| Lake Forest College | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Natura et Scientia Amore |
| Motto in English | Love of Character and Knowledge(?) |
| Established | 1857 |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | $60.1 million[1] |
| President | Stephen D. Schutt |
| Provost | Michael T. Orr |
| Academic staff | 116 |
| Students | 1493 |
| Location | Lake Forest, Illinois, USA |
| Campus | 107-acre (43.3 ha) residential campus |
| Colors | Red & Black |
| Nickname | Foresters |
| Mascot | Boomer the Black Bear |
| Affiliations | Midwest Conference |
| Website | www.lakeforest.edu |
Lake Forest College, founded in 1857, is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. The college has 1,500 students representing 47 states and 78 countries.[2]
The College's current Chair of the Board of Trustees is Robert D. Krebs.[3] The current President is Stephen D. Schutt, who joined the College in 2001 after serving as the Vice President & Chief of Staff at the University of Pennsylvania.[4]
In addition to strong academic majors in the humanities, social and natural sciences, Lake Forest features inventive programs of study in many contemporary areas, including Latin American studies, business, Asian studies, and Islamic world studies. High achieving students with a unique passion can apply to become Independent Scholars and design their own majors, culminating in a thesis or creative project. Lake Forest's accelerated programs in law, communication, nursing, engineering, and international relations offer highly motivated students a way to finish their degree in only three years, or to complete their bachelor’s while enrolled in a graduate program at a partner university.
There are many opportunities for hands-on experience at Lake Forest with extensive study abroad programs, internships in Chicago and the opportunity to conduct original research with a professor and possibly get published in academic journals, as many students have. Lake Forest professors' work has been published in journals and supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and many others.
The College's Center for Chicago Programs facilitates research and internships at Chicago institutions as well as frequent commutes to the city for work and fun. The Center also brings well-known Chicagoans to campus for classroom discussions, public lectures and performances. More than ninety student groups provide a host of extracurricular opportunities that develop leadership skills and enhance students' campus experience and post-college prospects. Lake Forest is a member of NCAA Division III Midwest Conference and competes in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.
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Lake Forest was founded in 1857 by Reverend Robert W. Patterson as a Presbyterian (still a member of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities [5]) alternative to the Methodist Northwestern University in Evanston. It was originally named Lind University.[6] It had a medical college from 1859-1863, which later split off and eventually merged with Northwestern University, the predecessor of the Feinberg School of Medicine.
Patterson and his fellow Chicago Presbyterians established the town of Lake Forest as well as the university upon the highest bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. St. Louis architect Almerin Hotchkiss was hired to design the town of Lake Forest with a university park at its center. Hotchkiss used the ravines and forest as guidelines to create a layout that seemed consistent with the natural boundaries and paths. Lake Forest Academy, the first stage in the development of the university began in 1858, while collegiate-level courses began in 1860. By the mid-1860s the fruits of this university park vision were realized as a small New England-style village had been established with an academy building, a Presbyterian church and several homes. For a short time, the college was known as Lind University, named after the man who had given $80,000 to launch the university. But, by 1865, the name reverted to Lake Forest University. In 1876 Mary Eveline Smith Farwell started Lake Forest College, a division of the university, under the leadership of the Reverend Patterson. In 1878, College Hall (now Young Hall) was built following a fire that destroyed the former hotel being used for classes.
The Reverend James Gore King McClure arrived in Lake Forest in 1881 as the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Under his influence over the next 50 years, the College experienced a large transition "from a pluralistic graduate and professional emphasis to a singular undergraduate liberal arts focus," says Lake Forest College Archivist Art Miller, who co-wrote 30 Miles North: A History of Lake Forest College, Its Town, and Its City of Chicago.[7] During this time, the College's theater group, the Garrick Players, and two of its publications - the yearbook, and student newspaper, The Stentor - were formed. By the 1920s, the College has broken connections with the Academy and its only focus was the liberal arts. Following World War II, the College experienced further growth, taking control of what is now South Campus and constructing the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
In 1960, William Graham Cole, from Williams College, took over as president and brought with him Eastern faculty and students, further diversifying the campus. During his time as president, in 1965, the school's name was officially changed to Lake Forest College.[8] In March 2010, the college received a gift of $7 million from alumna Grace Groner.[9]
Lake Forest has a student-to-professor ratio of 13:1. No classes at Lake Forest are taught by teaching assistants. All faculty hold a doctorate or equivalent degree.[10] See list of Lake Forest College people for notable faculty.
First-year students select one of more than twenty offerings for a first-semester course that serves as an introduction to the academic life at the College as part of the First-Year Studies Program (FIYS). The FIYS professors serve as students' advisors until students declare a major. Courses, covering a wide range of topics - from music, art, and politics to neuroscience, terrorism and religion - often have a focus on Chicago. This allows students to become familiar with the educational, cultural and social resources available in the city.[11]
In the fall semester a select number of admitted students are chosen to participate in the Richter Scholar Program, which allows them to work with a professor during the summer following their freshman year. During the summer, the students work directly with the professor in a variety of fields. Some recent projects included: "Experiments Illustrating How Lasers can be Used to Manipulate Small Objects," "Federal Housing Policy and Race," "Regulation of Cell Volume in Red Blood Cells," "Do crayfish have a memory?" and "Navy SEAL Selection, Naval Service Training Command." [12]
The College also offers students options for either finishing their degree in three years in communication and philosophy, or to fast-track their career through joint-degree programs in engineering, international studies, and law. Joint-degree programs are available with Rosalind-Franklin University of Medicine and Sciences for pharmacy, Rush University for nursing, the Chicago Kent College of Law, Loyola School of Law, Vermont Law School, Monterrey Institute of International Study, and Washington University (St. Louis) for engineering. [13]
Around 1,400 students attend the College, and about 86% live on campus.[14] "'Life at Lake Forest is generally laid-back,' with a pace set by the quiet, high-end suburb in which the school is located," says a Princeton Review article.[15] Among the largest and most active student groups on campus are: the student radio station (WMXM), Student Government, PRIDE (LGBT), E.Team (organizes on-campus entertainment) and the Greek organizations.[16]
Chicago plays a central role in student life and learning at Lake Forest College. Whether through class visits to the city to explore its cultural riches, internships with Chicago-area businesses, or organized trips with student leaders to experience the city’s ethnic neighborhoods, the Second City is Lake Forest’s second classroom. At the Center for Chicago Programs students can learn about events in the city and surrounding suburbs, get guidance on transportation to the city, and suggestions of where to go when they get there. The Center also brings notable Chicago-area speakers, artists, and performers to campus.
There are six media organizations on campus:
Lake Forest competes in Division III and offers 17 varsity sports, nine women's (basketball, cross country, handball, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball) and eight men's (basketball, cross country, football, handball, ice hockey, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis). The handball teams have won 30 national championships and have received national media attention.[18]
Lake Forest College has been a member of the Midwest Conference since 1974. They were a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin from 1946-1963. They were a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1919-1937.
The Sports Center, originally constructed in 1968, has long been home to Forester Athletics. But after the completion of a $17-million, 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) recreation and fitness addition, the building was renamed the Lake Forest College Sports and Recreation Center.