This Week’s College: Lafayette College, Easton, PA
Founded in 1826, Lafayette College was named after the French hero to whom the new nation owed a great debt. The founder’s father had served with the Marquis de Lafayette in the American Revolution and was there when he was wounded at the Battle of the Brandywine, in 1777. From Lafayette’s motto Cur Non, the school went on to adopt it as its own: Why not?
Lafayette cites three main values they are dedicated to. The first, Diversity and Inclusion, relates to the idea that all members of the college community are valued and have contributions that make the experiences at Lafayette better for all. Equity is strived for and inclusiveness is practiced. Secondly, the school works hard in the area of Sustainability. Not only are they trying to cut emissions campus wide, but they are also integrating the concept into the curriculum, and into their lives through community gardens and by closing food loops. Finally, Lafayette is committed to Community Engagement. Everything from academically based service learning to co-curricular community service, to volunteering is encouraged as part of developing leadership skills in students. When students engage with their communities, they are making connections between what they are learning and how it plays out in the real world.
With just over 2500 students, Lafayette is a small school that offers engineering as well as solid liberal arts. It also has a Common Course of Study (a common core that all students engage in) which allows all students to have a solid foundation in a variety of areas, giving students a broad and rich common language to draw from in any experience they find themselves in. It should come as no surprise that I am a fan of the CCS at any school. I am the product of one myself and you can ask your kids about what that looks like in their classes. I have knowledge of everything from astrophysics to Impressionism, from Classics to the French Revolution, from the “Invisible Hand” to calculus, from the Cairo Geniza to having run DNA, and all of it comes from the common learning experiences I have had with my classmates in college. But I digress.
At Lafayette, all first years take a First Year Seminar designed to help them learn to read carefully, write cogently, and engage critically. From there, students must take classes in a world language, in a natural science with lab, social science, humanities, and science and technology in a social context. There are also requirements in quantitative reasoning, global and multiculturalism, a writing requirement, and also a values requirement which means a class that looks at philosophy, ethics, morals or politics.
The First Year Seminar is limited to 16 students (although at a school this size you will not find many classes much bigger than this), and includes pretty serious reading and writing components. Each is designed to pose a question or investigate a concept that is both of interest to students and to help students to see new ideas in new lights. Some current classes are:
With 51 possible majors in the four divisions at Lafayette there is really quite a lot to choose from. You can major in five different engineering fields through that division. Whether you are interested in chemical engineering, civil engineering, robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, environmental and biological engineering, or engineering studies, there is a lot of variety in the engineering division. In the humanities division, you can choose from majors like music, English, Film and Media Studies, German, Art, or Theater. Study in the Social Sciences and major in Religion and Politics, Africana Studies, Economics, Policy Studies, American Studies, Government and Law, or International Affairs. In the Natural Sciences Division major in Biochemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, or Geology. Plus you can minor in topics like Computational Methods, Data Science, Health Care and Society, Writing, Chinese, Biotechnology/Bioengineering, Global History, or Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Housing on campus is guaranteed all four years and Lafayette offers 21 different housing options for students to choose from a traditional dorm with doubles and triples to suite style housing. There is also off-campus housing for older students, apartment style and Living Communities. There are special interest houses which are designed for students who want to live with gamers, musicians, or math and engineering folks. And, for affinity groups, there are entire living communities like at McKelvey where 20 students who are invited to live together engage in academic focused living and who host weekly discussions. Grossman House is home to global perspectives where students try to open themselves up to a diverse experience beyond their own. Sorority and Fraternity housing is also available.
Alternative Spring Break is super popular at Lafayette and students frequently opt to spend their off time volunteering at Lafayette. With a motto like Why Not? Students here are encouraged to believe that they can make changes (Why not me? Why not now?) in the world around them. Lafayette is home to the Landis Community Outreach Center which connects students to over 30 different volunteer opportunities in the area. Whether you want to begin a program, join one in progress, or work in the community with children, the elderly, in health, education, building, farming, or anything, there is a lot to do and support to do it.
Sports are big at Lafayette. It’s a DI school (football is DIAA), and the Leopards are well supported at home and away. All the usual suspects are available for playing here and there is a hearty intramural and intercollegiate sports scene as well. Slightly unusual options include bowling, equestrian, table tennis, crew (club), and women’s wrestling (club).
The arts at Lafayette are hot. Seriously. These people have it going on. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is playing there. They are screening a film on the life of Gwendolyn Brooks. There is an art installation honoring Ross Gay called “Passing Bittersweet.” The Koresh Dance Company is coming to perform next month, and Lafayette students will perform Monkey, an adaptation from the tales from Journey to the West in the spring. If you are into the arts, this is a great place for you.
As for clubs, name your poison. Whatever you are interested in, there is a club for it. The Food Recovery Network, the Lafayette Fashion Society, Marquis Players, Young Life, Juggling Club, Engineers without Borders, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Art Cur Non, ESports, Salsa Club, Mock Trial, Open Debate, Theater Underground, TEDx Lafayette College, Precision Step Team, and the Society of Hispanic Engineers are just some of the offerings. Plus you can start any club you’d like to if there isn’t one you want to have.
Lafayette has some specific traditions it observes as well. One thousand nights is a First Year tradition. It symbolizes the nearly 1,000 nights between entering as a first year and graduation and echoes another tradition: 100 Nights, a formal for seniors held each spring that counts down the days until Commencement. Rivalry Week is a huge thing (think UVA v Tech game). This is the game between Lehigh and Lafayette. Plan to enjoy not just the game but all the lead up to it: pep rallies, class competitions, and the famous Midnight Breakfast. Lafapalooza is another big tradition. On the National Day of service the faculty, staff, and students commit to serve their community through volunteering all over the area.
Is Lafayette for you? Are you a person who is serious about learning over grades, passionate about being a part of a community, and willing to work hard to learn and grow along with your peers? Are you interested in serving the greater good, getting your hands dirty, and being an authentic person? If you are Lafayette could be a great match for you. If you are interested in engineering but looking for a smaller environment to do it in, Lafayette could definitely be for you. This is a rigorous school, though, don’t mistake that. They are highly selective, only accepting about 29% of those who apply. But if the sound of a place where your work is grounded in action and real life sounds good, then Lafayette can be for you.
Pros:
Cons:
Founded in 1826, Lafayette College was named after the French hero to whom the new nation owed a great debt. The founder’s father had served with the Marquis de Lafayette in the American Revolution and was there when he was wounded at the Battle of the Brandywine, in 1777. From Lafayette’s motto Cur Non, the school went on to adopt it as its own: Why not?
Lafayette cites three main values they are dedicated to. The first, Diversity and Inclusion, relates to the idea that all members of the college community are valued and have contributions that make the experiences at Lafayette better for all. Equity is strived for and inclusiveness is practiced. Secondly, the school works hard in the area of Sustainability. Not only are they trying to cut emissions campus wide, but they are also integrating the concept into the curriculum, and into their lives through community gardens and by closing food loops. Finally, Lafayette is committed to Community Engagement. Everything from academically based service learning to co-curricular community service, to volunteering is encouraged as part of developing leadership skills in students. When students engage with their communities, they are making connections between what they are learning and how it plays out in the real world.
With just over 2500 students, Lafayette is a small school that offers engineering as well as solid liberal arts. It also has a Common Course of Study (a common core that all students engage in) which allows all students to have a solid foundation in a variety of areas, giving students a broad and rich common language to draw from in any experience they find themselves in. It should come as no surprise that I am a fan of the CCS at any school. I am the product of one myself and you can ask your kids about what that looks like in their classes. I have knowledge of everything from astrophysics to Impressionism, from Classics to the French Revolution, from the “Invisible Hand” to calculus, from the Cairo Geniza to having run DNA, and all of it comes from the common learning experiences I have had with my classmates in college. But I digress.
At Lafayette, all first years take a First Year Seminar designed to help them learn to read carefully, write cogently, and engage critically. From there, students must take classes in a world language, in a natural science with lab, social science, humanities, and science and technology in a social context. There are also requirements in quantitative reasoning, global and multiculturalism, a writing requirement, and also a values requirement which means a class that looks at philosophy, ethics, morals or politics.
The First Year Seminar is limited to 16 students (although at a school this size you will not find many classes much bigger than this), and includes pretty serious reading and writing components. Each is designed to pose a question or investigate a concept that is both of interest to students and to help students to see new ideas in new lights. Some current classes are:
- Money, root of all evil?
- Can you feel my pain?
- Punk
- Spectacles of Revenge
- Pursuits of Happiness
- What is a river?
- Demonstrating Science
- Melding Mind and Machine
With 51 possible majors in the four divisions at Lafayette there is really quite a lot to choose from. You can major in five different engineering fields through that division. Whether you are interested in chemical engineering, civil engineering, robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, environmental and biological engineering, or engineering studies, there is a lot of variety in the engineering division. In the humanities division, you can choose from majors like music, English, Film and Media Studies, German, Art, or Theater. Study in the Social Sciences and major in Religion and Politics, Africana Studies, Economics, Policy Studies, American Studies, Government and Law, or International Affairs. In the Natural Sciences Division major in Biochemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, or Geology. Plus you can minor in topics like Computational Methods, Data Science, Health Care and Society, Writing, Chinese, Biotechnology/Bioengineering, Global History, or Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Housing on campus is guaranteed all four years and Lafayette offers 21 different housing options for students to choose from a traditional dorm with doubles and triples to suite style housing. There is also off-campus housing for older students, apartment style and Living Communities. There are special interest houses which are designed for students who want to live with gamers, musicians, or math and engineering folks. And, for affinity groups, there are entire living communities like at McKelvey where 20 students who are invited to live together engage in academic focused living and who host weekly discussions. Grossman House is home to global perspectives where students try to open themselves up to a diverse experience beyond their own. Sorority and Fraternity housing is also available.
Alternative Spring Break is super popular at Lafayette and students frequently opt to spend their off time volunteering at Lafayette. With a motto like Why Not? Students here are encouraged to believe that they can make changes (Why not me? Why not now?) in the world around them. Lafayette is home to the Landis Community Outreach Center which connects students to over 30 different volunteer opportunities in the area. Whether you want to begin a program, join one in progress, or work in the community with children, the elderly, in health, education, building, farming, or anything, there is a lot to do and support to do it.
Sports are big at Lafayette. It’s a DI school (football is DIAA), and the Leopards are well supported at home and away. All the usual suspects are available for playing here and there is a hearty intramural and intercollegiate sports scene as well. Slightly unusual options include bowling, equestrian, table tennis, crew (club), and women’s wrestling (club).
The arts at Lafayette are hot. Seriously. These people have it going on. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is playing there. They are screening a film on the life of Gwendolyn Brooks. There is an art installation honoring Ross Gay called “Passing Bittersweet.” The Koresh Dance Company is coming to perform next month, and Lafayette students will perform Monkey, an adaptation from the tales from Journey to the West in the spring. If you are into the arts, this is a great place for you.
As for clubs, name your poison. Whatever you are interested in, there is a club for it. The Food Recovery Network, the Lafayette Fashion Society, Marquis Players, Young Life, Juggling Club, Engineers without Borders, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Art Cur Non, ESports, Salsa Club, Mock Trial, Open Debate, Theater Underground, TEDx Lafayette College, Precision Step Team, and the Society of Hispanic Engineers are just some of the offerings. Plus you can start any club you’d like to if there isn’t one you want to have.
Lafayette has some specific traditions it observes as well. One thousand nights is a First Year tradition. It symbolizes the nearly 1,000 nights between entering as a first year and graduation and echoes another tradition: 100 Nights, a formal for seniors held each spring that counts down the days until Commencement. Rivalry Week is a huge thing (think UVA v Tech game). This is the game between Lehigh and Lafayette. Plan to enjoy not just the game but all the lead up to it: pep rallies, class competitions, and the famous Midnight Breakfast. Lafapalooza is another big tradition. On the National Day of service the faculty, staff, and students commit to serve their community through volunteering all over the area.
Is Lafayette for you? Are you a person who is serious about learning over grades, passionate about being a part of a community, and willing to work hard to learn and grow along with your peers? Are you interested in serving the greater good, getting your hands dirty, and being an authentic person? If you are Lafayette could be a great match for you. If you are interested in engineering but looking for a smaller environment to do it in, Lafayette could definitely be for you. This is a rigorous school, though, don’t mistake that. They are highly selective, only accepting about 29% of those who apply. But if the sound of a place where your work is grounded in action and real life sounds good, then Lafayette can be for you.
Pros:
- Heavy on the service ethic
- Has engineering
- Small class sizes
- Common curriculum
- Big on traditions
Cons:
- Private – cost is a thing (but there are some generous scholarships)
- Kind of far from everything
- Super selective
- Common Curriculum
- DI means it’s hard to play varsity (but so many other options)