week earlier than returning students in late August for "Preterm," which comprises activities designed to introduce new Scots to campus life and a one-credit class that acclimates new students to academic life. 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. A cadaver or corpse is a dead Body. "Cadaver" is normally used as a more formal term for a body being used in medical training or research 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. A dissertation (also called thesis or disquisition) is a document that presents the author's Research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature 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.

Recently, the College has formed 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. The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of grants for international educational exchange for scholars educators graduate The Gates Cambridge Scholarships were established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 with a $210 million endowment to enable outstanding graduate students from Marshall Scholarships awards a graduating American undergraduate can receive created by the British Parliament when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was Rhodes Scholarship Rhodes scholar redirects here Rhodes Scholar redirects here Rhodes scholars

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.

Campus

Alma College is located in a small-town setting, the city of Alma having slightly less than 10,000 residents. The campus is built with a red brick motif, centered around a large square (McIntyre Mall), and its admittedly small skyline dominated by the Dunning Memorial Chapel, as it is tradition not to build any structure on campus higher than the spire of the Chapel. The majority of buildings are located on North Campus, that is, the area north of Superior Street. These include the major dormitory residences, as well as the academic and student life buildings. South Campus is home to suite-style residences ("New Dorms," so named because they were built later in the 1960s than residences in North Campus) as well as the new environmentally-friendly apartment-style Wright Hall, inaugurated in 2005 and the second residence of its name, the former being demolished in 1976. South Campus is also home to "Fraternity Row" (Center Street) and "Sorority Row" (Superior Street) as well as several other themed houses. Over 50 percent of the buildings on Alma's campus were built under the long tenure (1956-1980) of Robert D. Swanson, after whom the main academic building is named. In addition to the main campus, the College also owns a 180-acre ecological research area containing woodlands, a willow marsh, a sphangnum bog, and a glacial kettle lake, with a full research facility and a bird observatory, located in Vestaburg, about 15 miles to the west of Alma.

Scottish heritage

In more than 100 years since its founding, Alma has stayed true to its roots by keeping its Scottish heritage alive. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Today, Alma features a marching band clad in Kilts, a Scottish dance troupe, and even its own official tartan. Each year, the College hosts the Alma Highland Festival and Games which feature traditional Scottish games and revelry.

Athletics

Alma College athletic teams, nicknamed the Scots, are part of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) - Division III. Current Members The league currently has 9 full members Former Members Sports Member teams compete in cross country, football, The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The following American colleges and universities are classified as Division III for NCAA competition Generally, more than a third of Alma's students participate in sports. The college offers nine men's and nine women's varsity athletic programs.

Honors

• In 2006 Alma College quarterback Josh Brehm was named the recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy, the highest individual honor in NCAA Division III football. Gagliardi Trophy was first presented in 1993 to the Outstanding Division III College football player of the year by the Jostens Company and the J-Club of Saint John's University
• In 1992 Alma's women's basketball team earned the NCAA Division III championship.

Performing Arts

More than a third of all Alma students take part in at least one performance each year. The College offers majors in theatre, dance and music, but students of all majors may join in productions. The Heritage Center for the Performing Arts is the region's premiere performing arts facility. It houses the Theatre and Dance Department and serves as the performance venue for the College's eight music ensembles. It features a 500-seat concert hall for large performances, an intimate 190-seat theatre, and a dance studio.

Greek Life

Alma College is home to six social men's fraternities, five social women's sororities, and numerous honorary and professional fraternities. Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal The five fraternities are Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Theta Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (the music fraternity) and Zeta Sigma (Alma's local fraternity). Tau Kappa Epsilon ( ΤΚΕ or Teke, pronounced T-K-E or ˈtiːk as in Teak wood is a College fraternity founded on January 10th Sigma Chi ( ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest all-male college Greek-letter social fraternities and a Secret society. Theta Chi Fraternity (ΘΧ is an international college fraternity. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (also known as SΑΕ) is a secret letter social college fraternity Phi Mu Alpha (ΦΜΑ Sinfonia is a collegiate social fraternity for men with an interest in music The social sororities at Alma are Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Gamma Delta,Phi Sigma Sigma, Kappa Iota (Alma's local sorority). Gamma Phi Beta ( ΓΦΒ) is an international Sorority that was founded on November 11 1874 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New Alpha Xi Delta ( ΑΞΔ) was founded on April 17, 1893 by ten women at Lombard College Galesburg Illinois, who shared a vision of an organization Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ Founded in 1904 Alpha Gamma Delta is an international fraternity for women dedicated to academic excellence leadership development high ideals Phi Sigma Sigma ( ΦΣΣ) colloquially known as "Phi Sig" was the first collegiate Nonsectarian Sorority, welcoming women of all faiths

The Greek organizations organize most of the campus fundraisers, including Sigma Chi Derby Days, Zeta Sigma can drive, and the Phi Sigma Sigma Greek God competition.

Other Greek organizations include and Sigma Alpha Iota, the women's music fraternity. Sigma Alpha Iota ( ΣΑΙ) is a music fraternity Formed to "uphold the highest ideals of a music education" and "to further the development of music in America" Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed National Service Fraternity, is one of the largest organizations on campus. Alpha Phi Omega (commonly known as APO but also ΑΦΩ A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses an A women's Christian sorority, Sigma Alpha Omega, was formed in the Winter Term of 2006.

Notable alumni

• George Allen, NFL coach
• Bob Devaney, NCAA football
• Jim Daniels, Poet
• Frank Knox, Former Secretary of the Navy, Republican vice presidential candidate
• Jim Northrup, MLB player (Detroit Tigers)
• Tim Bailey, Professor, Sociology and Psychology Scholar
• Paul Portney, economist and President of Resources for the Future

Notable faculty

• Myles McNally, PhD, Computer Science
• Carol Slater, PhD, Psychology
• Joe D. Beckmann, PhD, Biochemistry
• Brian Stratton, PhD, Philosophy
• Michael Trebesh former candidate for State Representative for the 93rd District of Michigan

Notes

External links

• Alma College Homepage

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