Welcome from the Dean of Admission
| Thank you for your interest in Colgate University. I think you will find this website a
useful introduction to our community. Those of us in the Office of Admission have tried to
anticipate your questions about the admission process in general and Colgate in
particular. Colgate’s most cherished tradition is teaching, and the relationship between professor and student is time honored. Intimate classes, research opportunities and social interactions are the norm. Colgate professors have high expectations for their students, and the standards are demanding, but students are not alone in their pursuits. Colgate faculty members are committed to undergraduates and their scholarship achievements underscore the dedication they bring to their teaching. Our 2,750 undergraduate students can choose from 50 different majors and 12 minors, including interdisciplinary and cultural studies. Through Colgate’s Liberal Arts Core Curriculum students consider questions of identity, culture, and knowledge itself while also exploring western traditions, modernity and the roles of science and technology. Core courses span the globe and students have the opportunity to plumb the depths of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The environment of learning extends far beyond Colgate’s rich curriculum. It is indeed woven into the fabric that is Colgate. Faculty design and lead 22 off-campus, semester long study groups to both domestic and international destinations. Each year more than 100 students work directly with faculty on funded research projects, examining topics as varied as the roots of corruption in Post Communist Russia to phytoplankton productivity in central New York lakes. Many students and faculty members have teamed up to publish their findings in professional journals. Colgate’s newest academic building, Little Hall, home to the department of art and art history, has had a dramatic effect on campus cultural life since it opened in 2001. In addition to its creative space, Little Hall has ample room for exhibitions and students have responded with fervor. Theater and music, both university-sponsored and student-led, mount ambitious performance schedules. Film and lecture series bring to campus rare works, pop culture and visitors with both a keen focus and international following. Campus radio and TV stations offer broadcast opportunities and still more creative outlets. Our pursuits are not limited to classroom buildings. Colgate is an active place and is unique among the finest small liberal arts colleges in that we compete in the NCAA Division I level. We send forth 25 Division I athletic teams, along with 20 club and 23 intramural sports. Furthermore, the outdoor education facilities, courses and activities allow individuals to explore the natural world and expand student horizons. We are a robust campus community! Colgate, with all that it is, has one more defining tradition -- friendliness. It is a hello exchanged by those who pass on Willow Path and it is many pairs of helping hands for those in need. Students and professors volunteer with the local fire department and ambulance corps. Undergraduates spend spring break building shelters in West Virginia and working in Dominican orphanages. They tutor inner city kids and serve as "sidekicks" for local children. Perhaps you have heard of "the spirit that is Colgate." This is not idle sloganeering from a bygone day, but a tangible quality of life on this most beautiful and active of campuses. Expectations are high in this out of the way valley and our reach is
nothing short of global. Colgate people move forward without
forgetting one another. Indeed, so much of what is good here is the
product of shared effort, of collaboration and learning from one
another. I am continuously astonished by the height of our
achievement, the depth of our thinking and the warmth of our community. Very best wishes from all of us at Colgate! Gary L. Ross
|
