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Broadway Superstar, 2012 Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald Added to 2012-13 Lawrence University Artist Series

Fresh off her 2012 Tony Award-winning run of 322 Broadway performances of  “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” soprano Audra McDonald has been added to Lawrence University’s 2012-13 Artist Series.

McDonald performs Sunday, March 10, 2013 as a replacement for previously announced soprano Kelli O’Hara, who had to cancel her March 9 scheduled performance.

Five-time Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald

In June, McDonald was honored with a record-tying fifth Tony Award for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical” for her portrayal of the beautiful-but-downtrodden Bess in the Gershwin classic. In a review of the production, the New York Times gushed “For devastating theatrical impact, it is hard to imagine any hurricane matching the tempest that is the extraordinary Audra McDonald. She is, in a word, great.”

McDonald previously collected Tony statutes for her performances in “Carousel” (1994), “Master Class” (1996), “Ragtime” (1998) and “A Raisin in the Sun” (2004).

Tickets for McDonald’s concert, at $30 for adults and seniors, and $15 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office in the Music-Drama Center, or by calling 920-832-6749. The box office will be closed for winter break Nov. 21-Jan. 2.

“When I heard Audra McDonald would be joining the Lawrence Artist Series, the first word out of my mouth was ‘Wow!,'”” said Joanne Bozeman, a voice teacher in the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. “I can’t think of anyone from the singing world — and that is a big world — who has performed brilliantly in so many genres: Broadway, musical theater, opera, straight theater, television, cabaret and concert appearances. She has a beautiful, versatile voice and technique. While I’m not sure which styles we will hear in her concert, I do know that it will be phenomenal singing and performing.”

Audra McDonald won the 2012 Tony Award for her portrayal of Bess in “Porgy and Bess.”

The versatile and multi-talented McDonald has dazzled audiences with equal aplomb on Broadway, the world’s great opera stages and in roles on film and television. Beyond her five Tony Awards (she’s been nominated two other times), she also has won two Grammy Awards for best opera recording and best classical album for her work on the Los Angeles Opera production “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.”

Born in Berlin and a graduate of The Julliard School, McDonald holds the distinction of being one of only two Americans in more than 100 years invited to appear as a guest soloist at the Last Night of the Proms, London’s famous international classical musical festival.

Other honors include four Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, an Ovation Award, a Theatre World Award, and the Drama League’s 2000 Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre and 2012 Distinguished Performance Award.

As an actress, McDonald recently ended four seasons as Dr. Naomi Bennett on the ABC television series “Private Practice.”  She portrayed Bessie in the Peabody Award-winning CBS program “Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years,” had a recurring role on NBC’s hit series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” and played Jackie Brock on the political drama “Mister Sterling.” In a 2008 made-for-TV adaption of “A Raisin in the Sun,” McDonald reprized her Tony-winning role of Ruth Younger, earning her second of two Emmy Award nominations.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

 

 

Lawrence University Innovators Participating in Third Annual “Schumptoberfest”

Lawrence University student and faculty representatives will be among the participants at “Schumptoberfest 2012,” a conference dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship in the liberal arts curriculum. Grinnell College hosts the third annual event Oct. 13-14.

Sid Dayal, a 2011 Lawrence graduate and senior Dan O’Connor, two of the founding members of Flickey,™ discuss their experience, achievements and challenges in launching a business enterprise designed to enable consumers to download movie rentals from dedicated kiosks onto USB drives. The venture grew out of Lawrence’s “In Pursuit of Innovation” course taught by Assistant Professor of Economics Adam Galambos, Professor Emeritus of Physics John Brandenberger and lecturer in economics Gary Vaughan. The Flickey™ team also includes junior Nate Fearing and senior George Levy.

Junior Babajide Ademola and senior Patrick Pylvainen will present on their research on the role of entrepreneurship in economic development in Sierra Leone. Ademola and Pylvainen were part of a team led by Professor of Government Claudena Skran that traveled to Sierra Leone this summer to study small ventures that have successfully brought economic development to some communities in the face of overwhelming odds. Pylvainen is basing his Senior Experience on this research with support from the Mellon Senior Experience Fund.

Galamabos and Associate Professor of Economics David Gerard will join the students at the conference.

Schumptorberfest is the brainchild of Gerard, who founded the event in 2010 at Bjorklunden.  It is named in honor of 20th-century Austrian-American economist Joseph A. Schumpeter who advocated for change-oriented, and innovation-based economics.

Lawrence hosted Schumptoberfest 2011, attracting participants from a dozen campuses in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and beyond.

The annual conference is sponsored by the ACM through a Faculty Career Enhancement (FaCE) Project grant.

The “Pursuit of Innovation” course helped launch Lawrence’s own program in innovation and entrepreneurship in the fall of 2008. The program has since expanded to include other courses and course modules in economics, government, physics, studio art, the conservatory of music and theatre, directly benefiting more than 250 students from a wide range of majors.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Appleton Area School District Honored with 2012 Lawrence University Collaboration in Action Award

For more than 150 years, Lawrence University and the Appleton Area School District have been in the business of educating young people. Through partnership and collaboration, the two institutions have bolstered their common missions of providing the highest quality instruction and rich learning environments for their students.

Lawrence President Jill Beck honored the Appleton Area School District Oct. 9 with the third annual Lawrence University Collaboration in Action Award.  The presentation was highlighted the college’s fourth annual “Report to the Community.”

Renee Boldt, a 1985 graduate and member of the college’s Board of Trustees, served as the event’s emcee and Cathie Tierney, president and CEO of Community First Credit Union, was the featured speaker.

The Lawrence University Collaboration in Action Award recognizes an individual or organization, who, in partnership with Lawrence, has provided exemplary service to the Fox Cities community through strategic vision, leadership influence, long-standing commitment and enthusiasm, financial contributions and/or volunteerism. Previous recipients of the award include the Mielke Family Foundation (2010) and the YMCA of the Fox Cities (2011).

FRONT ROW (L. to R.): Cassidi Wing, kindergarten student, Edison Elementary School; Kyan Wing, 2nd grade student, Edison Elementary School. SECOND ROW: Justyce Schultz, 5th grade student, Edison Elementary School; Barbara Wing, grandmother of Justyce, Cassidi and Kyan. THIRD ROW: Monica Rico, associate professor of history and Pieper Professor of Servant Leadership, Lawrence University; Kristi Hill, director of volunteer and community service programs, Lawrence University; Karen Bruno, director of the Academy of Music, Lawrence University; Jim Donnellan, Edison Elementary School principal; Lisa Sprangers, Grade 5/6 teacher at Edison Elementary School. TOP ROW: Sharon Fenlon, AASD board president; Stewart Purkey, associate professor of education and Bee Connell Mielke professor of education, Lawrence University; Brian Bartel, chemistry teacher, West High School, and 1997 Lawrence University graduate; Lee Allinger, AASD superintendent of schools; Jon Meyer, director of the Young Band Project, Lawrence University; Adam Tenasaputra, Lawrence student and LARY Buddy.

“The Appleton Area School District is an essential partner to Lawrence University, as it provides unmatched opportunities for our students interested in serving our community and working with youth,” said Beck.

Superintendent Lee Allinger said the Appleton Area School District is “proud to be recognized with this award.

“The partnership between the AASD and Lawrence has a rich history and continues to evolve,” said Allinger. “We are appreciative that Lawrence University leadership continues to provide opportunities for both their faculty and student body to engage in meaningful initiatives in AASD schools.”

Among many collaborative programs conducted between Lawrence and AASD are the LARY Buddies mentoring and VITAL Tutoring programs. Each has connected Lawrence students with area elementary students for decades.

The Lawrence Academy of Music has worked closely with AASD school administrators and music teachers to develop the Young Band Project and Strings Project. They enhance the music offerings of local schools and provide music instruction to students who otherwise might not have the opportunity.

Jerry Koleske, Lincoln Elementary School band teacher, sees the music programs as a classic win-win situation.

“Lawrence students receive teaching experience and are mentored by seasoned music teachers. The elementary students receive regular music instruction and consistent teaching that is greatly enhancing their level of competence,” said Koleske.

The AASD also has provided fertile student-teaching opportunities for aspiring Lawrence student educators.

“Although we are confident Lawrence students make a positive contribution to the Appleton school community while engaged in these activities, the fact remains that we could not certify Lawrence students for licensure as public school teachers without the cooperation and good will of AASD teachers and administrators,” said Stewart Purkey, Bee Connell Mielke Professor of Education.

Many Lawrence graduates go on to teach in the AASD. Those same teachers — along with many others from the area — often return to Lawrence for valuable professional development such as the college’s Mielke Summer Institute in the Liberal Arts, in which area educators explore new ideas and examine timely issues of social and cultural importance from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Other Report to the Community highlights include:

•  Lawrence’s “Adopt-an-Agency” program, which helps graduating students pass their work seamlessly along to other students, providing improved continuity and building lasting relationships between local nonprofits and student organizations.

•  A collaboration with the History Museum at the Castle that involved Lawrence students and faculty assisting with exhibition research, creating a historic walking map of Riverside Cemetery and, in conjunction with the museum’s “Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion” exhibition, youth programming focused on the inventor’s legacy as both scientist and artist in conjunction with the AARD and the Appleton Public Library.

• A summer seminar series focused on a wide variety of topics geared toward Fox Valley community members led by Lawrence faculty and local experts.

• The community “Chalk Talk” art project that brought together Lawrence art students and clients of the Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities. Together they explored probing questions like “What are you?” and “How do you think others see you?” that formed the basis for portraits reflecting each client’s “sense of self.” The portraits became part of a May 2012 community exhibit that countered stereotypes about homelessness and poverty.

• A project designed to reveal the human emotions — fear, loneliness, pain, shame — people hide behind invisible masks. The result was a theatre production that melded together vignettes interpreting the gamut of emotional experience, based in part on contributions from a suggestion box at Harmony Café. Community members submitted their own script ideas, including personal thoughts, memories, poems or quotations. Project participants also constructed their own papier-mâché masques as a way of exploring emotion through physical action.

• A profile of some of the more than 1,600 Lawrence alumni who make their home in the Fox Cities and northeast Wisconsin.

Lawrence’s commitment to integrating civic service into the curriculum and campus culture was recognized with its sixth consecutive selection to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Lawrence is one of only two Wisconsin institutions that has been cited every year by the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for National and Community Service since it launched the honor roll program in 2006.

During the 2011-12 academic year, 706 Lawrence students volunteered more than 9,525 hours of service, including 7,676 hours at 79 different Fox Cities charities and schools.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Presidential Search Committee Narrows Field to Four Finalists

The process for finding a new president for Lawrence University continues on the schedule that we established with our search consultants Isacsson-Miller earlier this year.  Recently, the search committee met for several days in Chicago with a number of very well qualified presidential candidates.  At the conclusion of this lengthy in-person interview process, the committee narrowed the list to four finalist candidates.

Over the next month, the four finalist candidates will be visiting the Lawrence campus to continue the interview process. We have a  request from the finalist candidate pool that the campus interview process  be conducted on a confidential basis and the committee agreed to accept that request. Our search consultants report that this is not uncommon in presidential searches in recent years.

Finalist candidates will be visiting campus to continue discussions with the search committee and other members of the Lawrence community, but the identity of the candidates and the visit schedules will not be made public.

We continue to be very excited by the quality of the candidate pool and look forward to the upcoming visits. We will report back to the Lawrence community with an update on the search at the conclusion of this next phase of the search.

Dale Schuh, Chairman
Lawrence Presidential Search Committee

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

 

Entrepreneur Larry Robertson Discusses Importance of “Thought to Action” in Lawrence Convocation

Award-winning author and recognized expert in entrepreneurship and creative thought Larry Robertson approaches Lawrence University’s 2012-13 convocation series theme “From Thought to Action” from an intriguing and unusual vantage point with his presentation “Butch, Sundance and Australia: Making the Leap From Thought to Action.”

The address, Thursday, Oct. 11 at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, is free and open to the public.

Larry Robertson, founder and president, Lighthouse Consulting

For more than two decades, Robertson has resided in the world of entrepreneurs, serving as advisor, investor and roles in between. Drawing upon a background that includes positions with J.P. Morgan, the venture firm and investment bank Robertson, Stephens & Company and the Walt Disney Company, Robertson has establishing himself as a leading authority on entrepreneurship in public, private and academic forums.

In 1992, he founded Lighthouse Consulting, a firm that provides management guidance to new and innovative entrepreneurs as well as some of the best-known names in business and the nonprofit sector.

He earned multiple awards for his 2009 book “A Deliberate Pause: Entrepreneurship and its Moment in Human Progress” in which he argues the importance of being a watchful observer and attentive listener before taking action. From composer Igor Stravinsky to Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, he cites numerous examples of agents of change who took time to think seriously about what they wanted to accomplish before deciding how to do so.

“We must not only change the way we do things,” writes Robertson, “we must learn how to change in better ways — to think as changemakers do, entrepreneurially, even if we let others lead.”

A resident of Arlington, Va., Robertson earned bachelor and master’s degrees at Stanford University and  Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, respectively. He serves as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

Oklahoma State University’s School of Entrepreneurship honored Robertson with its 2011 Igniting the Flame Award, which recognizes the person who best moves the entrepreneurial community forward.

Lawrence began its own program in innovation and entrepreneurship in the fall of 2008 with the course “Pursuit of Innovation.” The program has since expanded to include other courses and course modules in economics, government, physics, studio art, the conservatory of music and theatre. The I & E program has directly benefited more than 250 students from a wide range of majors since it was launched.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

First Lady Michelle Obama Speaking Sept. 28 at Alexander Gymnasium

First lady Michelle Obama will deliver a campaign address Friday, September 28 in Alexander Gymnasium on the Lawrence University campus.

First lady Michelle Obama

Doors open at 1 p.m. This will be a standing only event.

* All tickets for Lawrence  students, faculty and staff have been distributed.

• A live webcast of the event can be seen here.

“While Lawrence is very careful not to endorse candidates for political office, we do encourage our students to learn about the political process and to be involved in making informed decisions about candidates. As such, the first lady’s appearance is an excellent educational opportunity for Lawrence students to experience first-hand the political process in the homestretch of an important election cycle,” said David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty.  “One of the founding traditions of a liberal arts college is the education and creation of good citizens and good citizenship includes understanding the issues in any election. This should offer a great teaching moment for the entire Lawrence community.”

Mrs. Obama’s visit to Lawrence will be the second appearance by a major figure in the 2012 presidential election. Gov. Mitt Romney spoke at Lawrence on March 30.

“Despite an easy Wisconsin victory in 2008, Barack Obama’s campaign recognizes that the state is no shoo-in in 2012,” said Arnold Shober, associate professor of government at Lawrence. “Michelle Obama’s stop at Lawrence University shows how pivotal the Fox Valley is to win the state. Mitt Romney can count on suburban Milwaukee, and Barack Obama can rest assured in Madison, but neither candidate can take northeast Wisconsin for granted.”

Earlier this year to foster engagement in the national political arena, Lawrence launched an Internet tool — MyElectionDecision.org — to help voters intelligently search for their own individual “best candidate.” The interactive website allows voters to see which of the two major presidential candidate’s positions best match their own on a variety of important national issues.

Lawrence University does not endorse or sponsor either this event or Obama for America. Neither the university nor the LUCC is affiliated with Obama for America. The campaign is renting university facilities at its cost and the first lady is appearing at a campaign event for Obama for America.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

 

Campus Memorial Service Planned for Professor Emeritus Mojmir Povolny

An on-campus celebration of the remarkable life of Mojmir Povolny, Lawrence University professor emeritus of government and the Henry M. Wriston Professor of Social Sciences who recently passed away, is planned for Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center Nathan Marsh Pusey Room.

Professor Emeritus Mojmir Povolny

Everyone is welcome to attend the memorial service as well as submit any memories or reflections celebrating Professor Povolny’s life and career. A selection of the submissions will be read at the service and all letters will be assembled and presented to the Povolny family.

Anyone interested in sharing a letter or memory can submit them electronically to Janice Staedt at janice.staedt@lawrence.edu or mail them to:

Lawrence University
Attn: Janice Staedt
711 E Boldt Way SPC 18
Appleton, WI  54911

All submissions need to be received by Friday, October 19.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

An Update from the Chair of the Presidential Search Committee

Over the summer months, the Presidential Search Committee has made steady progress on its timetable to permit the appointment of a new President before December 1, 2012 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

First, we would like to thank all of you who nominated or brought to our attention names of individuals who you felt qualified for this position. No suggestions were ignored. Combining your input with that of Isaacson, Miller, our search partner, we were able to develop a pool of well-qualified candidates.

We are in the process of winnowing down the size of the candidate pool-reviewing qualifications, conducting reference checks, and will soon be involved with face-to-face interviews of a preliminary select group.

While we recognize that everyone is very curious of our progress, please respect the position of committee members who are pledged to confidentiality in order to protect the reputations of individuals considering our position as President of Lawrence University.

Previous announcements can be found on the Presidential  Search page.

Dale Schuh, Chairman
Lawrence Presidential Search Committee

Senator Russ Feingold Opens Lawrence University Annual International Lecture Series Sept. 20

Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, who represented Wisconsin in the Senate for 18 years, opens Lawrence University’s 2012 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies Thursday, Sept. 20.

Feingold presents “While America Sleeps – A Wake-up Call for the Post-9/11 Era” at 7:30 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre in the Music-Drama Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The address also will be webcast live by The Post-Crescent beginning at 7:25 p.m. Watch it online here.

He is spending part of the Fall Term at Lawrence teaching in the government department as the college’s Stephen Edward Scarff Distinguished Visiting Professor. Lawrence recognized Feingold with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at its 2011 commencement ceremony.

Senator Russ Feingold

The address is based on Feingold’s 2011 New York Times best-selling book of the same title, which examines the challenges America faces as a nation since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including national security and constitutional values. Feingold argues the oversimplification of complex problems have helped undermined America’s ability to effectively adjust to its new place in the world.

Among Wisconsin’s highest-profile elected officials, Feingold spent 28 years in public service as both a three-time state senator (1982-92) and U.S. Senator (1993-2011). While in Congress, Feingold established himself as one of the Senate’s most independent voices, casting the lone vote against the Patriot Act in 2001, opposing President Obama’s decision to expand the war in Afghanistan and fighting against NAFTA and other financial deregulation and trade agreements he considered unfair.

After leaving public office, Feingold founded Progressives United, a grassroots organization designed to counter corporate influence in politics.

Mark Frazier, professor of politics and the academic director of the India China Institute at The New School in New York City, delivers the series’ second address. Frazier examines the pending change in leadership in China in “Who is Xi?  The Knowns and Unknowns in China’s Political Future” Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium.

The Povolny Lecture Series, named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, who passed away in August, promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence University Ranked 56th Nationally in U.S. News’ Annual “America’s Best Colleges” Guide

Lawrence University retained its standing as the top-ranked liberal arts college in Wisconsin in U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 “America’s Best Colleges” report.

Lawrence was ranked 56th nationally — up from 60th last year — among 239 national liberal arts colleges and universities.  Lawrence was the highest ranked college among eight Wisconsin institutions in the category.  Lawrence also was Wisconsin’s top-ranked college by Forbes in its college guide released last month.

U.S. News’ annual rankings are based on a combination of subjective information such as academic reputation (22.5%) and quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates (20%), faculty resources (20%) student selectivity (15%) and alumni giving rates (5%), among others.

Lawrence showed improvement in several of the categories used in the ranking methodology including number of incoming students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class (46%), freshman retention rate (89%), graduation rate (77%), and acceptance rate (53%). Lawrence’s commitment to individualized learning and small classes was reflected in its high rate of classes with 20 students or fewer (75%), one of only 30 schools among the 239 in the category with that high of a percentage.

“It’s nice to be recognized by this ranking, especially for our individualized learning,” said Ken Anselment, dean of admissions and financial aid at Lawrence. “It would be even nicer if the magazine counted all of the one-on-one courses we do at Lawrence, of which there are many. It’s an essential point of distinction for us, but unfortunately, U.S. News only counts classes with enrollments of at least two.”

While the national recognition is appreciated, Anselment says families should consider all college guides as but one tool in their college selection process.

“College rankings value different things according to their own system. The best way to discover if a college matches with your values is to experience it yourself by engaging with it as much as possible before deciding to enroll.

“Regardless of how each service assembles its rankings,” he added, “Lawrence will continue doing what it does best: providing a transformative learning experience that educates students as unique individuals.”

In compiling its 2013 “America’s Best Colleges” guide, U.S. News & World Report evaluated nearly 1,500 of the nation’s public and private four-year schools, using data from up to 16 separate factors, each of which is assigned a “weight” that reflects the magazine editor’s judgment as to how much that measure matters.  Each school’s composite weighted score is then compared to peer institutions to determine final rankings.

Institutions are divided into several distinct categories. In addition to the best liberal arts college category that measures national institutions like Lawrence, other rankings are based on universities that grant master and doctorate degrees and colleges that are considered “regional” institutions.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,450 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.