Come meet us at The Beach!

It's Spring Break for FLC this week! And to celebrate, the Office of Admissions will be hanging out at The Beach on Sunday! Ok, it's probably not the beach you have in mind, but it will still be fun. On Sunday, March 14, the Office of Admission will be handing out free goodies at the Durango Mountain Resort Beach. Along with DJ Wreck from KDUR, we'll be slopeside from 2-4pm with cookies, chap stick and other fun give-aways. Take a break from the great spring skiing conditions on Sunday and stop by to say hi.

Welcome back!

Happy New Year, and I hope each of you are settling into 2010 with a renewed sense of optimism and resolution. Here in Durango, our campus is abuzz and full of energy. Today is the first day of our Winter Semester, and we are excited to have students back on campus.

As I think about the past few months, I am reminded that it has been a very dynamic and exciting time for us. Truly, Fort Lewis is a college on the move. Several recent developments reinforce our unique nature. They include:

• Dr. Ron Estler of the Chemistry Department recently was selected as the Colorado Professor of the Year. Dr. Estler will now compete for US Professor of the Year honors.

• Our Men’s Soccer team recently won the NCAA Division II National Championships, and our cycling team won the Collegiate Team Omnium National Championships in Cyclocross.

• Construction on the new $11.6 million Biology building will finish later this month. The new building will house the Biology and Agriculture departments along with a new greenhouse, animal facilities, laboratories, classrooms and offices.

• For prospective students, we will host three upcoming Skyhawk Saturdays for
--January 23, 8:30am-12:00 noon
--February 20, 8:30am-12:00 noon
--March 20, 8:30am-12:00 noon

As you can see, this is an engaging time at Fort Lewis We look forward to sharing our progress with you and to working with you.

Now it is time for me to get back to reviewing application files. Seniors--good luck with finishing your application.

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.

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!

Andy is now on Twitter

Blogs, MySpace, Facebook, what's next? Twitter, well at least for me. A couple weeks ago I created a Twitter account. While I am still trying to figure out how to use it, Twitter operates like a mini-blog. It allows you to send a small update (only 140 characters), and it also allows you to send and receive updates via your Facebook, email accounts and even blogs. Look in the bottom right hand-corner of this page for my Twitter updates.

I hope you follow me on Twitter (@andyburns5280), and feel free to give me any advice on how to use it. I plan to use my twitter account for brief updates on events here on campus as well as for sharing articles and policy papers about higher education.

Talk to you soon.

Wilma Mankiller to Speak at Fort Lewis College

Wilma Mankiller, the former first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, will be the 2008 FLC Presidential Native American Lecture Series speaker. The lecture takes place on November 6, 2008, at 7 p.m. at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. The event is free and open to the public.

Truly a pioneer among her people, Wilma Mankiller served as the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation beginning in 1985. The causes she championed included better healthcare, and women’s and children’s rights. Her success as a leader led to her re-election as chief for a second term.

Today she is an advocate for free speech and free press in Washington, D.C. as a trustee for the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation.

Her work has brought her many honors, such as being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.

The popular FLC Presidential Native American Lecture Series brings prominent members of the Native American community to Fort Lewis College. In the past, such speakers as Sherman Alexie and M. Scott Mommaday have visited campus.

FLC--National Champs...Again!

While I try to keep my blog clear of shameless self-promotion, sometimes, it's needed. I'd like to congratulate the Fort Lewis College cycling team on their 9th mountain bike national championship. At the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in Banner Elk, North Carolina this past weekend, Fort Lewis College bested the field including the host Lees-McRae to win the Division I team competition. Dave Hagen, the FLC cycling coach, had nothing but compliments for the FLC riders. "It was a great day for us," Hagen said. We had a bunch of riders who really stepped up for us." This year, we brought a more well-rounded team. And we did well in both (dual slalom and downhill)."

As someone who slowly rides his bike to work, I have great respect and admiration for our riders. Congratulations!

Dorm Life

One of the defining aspects of college life is the residence hall. The anxiety associated with moving away from home, doing your own laundry and living with a complete stranger can keep many seniors awake at night. Indeed, dorm life is one of the one of the biggest adjustments to college. The questions that fly through high school seniors' minds are often anxiety-ridden: What if I don't get along with my roommate? Do I want the top bunk or the bottom bunk? Why if my roommate is messier than me? Will I be homesick?

To help with the transition to life away from home, Fort Lewis has developed some innovative programming for our residence halls. We offer five Living Learning Communities (LLC) -- exciting options for residential students. By joining an LLC, you live with other students with common interests and who are similarly invested in having fun and learning together. LLCs combine a common interest or theme with the social aspects of a campus housing community. The result is an experience that will last a lifetime.

In addition, Fort Lewis is excited to offer a new residence hall this fall. Animas Hall is the College’s new $12 million residence hall. The facility will offer 148 students suite-style living accommodations with the most modern conveniences, such as flat panel TVs and wireless Internet access. The hall will also include faculty/staff apartments and classroom space. Construction on the project has already begun and it is anticipated that students will begin moving in for the fall 2009 semester. Check out some of the photos below.

While dorm life can be overwhelming at first, conversations and time in my residence hall include some of my fondest college experiences. Its OK to be nervous, but remember your rooommate is as well. You're not alone in your feelings. Here are some quick tips on adjusting to your home away from home.

1. Talk to friends or older siblings who have lived in a college dorm. Get an understanding from them about the fun as well as the challenging aspects. If possible, try to spend the night with a colelge friend in his or her dorm room.

2. Prior to arriving on campus, call or e-mail your roommate. Get to know them as individual. Many a friendships are formed between college roommates. I still stay in touch with my freshmen roommate.

3. Once on campus, be social. Take the time to get to know your roommate and others on your hall. These are friendships that will last a lifetime.

4. Use Skype or other video/phone systems to communicate with your family. You're not as far away from home as you might first imagine.

Again, enjoy the transition to college. It's a lot of change, but it's exciting and a great time in your life.

Writing your personal essay

On October 26, seniors will breathe a sigh of relief. The ACT will be behind them, and they will have jumped over a major hurdle in the college admission process. Are the admission hurdles now a thing of the past for our college-bound seniors? Not quite yet... And students realize that.

As I meet high school seniors from throughout New Mexico this week, they are anxious about the remaining aspects of the college application process, namely their personal essays. Here are some of the reoccurring personal essay-related questions that I've heard this week:

• What should I write about?
• Is there a right way to write my essay?
• Should I have a counselor proofread it?
• What if I don't have enough space to tell my story?
  

After hearing the same questions at several high school presentations, I decided to focus this week's blog on the personal essay. Hopefully, it will allay some of the concerns out there.

While writing the personal essay can be one of the most challenging aspects of the admission process, it's an opportunity to let admission officers understand who you are as a person. You should take advantage of this chance to tell your unique story. You're more than a GPA, an AP score or class rank. Colleges want to learn more about you--about you as an individual or about your interests. I encourage students to write about a passion of theirs--something that excites them. Think about your favorite birthday or an exotic family vacation. Now think about yard work or household chores. As you probably would agree, it's easier to describe experiences that are enjoyable, invigorating or rewarding. Writing about your passions allows your true character to come forth.

As you think about writing your essay, be sure to set aside enough time. Students should block 3-4 two-hour blocks of time spread out over a 2 week span. This allows students to properly create an outline for their essays, to critically reflect on the content, and to share various drafts with parents or counselors. You should not assume that you will have your final draft completed after one setting. The weakest essays are often the ones assembled at the last minute. Most admission counselors read between 500-1000 applications per season, and it's easy to spot a last-minute essay. Give your essays a chance to develop with time. Many first drafts start out too long. That's OK. You will reduce the essay's size through proofreading and by reflecting on it over time. To paraphrase T.S. Elliot, if I had more time, I would have written a shorter personal essay.

Once you have begun to write your essay, maintain a consistent voice and theme. Admission officers are looking for the clarity of your writing style and an understanding of your sentence structure in addition to the essay's content. Always include specific, concrete examples. Essays that rely on vague generalities don't provide the same level of understanding or comprehension for the reader. While still being succinct, we want the writer to use specific examples.

Students should stay within the word count limits. While admission officers aren't going to automatically deny admission to a student whose essay exceeds the word count, be mindful that admission officers are reading a 20-40 applications per night and don't have time to sort through an extra page. After a long day of reading applications, a 5 page essay instead of a 2 page essay could have a negative subjective response from your reader. Indeed, don't feel compelled to use the entire word count. I've seen many an essay fall apart at the end because the writer forced the final 50 words.

The essay's tone can cause concern for students. Students often try to add humor to their essay, but I encourage you to be careful about using humor. In some situations, it can work. In other situations, it can backfire woefully. My recommendation is to use humor only if it comes naturally to you as part of your writing style. Again, be yourself, and let your inner voice shine through. On the flip side, don't be pretentious or snooty. Just be yourself.

Finally, proofread, proofread, proofread. Each year, I see a handful of essays with misspellings or worse yet, the use of the wrong college's name in the essay. You should always have a friend, parent or counselor read your essay before you submit it. I also find reading essays aloud--as a means of proofreading--to be an effective way to catch mistakes or questionable sentences. I recall a student a few years ago who ended his essay with "It's been a lifelong dream to attend INSERT NAME OF COLLEGE HERE." Please avoid mistakes like this.

Obviously, there are many other aspects of the personal essay to cover--Too many to cover if I am to follow my own advice of being succinct. To continue the conversation, please feel free to share your thoughts or questions on the personal essay.

Three Cups of Tea

Greg Mortenson, co-author of the bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time, spent last Thursday on the Fort Lewis College campus. Three Cups of Tea is the College’s Common Reading Experience selection for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Mr. Mortenson speak--I was meeting with students in Fort Collins, Colo. In talking to FLC students who attended the event, they were impressed with Mr. Mortenson's committment and vision. Many students walked away feeling that they could make a difference--that it doesn't take an extraordinary individual to combat the problems in the world today. Mortenson reiterated the benefit of a global effort: "If we wanted to we could eradicate global illiteracy in 15 years," he said. "The price tag for that is $6 billion per year for 15 years - $90 billion dollars. It sounds like a lot of money, but it's only about $1 or $2 per child per month."

Mortenson's efforts over the past few years have focused on raising awareness for his Central Asia Institute. The Institute was co-founded by Mortenson in 1996 to help build schools and support other projects throughout Central Asia, namely in Afghanistan and Pakistan. To date, Mortenson has helped build over 60 schools in Central Asia. Due in part to Mortenson's efforts, today more than 6 million children in Afghanistan and Pakistan are pursuing an education as opposed to 800,000 children just a few years ago.

The Fort Lewis College Common Reading Experience began in 2006 with Folding Paper Cranes. Last year, students read Mountains Beyond Mountains. The Common Reading Experience provides an intellectually-engaging and community-building experience for our freshmen class. Each year's book is provided to new freshmen and is incorporated into all freshmen Rhetoric and Writing classes. Presentations by the authors, panel discussions, films and other events are arranged throughout the year to extend and complement the ideas presented in the book.

Have you read Three Cups of Tea? If so, post your thoughts on the book.

Or, if you have any suggestions for next year's Common Reading Experience, post your suggestions as well.

Attending a College Fair

A chill is in the air, the leaves are starting to change colors and grocery stores are carrying Halloween candy. For most people, these signs signify that Fall is on its way. For college admission counselors, it is a sign that the college fair season has arrived. This week I will be representing Fort Lewis College at a variety of fairs in Colorado. I start with two high school visits in the Pueblo area and will work my way north to Fort Collins. Five nights. Five different hotels. After 1,500 miles of driving, I know I will sleep well this weekend.

For students who haven't attended a college fair, here are some pointers.

What is a college fair? A college fair is typically held at a high school or a local hotel or convention center. Smaller fairs often include colleges and universities from just your state while larger events colleges statewide as well as out-of-state colleges and universities. These events provide you with an opportunity to chat with college representatives and help you find the colleges that may be right for you.

How should I prepare for a college fair? Find out which colleges will attend your fair. You usually can find out the list of colleges from your high school counselor. Spend some time researching the schools on the internet. Several education websites have search features that can help you determine good college "matches" for you. Prepare address labels with your name and contact information (include your e-mail) so that you can spend more of your time speaking with the representatives as opposed to filling out your personal information with each college. Develop a list of questions that you want to ask (i.e., the size of the school, admission requirements, majors offered, tuition, and scholarship). Bring a pencil/pen and a notebook to take notes.

What should I do at the fair? Be sure to visit the schools that interest you, but also save time to visit with all of the schools as there might be one or two schools that you haven't heard of that are a good fit for you. Ask for a business card from each of the representatives--this will help you follow up with school once you develop a short list of schools to which you plan to apply. Be polite. Make eye contact and shake hands with the representatives. Also, be sure to dress appropriately.

Do I need to do anything after the fair? Sit down with the materials that you've picked up and sort through them. Talk with a parent or counselor about which schools you like and try to find if there are any common themes between the schools. Begin a running list of schools to which you might apply. This will become your short list of schools. Try to include a list of pros and cons for each school on your short list. Using the business cards that gathered, send thank you notes to the schools that are on your short list. If you haven't visited your short list schools, begin to schedule visits.

Back to school

Fort Lewis is abuzz with energy this week. Students begin moving into their dormitories later this week, orientation takes places this weekend, and classes begin on Monday.

After a quiet summer, it's exciting to have students back on campus. New students are eager to explore Durango while continuing students look forward to seeing their friends.

My favorite part of the new school year is helping students move into their dorms. It's a fun tradition we have here at FLC--faculty and staff all pitch in to help move students back into the dorms.

Check back later this week to see some pictures from move in day.

The Senior Slide

As high school students begin their senior year, many students think it's time to relax and have fun after three years of hard work. This attitude is called the "senior slide."

As you settle into your class schedule, remember that colleges and universities will look closely at your senior year grades. Many schools ask students to submit their first semester grades or a mid-term report.

This isn't the time to slack off. Remember: Have fun during your senior year, but also stay focused on your academics. Keep up the good work.