Calvin College

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From the College

Calvin College is an institution that values both intellect and faith; this view affects every area of campus life, from the content of each course to service-learning opportunities and life in the residence halls. Calvin is one of the nation’s largest and most respected Christian colleges. The 2008 fall enrollment was 4,171. Calvin maintains a strong affiliation with the Christian Reformed Church, and students from more than fifty other church denominations across North America and around the world choose Calvin for its unique curriculum and faith-based mission.

Calvin is deeply committed to being a diverse community and is taking deliberate steps to increase opportunities for women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and students with disabilities. At Calvin, students are challenged not only to obtain an outstanding education and to prepare for a career but also to live lives of commitment and service.

Students come from nearly every state and forty-eight countries. Most students are between 18 and 22 years old; however, those pursuing the Master of Education (M.Ed.) add to the age diversity on campus. The Broene Counseling Center offers career counseling and career resource services as well as personal counseling. Career Development assists students from their first year through their last, equipping them for interviews, internships, and searching for full-time employment upon graduation.

A wide variety of cocurricular opportunities are available, including music, theater, athletics, art, culture, service, and spiritual formation. Calvin’s Service-Learning Center provides opportunities for academically based service learning in addition to such programs as big brothers/big sisters, services for the elderly, and school tutoring. Calvin is an NCAA Division III school and participates in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association; Calvin’s athletic teams regularly are ranked nationally in Division III. The men’s basketball team won the national championship in 1992 and 2000; the women’s cross-country team captured the national championship in 1998 and 1999 and took second place honors in 2008. In 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2007, the men’s cross-country team won the national championship. The men’s ice-hockey club won the 2004 ACHA DIII national championship.

The 400-acre campus is a modern, well-planned community; its oldest academic building was erected in 1960. Fifteen residence halls, eleven apartment buildings, and two spacious dining halls accommodate 2,600 resident students. High-speed computing is available throughout the campus, and wireless service is offered in the residence halls and many campus locations. Calvin’s new $55-million athletic complex features a 5,000-seat arena, an indoor track and tennis center, a health center, and an aquatics center with a 50-meter by 25-yard pool. Calvin’s outdoor athletic sites include baseball and softball diamonds, a premier soccer field with seating for 1,500 and two practice fields, an eight-lane track, a six-court tennis facility, a paved jogging path, and two sand volleyball courts.

Calvin’s beautifully wooded campus, which includes a 100-acre ecosystem preserve, is located in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, a metropolitan area of more than 600,000 people. Hundreds of restaurants, dozens of theaters, seven shopping malls, and a fine selection of museums and parks are within a short drive. Lake Michigan beaches, ski areas, parks, and trails are within a 40-minute drive. Cultural and community activities take place weekly on the Calvin campus, on the campuses of six other local colleges, and at DeVos Hall and VanAndel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. City bus routes include a stop at Calvin’s campus.

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are offered, with major concentrations in accounting, art, art history, Asian studies, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, business, chemistry, Chinese, classical civilization, classical languages, communication arts and sciences, computer science, digital communications, Dutch, early childhood education, economics, elementary and secondary education, engineering, English, environmental science, environmental studies, exercise science, film studies, French, geography, geology, German, Greek, health education, history, information systems, international development studies, international relations, Japanese, Latin, mathematics and statistics, media production, media studies, music, nursing, philosophy, physical education, physics/astronomy, political science, psychology, public administration, recreation, religion, social work, sociology, Spanish, special education, speech pathology and audiology, sport management, and theater. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in art is offered in addition to the B.A. degree in art.

Professional programs include engineering (chemical, civil/environmental, electrical/computer, mechanical), natural resources, prearchitecture, prelaw, premedicine/predentistry, prepharmacy, pre–physical therapy, pre–seminary studies, social work, and elementary, secondary, and special education. Minor concentrations are available in African and African diaspora studies, archaeology, dance, English as a second language, gender studies, journalism, medieval studies, missions, urban studies, writing, and youth ministry leadership.

Calvin College maintains a strong commitment to a liberal arts curriculum as an integral way to help students understand God’s world and their place in it. The College follows a 4-1-4 academic calendar, consisting of two four-month semesters with a three-week January Interim term. Graduation requires the successful completion of 124 semester hours.

Calvin’s core curriculum begins with a first-year gateway course, Developing a Christian Mind, and ends with a capstone course in the senior year. Core curriculum requirements include foreign language, history, literature and arts, mathematics, natural sciences, philosophy, physical education, religion, social sciences, and written and spoken rhetoric. Some requirements can be satisfied by advanced high school work in foreign language, literature, and natural sciences. Qualified students can earn course exemption and/or credit by completing college-level work in high school or by examination. Satisfactory scores on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (I.B.), and/or CLEP exams are also accepted.

Incoming students with an ACT composite of at least 29 or current students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher can apply to the Honors Program for advanced-level courses, interdisciplinary courses, and cocurricular opportunities. Students can also benefit from services offered by the Office of Student Academic Services, which provides academic counseling, tutoring, training in study skills, and review courses in key subjects.

Study-abroad programs for a semester or a year are offered in Austria, Belize, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Honduras, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, and Spain. Students register for courses in various subjects, and the credits earned are applied toward graduation requirements. The Chicago Semester program, the Oregon Extension Program, and the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies are offered in cooperation with Calvin and other colleges. Students can also participate in programs of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities: the American Studies Program in Washington, D.C.; the Latin American Studies Program in Central America; a Film Studies Program in Hollywood; a Middle East Studies Program in Cairo, Egypt; and a Russian Studies Program in Moscow. Calvin’s Study in Spain Program is one option students may choose to fulfill their foreign language requirement. Many courses offered during the Interim are also taught abroad.

The four-floor Science Complex features a center core of laboratories, an atom trapper, and an observatory. The Engineering Building provides space for engineering students and faculty members to do research, design work and project construction. The DeVries Hall of Science includes medical research laboratories and classrooms. The Spoelhof College Center houses administrative offices, a social research center, an art gallery, six art studios, and a 340-seat auditorium. In the Fine Arts Center, classrooms and offices surround a 1,000-seat auditorium.

The Hekman Library–Hiemenga Hall complex includes a five-level, computerized library containing more than 800,000 bound volumes, 2,750 periodicals, an extensive collection of microfiche, records and tapes, and government publications; more than 1,500 students can be comfortably seated at study carrels and tables. The complex also houses the Information Technology Center, the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship, the Meeter Center for Calvinism Studies, a distance learning classroom, a TV studio, a graphics production lab, and a curriculum center for teacher education students. The 55,000-square-foot DeVos Communications Center is home to a 150-seat video theater, a television studio, an audio studio, digital audio and video editing labs, and a speech pathology and audiology clinic. The Prince Conference Center houses seminars, meetings, and retreats.

Tuition and fees for 2008–09 were $22,940; tuition for the Interim was free for full-time students enrolled for at least one semester. Room and board charges were $7970 for resident students with a twenty-one-meal-per-week plan (ten- and fifteen-meal-per-week plans are also available). About $800 is needed for textbooks.

Over 70 percent of first year students are awarded an academic scholarship in amounts ranging from $10,000 to $1,000. Sixty percent of Calvin students receive need-based financial aid; demonstrated need is the most important criterion in determining eligibility. Students wishing to be considered for financial aid must be admitted to the College and must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Calvin’s Supplemental Application for Financial Aid. February 15 is the filing deadline for maximum consideration. Financial awards to eligible applicants consist of state and federal grants, loans, Federal Work-Study Program funds, and institutional grants and scholarships. Part-time employment is available on campus, and placement preference is given to students with financial need. Calvin’s Job Shop also helps students find off-campus employment.

Calvin’s outstanding faculty members have distinguished themselves through publication and research, yet each is available 10–15 hours per week outside of class for academic and personal counseling. More than 81 percent have earned the highest academic degree in their field. Each faculty member is a professing Christian, committed to the integration of his or her personal faith and discipline. There are 320 full-time and 98 part-time faculty members; the faculty-student ratio is 1:12.

The 27-member Student Senate supervises most student activities and oversees the budgets for student publications, homecoming, the film arts, and the Service-Learning Center. Student members serve on most faculty committees governing the College. Each residence hall has its own governing council and judiciary committee. Campus rules are designed to build a Christian academic community. Calvin attempts to aid student development and responsible action by clearly expressing its expectations and de-emphasizing regulations.

Applicants should be graduates of an accredited high school program and should have completed satisfactorily at least 15 units of college-preparatory work, including 3 in English and 3 in algebra and geometry. Applicants with high school averages of C+ (2.5) or higher who score above 20 on the ACT composite or above 470 on both the math and critical reading sections of the SAT are normally given regular admission. Applicants with lower grades and scores, or those with deficiencies in their high school preparation, may be admitted under special conditions. International students should refer to http://www.calvin.edu/international for application procedures. Students who come from a non-English-speaking culture must submit results of the TOEFL or IELTS or provide other documentation of English-language proficiency.

Applicants must submit a completed application form, a high school or college transcript, results of either the ACT or SAT, and an educational recommendation completed by a teacher or counselor. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in mid-October. Applicants for fall admission are urged to complete their file before February 1; the deadline for admission is August 15 for U.S. and Canadian applicants and April 1 for international applicants, as long as space is available. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to visit the campus. The “Fridays at Calvin” campus visit program provides an excellent opportunity to experience life at Calvin firsthand. For more information about Calvin or to register for a visit, students should contact: