Skyler at Durango Mountain Resort

The Fort Lewis College mascot, Skyler the Skyhawk, made a visit to Durango Mountain Resort (DMR) on December 27. Skyler joined two FLC admission representatives in wishing DMR skiers and boarders a happy holiday season. No pun intended, but it was a beautiful bluebird day. Clear blue skies and excellent powder/packed powder conditions made it an enjoyable day on the slopes. With temperatures in the low 20s, Skyler and the FLC admissions counselors were on hand to provide some apres-ski relief--hot chocolate and cookies. As you can see in the photo, one of our younger Skyhawk fans was excited to have her picture taken with Skyler. This year, Fort Lewis College enters its second-year partnership with Durango Mountain Resort. Prospective students who visit the Office of Admission during ski season receive a complimentary lift ticket at DMR. I encourage you to visit with us this winter season to learn more about FLC and to take advantage of our great relationship with DMR. Happy holidays and best wishes for 2010.

Fort Lewis wins National Cyclocross Championships

Congratulations to the Fort Lewis College cycling team for winning its 15th national championship in Bend, Oregon earlier this month. With the win at this year's national cyclocross championships, the FLC cycling team continues to stand atop the podium--The Skyhawks are ranked #1 by the National Collegiate Cycling Association. Special accolades are in order for Teal Stetson-Lee for winning the women's race and for Ben Sonntag for placing second in the men's race.

NCAA Champs!

What a fall! First, the Fort Lewis College cycling team won the mountain bike national championship, and now, the men's soccer team has won the NCAA Division II National Championship.

You can watch the highlights of the 1-0 win over Lees-McRae College last weekend in Tampa, Fla. here.

Congratulations to the boys in blue and yellow as well as to their first-year head coach, Oige Kennedy. The FLC soccer tradition continues!

FLC Cycling Coach Paces Lance Armstrong

Matt Shriver, the Fort Lewis cycling team's coach, was enlisted by Lance Armstrong last weekend to help the 7-time Tour de France champion set a course record at the Leadville Trail 100. A former pro cyclist, Shriver pushed the early pace for Armstrong and ended up finishing 3rd overall in 7:09. Armstrong won the race in a blistering 6:28:50, a new course record by over 17 minutes. Reflecting on the day's ride, Shriver mused that "it was a pretty special day for Durango, for Fort Lewis and for myself." Shriver was decked out in his FLC kit, showing his Skyhawk pride.

Armstrong told VeloNews that he may thank Shriver for his assistance by visiting Fort Lewis to ride with the FLC team. We hope to see Lance here later this fall.

The Fort Lewis College Cycling team have won 13 national championships and are the reigning USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Champions. With a coach like Matt Shriver, I understand why the Skyhawks excel on the singletrack.

Allez Skyhawks.

Denver Send-Off Picnic for New Students

Yesterday afternoon, the Fort Lewis College Office of Admission proudly sponsored the 3rd annual Denver-area New Student Send-Off Picnic. Held at Eisenhower Park in Denver, over 125 people attended this year's picnic. Aside from eating some good food, the picnic gave both students and parents a chance to meet each other a few days before FLC Orientation officially begins. Students came from all over the metro-Denver area and seemed to have fun at the event--playing frisbee, hackey-sack and bean-bag toss.

We even had a handful of alumni-- include the FLC Alumni Association's President Andy Chase--attend the picnic and share some words of wisdom with our soon to-be Skyhawks. Additional pictures of the Send-Off can be found on the Fort Lewis College's Class of 2013 Facebook page.

Finding the Right Fit

Real estate agents often chant the mantra of ”location, location, location” to their clients. As in buying a house, location shouldn’t be the sole driving force behind the college search process; nonetheless, it's still an important variable to consider. Over the past few months, you might have received admission information from colleges and universities, ans as you've noticed colleges reinforce their location in their publications. With striking photos of mountains, skyscrapers, or grassy quads, college viewbooks and websites play up their schools’ location. With all these great photos, you might ask yourself, where is the information on academics? Is there more to a school’s campus than the scenery? Obviously, the answer is yes, but you shouldn’t shy away from taking advantage of a college’s environment. College is perhaps the best four years of your life. It’s an opportunity for you to expand your intellectual and social horizons. It’s one great experiment. Follow me on a journey of how to think about which school's location will work for you.

The "right fit," like many phrases, can have various meanings and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Your right fit might be different from mine. In thinking about schools, you’ll want to ask yourself: Do you like the cosmopolitan feel of a large city? Are you seeking a thriving music scene in a college town like Athens or Austin? Or do you want to stay close to home to be near family and friends?

Once you’ve identified your “right fit,” search for a college that is in your paradise. As an example, I’ll use Fort Lewis College. I am the Director of Admission at Fort Lewis College so it is an easy example for me. Fort Lewis is located in Durango, Colorado and the Four Corners region. Here, the San Juan Mountains meet the desert Southwest. It’s an incredible location. The area is surrounded by national forest, parks, mountain reservoirs and rivers. World-class skiing is 25 miles from campus; river rafting is in town; and great archaeology sites are only 30 minutes away. Heck, I ride a singletrack mountain bike trail to work. For students interested in the outdoors and wilderness, Fort Lewis College can be the perfect choice.

Here are some ways our students find their right fit at FLC:

1. Join student organizations: See what opportunities are available through the campus. Fort Lewis offers an Outdoor Pursuits club. It’s the largest club on campus and provides FLC students with such classes and trips as climbing (mountaineering, rock and ice), rafting/kayaking, avalanche safety, backcountry skiing/riding, canyoneering. Additionally, OP is the adventure hub of campus with an extensive equipment check-out program, outdoor resource library, bike and ski tune shop, and a knowledgeable staff. OP can provide maps, expert advice, reading material, and other resources to plan individual adventures.

2. Get to know the town. Since you will be living in a new community for four years, don’t hesitate to explore the town. Fort Lewis College and Durango offer a Welcome Week block party for new students. It’s a great way to learn about restaurants, shops, and other offers. Plus, there is usually some good, free food at events like this. Many restaurants and clubs offer college night specials on food. You can often eat well and on the cheap if you know the locations that offer college specials.

3. Explore the region. Within a two hour drive of Durango lay six different ecosystems. Three Native American reservations are within a 50 mile drive. Getting off campus will help you explore different areas of the country that perhaps you’ve never seen before. I had never had an Indian taco or Navajo frybread before moving to Durango. Now, I love it, and I know many FLC students who experienced these foods for the first time simply by being adventurous and getting off campus.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. You can stay on campus or you can get to know your college’s surrounding areas. I encourage you to do the latter. College is about expanding your horizons. I’m a firm believer that some of the most important learning experiences in college occur outside of the classroom and even off-campus. Be curious–explore and enjoy your college experience.

The Big Benefit of a Small College

As you are trying to figure out what type of college to attend, size should be a part of your consideration. Large universities and small colleges are different in many ways, and either option might work well for you depending on what you’re wanting out of your college experience. It’s really up to you and your interests. Considering that I work at a small liberal arts college, I’m admittedly biased toward the small college experience. Even so, I think it sensible to think about all the benefits that small colleges can offer you. Let’s take a look…

The Undergraduate Experience: Although large universities might have more academic options, including a greater variety of majors and graduate education opportunities, small colleges tend to focus on the undergraduate experience. By that, I mean that small colleges truly value undergraduate students. While professors conduct research, they are first and foremost committed to teaching. Small colleges are often considered teaching institutions. Without as stringent of a “publish or perish” policy, faculty members at smaller colleges have greater time to adequately prepare for class and to respond to students’ assignments in thoughtful and constructive manners because they are not overwhelmed with conflicting interests and research schedules. At small colleges, the saying would be “teach or perish.”

Privileged Access to Faculty: Since many small colleges don’t have extensive graduate programs, undergraduate students don’t have to compete with graduate students for faculty members’ time and support. Faculty members, not graduate students or teaching assistants, teach the courses, conduct labs, and hold office hours. As a result, students really get to know their faculty. A former student worker for me at Fort Lewis College recently invited 11 FLC faculty members to her wedding. She had made a conscious effort to get to know her professors. In turn, these individuals became mentors for this student: Two of them helped her land an internship after graduation, and three of them wrote letters of reference for graduate school applications. Without this relationship, undoubtedly she would have had a more difficult time in her graduate school search. Dr. Richard Light encourages students to get to know one faculty member well for each semester they are in college. Students who do so stay academically engaged and have a mentoring network to help them succeed in college and beyond.

Small Class Size: At a large university, it’s not unheard of to have a class of 500 students, especially during one’s freshmen year. These large sizes can be intimidating and unwelcoming for students. At a small college, that would never be the case. Most small colleges tend to have an average class size of 15-18. Faculty encourage discussion and interaction in their classes and can provide students with quick feedback on assignments. Professors are often available for one-on-one help and students have more direct interaction with their professors than their counterparts have at larger universities. Several studies have been completed over the years that look at class size. Most studies cite 20 students as the breaking point for the learning process. Once the class size extends beyond 20 students, the learning process is hampered. Moreover, large classes tend to have a higher absenteeism rate, and when compared, students in smaller classes show significant learning gains over students in the same course but in a larger section.

A Sense of Community: At small colleges, it is nearly impossible to get lost in the shuffle. Students, faculty, and administrators know each other on a first name basis. Faculty and staff often eat in the cafeteria with students and faculty members tend to serve as academic advisers, club sponsors, and in some situations, even coaches. There is a genuine sense of community at most small colleges. One of the key tenets for all who work at small colleges is the importance of student support and student interaction. Faculty at small colleges chose to work there because they want to develop meaningful interactions with peers and students and they want to be a direct influence for their students. Small colleges tend to be more collegial. There aren’t as many “empire builders” or hidden agendas and there is less hierarchy, and a greater focus on student success.

So as you are choosing a college or university, think closely about the type of experience you are seeking. If you enjoy getting to know other individuals beyond superficial levels, you want to work closely with professors, you don’t want to be lost in large classes, and you want to be recognized and known by others around you, a small college might be the right choice for you.

Preview Weekend 2009

April 17-18 marked the 3rd annual Preview Weekend for Admitted Students at Fort Lewis College. Over 200 admitted students and their families visited Fort Lewis this weekend, including three families from Alaska.

Preview Weekend is perhaps our second favorite time in the school year, with the first being our Fall Convocation at which we will officially welcome new students into the FLC family. Our Preview Weekend is designed to provide students with the information they need to make a decision about whether Fort Lewis is the right choice for them. This year's activities included mock-classes, icebreaker activities with our Adventure Education students, a question/answer session with President Bartel, and a performance by our theater students. Students seemed to enjoy the activities, including some new ones like getting your picture taken with our mascot, Skylar Skyhawk as well as getting temporary FLC tattoos. I joined in the fun as well. Well, you can already see my picture (above) with Skylar, and I did get a tattoo. I just won't tell you where.

Students and their families left Fort Lewis College with a solid understanding of our philosophy on the undergraduate experience. Students experienced first-hand and found out for themselves why Fort Lewis is a such a special place. As our Preview Weekend guests saw we’re proud of our rich heritage yet we’re also proud of the visionary new direction in which we are headed.

The 2009 admitted class is one o the finest cohorts of students admitted by Fort Lewis: 3.23 average GPA, 1069 average SAT, and 105 CCHE Index score.

Tips for High School Juniors--Thinking about colleges

High school juniors out there--watch out. If you haven't taken the ACT or the SAT yet, get preparend. And I'm not referring to the test. I'm talking about the amount of mail you'll receive from colleges and universities after you sit for the test. By the end of the summer, you’ll probably have a stack of college brochures tall enough to poke through the stratosphere. Let’s be honest–choosing a college is no easy task, and some of these brochures only complicate matters. Right now you might still be trying to figure out: How will I pay for school? Do schools have my major? What do I want to study? Do I want a small school or a large university? Concerns like these are valid, and with over 4,000 colleges and universities to chose from, how will you ever decide? And you thought some of the SAT questions were hard! Relax–this month’s post will help point you in the right direction. In no time, you’ll know how to select the college that’s right for you. Here are my ABCs for choosing a college.

A. Academics: Keeping your academic and professional interests in mind should be a key aspect of your college decision process. Make sure a college offers your major. If you are undecided, select a college that is broadly-based and has a variety of majors to choose from. Looking specifically at colleges’ graduation requirements and core curricula will help you determine if there is room to try different classes or electives. Additional classes can expand your skill set and perhaps even your marketability on the job market. Think about international opportunities. Do you want to study abroad? You should also look at the faculty: what is their background, do they focus on teaching or research, what type of support will they provide? Consider how classes are taught: Is it a lecture format, or are there hands-on or experiential learning opportunities for students? You might also be mindful of colleges’ rankings and their annual report to the US Department of Education. Finally, look at career and graduate school placement. Where do students with your major work after graduation? Does the college provide career planning and assistance with employment placement?

B. Belonging: The college day is organized differently from high school. Unlike high school, you’ll be in class for only 3-4 hours per day as opposed to 7-8 hours per day. As a result, you have more free time. That’s not to say that you don’t need to use your free time to study; rather, you’ll have greater opportunity to take advantage of social, extracurricular and club activities. You want to find a college that “fits” with your personality and your interests. Make sure to visit the campuses that you are considering. Colleges can look very different in person as opposed to what’s printed on a glossy brochure. Get a sense for the students, their interests and what they do with their free time. Do you want to be a part of a fraternity or a sorority? What do students do on the weekend? Step back and reflect: Is this a place where I will be happy? Can I picture myself here for the next four years?

C. Cost: Cost is one of the main factors to consider when choosing which college to attend. In examining costs, consider expenses beyond tuition. Many students and families fail to consider the big picture and thus don’t realize that tuition is only a fraction of the overall costs. Other costs to consider should be housing, food, books, student fees, and cost of living expenses around the colleges that you are considering. Also don’t forget to look at your scholarship and financial aid offers. Be sure to read the fine print. Are the scholarships renewable? Do I need to take a certain number of credits? Do I need a maintain a certain GPA in order to keep my scholarship?

If you keep some of these ideas in mind, choosing a college should be as easy as 1-2-3. Or in this case, as easy as A-B-C. Good luck.

FLC Skyhawk Gets a Name

Over the past few weeks, Fort Lewis students have been considering names for our masot--the Skyhawk. Skyler debuted his new name during the varsity basketball games on Saturday. Hundreds of fans cheered the announcement and then went on to watch both Skyhawk basketball teams beat New Mexico-Highlands.

Skyler's new name came following a vote by the FLC and Durango communities. The quest to find a new name for the FLC mascot began weeks ago with a call for entries for the “Name the Skyhawk Contest” sponsored by the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College (ASFLC). Hundreds of name suggestions poured in.

The name choice was recently narrowed to 11 finalists and was put it to a vote. The voting was open to the College and Durango communities, as well as alumni.

Comment on my blog and tell me what you think of the new name.

FLC Partners with Durango Mountain Resort

As ski season is now underway, Fort Lewis has some exciting news to share.

Fort Lewis College has partnered with Durango Mountain Resort (DMR) to offer a complimentary lift ticket to DMR for all prospective student visitors. The voucher also entitles guests/family members on tour with prospective students to one lift ticket per person at a 50% discount.

Call our admission office at 1-877-FLC-COLO to schedule your campus visit.

FLC Facebook Group--Class of 2013

Happy New Year!

Fort Lewis is starting off the new year with our "Class of 2013" Facebook group. With the success of last year's Class of 2012 Facebook group (over 50% of our admitted student joined the group), we are excited about opening up this year's admitted student group.

This is a group for all admitted students who plan to attend Fort Lewis College in Fall 2009. By joining this group you will have the opportunity to meet other students who will be attending or are deciding to attend Fort Lewis. You will also receive updated news and important information about Fort Lewis College.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=57179183208

Join our group, and become a part of the FLC community.

Go Skyhawks!