1 Historically Speaking Historically Speaking Carleton College was founded by the Minnesota Conference of Congregational Churches, under the name of Northfield College, on November 14, 1866. Preparatory school classes began in September 1867, but it was not until 1870 that the Reverend James W. Strong took office as the first president, the first college class was formed, and the first on-campus building was begun. It was agreed at the outset that after one year formal church control should end, but throughout its formative years, the College received significant support and direction from the Congregational churches. Although it is now autonomous and non-sectarian, the College respects these historical ties and gives continuing recognition to them through membership in the Council for Higher Education of the United Church of Christ. By the fall of 1871, the name of the College had been changed to honor an early benefactor, William Carleton of Charlestown, Massachusetts, who earlier that year had bestowed a gift of $50,000 on the struggling young college. At the time, it was the largest single contribution ever made to a western college, and it was made unconditionally, with no design that the name of the College should be changed. As of June 30, 2014, the College had an endowment of $794 million and assets valued at $1.2 billion. Carleton has always been a coeducational institution. The original graduating class in 1874 was composed of one man and one woman who followed similar academic programs. Carleton’s current enrollment is 2,042 (Fall 2014). Mission, Vision, Values and Goals The mission of Carleton College is to provide an exceptional undergraduate liberal arts education. In pursuit of this mission, the College is devoted to academic excellence, distinguished by the creative interplay of teaching, learning, and scholarship, and dedicated to our diverse residential community and extensive international engagements. The College’s aspiration is to prepare students to lead lives of learning that are broadly rewarding, professionally satisfying and of service to humanity. By discovering and sharing exemplary models of undergraduate education, the College seeks to be a leader among those colleges, universities, and professional organizations that share our dedication to this vision. Carleton strives to be a collaborative community that encourages curiosity and intellectual adventure of the highest quality. Faculty, staff, and students respect one another for the serious work and the playful humor we share, and we support each other in pursuing a healthy balance of mind, body, and spirit. Quiet reflection and lively engagement are valued as sources of self-understanding and renewal. Carleton honors thoughtful conversations about difficult questions as necessary for individual growth and community strength. The College works to embody the values of freedom of inquiry and expression and is vigilant in protecting these values within a culture of academic integrity, civil deliberation, and ethical action. Carleton aims to be welcoming and hospitable to its neighbors, guests, and the public, and a responsible steward of its resources. Carleton’s academic goals focus on developing the critical and creative talents of our students through broad and rigorous studies in the liberal arts disciplines. Mentored by dedicated faculty and staff, students become active members of a learning and living community that promotes the exploration of passionate interests and emerging avocations. Students learn higher order thinking skills: disciplinary inquiry, analysis of evidence, arts of communication and argumentation, and problem-solving strategies. In their chosen fields of study, students strengthen their capabilities for disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and artistic production. Students acquire the knowledge necessary for the continuing study of the world’s peoples, arts, environments, literatures, sciences, and institutions. 2 Carleton develops qualities of mind and character that prepare its graduates to become citizens and leaders, capable of finding inventive solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Accreditation and Affiliations Accredited by several associations, including the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (since 1913), Carleton offers the Bachelor of Arts degree. Among the academic honor societies with chapters on the campus are Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board, scholastic honor societies and Sigma Xi, science honor society. Carleton is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM). Carleton College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411. Phone 800-621-7440. Carleton College is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions. College Governance While the Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the existence and welfare of the College, most major decisions about policies affecting the nature and operation of the College are made by governance bodies composed of students, faculty, staff, and senior administrative officers. The campus governance system falls naturally into two divisions: educational policy, which is the province of the faculty, and policies concerning the life of the campus at large, which is under the care of an elected College Council. The faculty has the assistance in the making of educational policy of a student-faculty committee, known as the Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC), under the leadership of the Dean of the College. Five faculty and five students join with the Dean and one Associate Dean to make up the ECC. The College Council is chaired by the President of the College, and composed of five faculty, five students, and five staff (three of them senior administrative officers). The Council functions through subcommittees called into being to deal with particular policy issues. The Budget Committee is a permanent subcommittee of the Council and is composed partly of Council members and partly of other students, faculty, and staff elected or selected to that particular service. The implementation of policies regarding student life on campus is the responsibility of the Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students and her or his staff. The Committee on Student Life (CSL), made up of students, faculty and staff, advises the Vice President/Dean of Students in such matters. Many other standing committees exist, with varying memberships, to make policy recommendations and to help administer various areas of the campus. Carleton Student Association Every student is a member of the Carleton Student Association (CSA). Three officers and 18 senators are elected annually to serve as the Senate, CSA’s legislative body. The Senate’s duties include: the election of student members; creation of ad-hoc subcommittees; the management of the student activities budget; and the appointment of student representatives to standing committees. CSA also works with the Dean of Students Office to address issues of concern to students. The College: A Statistical Look Carleton College is a co-educational, residential liberal arts college enrolling about 2,000 with a diverse student body and a distinguished faculty. In fall of 2014-2015 40 percent of Carleton’s 2,042 students came from the Midwest, 23 percent from the West, 19 percent from the East, 8 percent from the South, and 10 percent from outside the United States. Approximately 24 percent are African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native American or of two or more races. 55 percent of Carleton students receive institutional need-based aid. Carleton has 211 full-time faculty, and over 99% of all permanent faculty have a doctorate or a terminal degree in their field. The overall student/faculty ratio is 9:1. The average class size is 17. In the fall of 2014, 71 percent of class 3 sections had under 20 students, and 3 classes had over 50 students. Each year, students can choose from approximately 1000 courses in 33 majors and several interdisciplinary programs. 78 percent of students in the 2014 graduating class participated in off-campus study for Carleton credit at least once during their undergraduate years, with study in 53 countries. In the fall of 2014, 96.8 percent of the cohort of 2013 first-year students returned to Carleton. In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the six-year graduation rate for the cohort that entered in fall, 2008 is 93.1 percent, and 91.0 percent of that cohort graduated in four years or less. Of the cohort that entered in fall 2006, 93.9 percent graduated within eight years of entering Carleton. Questions related to this report should be directed to Carleton’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at (507) 222-4284. According to the 2013 Alumni Surveys, 33% of graduates said that they had participated in graduate or professional study within one year of graduation, and 81% had done so within ten years. The six most common fields of study for Carleton graduates since 1990 have been: law (11%), medicine (8%), education (4%), history (2%), business administration (2%), and chemistry (2%). Carleton ranks third among nearly 600 baccalaureate- level colleges in graduates who have earned doctoral degrees in academic fields between