Haverford College

From Freepedia

Haverford College is a coeducational, undergraduate liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Haverford, known for its academic excellence, is highly selective and is consistently rated as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country — No. 8 in the 2006 edition of U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges" issue.

Although the college is small, cooperative agreements with Bryn Mawr College, and to a lesser extent, Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania, give Haverford's roughly 1,200 students a wide range of educational and social opportunities. Students who attend the college most frequently cite the college's honor code when discussing reasons they chose the school over other elite liberal arts colleges.

The college was founded in 1833 by Philadelphia Quakers to provide their sons with higher education. Although Haverford is no longer affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends, the Quaker philosophy, including the tenets of peace, consensus, and tolerance, still influences campus life.

Originally an all-male institution, Haverford admitted its first female students in 1980. Today, a little over half of the student body is female. In 2005, Haverford accepted 26 percent of first-year applicants.

Haverford College
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Motto Non Doctior, Sed Meliore Doctrina Imbutus, or "Not more learned, but steeped in a better learning"
Established 1833
School type Private
President Thomas R. Tritton
Location Haverford, PA, USA
Campus Suburban
Enrollment 1,236 undergraduate,
0 graduate
Faculty 110
Athletics 'Fords (traditional), Black Squirrels (De Facto), Goats (Men's Track), Bees (Women's Track)
Colors Scarlet and Black
Homepage www.haverford.edu

Contents

The Honor Code

In 1896, the students of Haverford voted to adopt an Honor Code to govern academic and social affairs. The code does not list specific rules of behavior, but rather outlines a philosophy of trust, respect, integrity, and concern for others that students are expected to follow in both academic and social matters. The student body convenes an annual Spring Plenary to amend and ratify the Honor Code.

Student government officers implement the code, and most academic matters are heard by student juries. Although students formerly heard trials regarding sexual assault, students and administrators agreed to allow college deans to hear cases pertaining to all types of violent crimes. Abstracts from cases heard by students and joint administrative-student panels are available on the Honor Council website.

Academics

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Haverford offers the Bachelor of Arts Degree in: Natural Sciences: astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics. In the Social Sciences: anthropology, economics, growth and structure of cities, history, political science, psychology, sociology. Humanities: archaeology, classics, comparative literature, East Asian Studies, English, fine arts, French, German, history of art, Italian, Japanese, music, philosophy, religion, Russian, Spanish. Science majors may choose to receive a Bachelor of Science degree.

In addition to majors and minors, Haverford offers these concentrations: Africana studies, biochemistry and biophysics, computer science, East Asian studies, education, feminist and gender studies, Latin American and Iberian studies, mathematical economics, neural and behavioral sciences, peace studies, 3/2 liberal arts and engineering. Students may pursue pre-medical, pre-law or pre-business intentions through any major; special advising is offered in these areas.

Athletics

Haverford competes at the NCAA Division III level in the Centennial Conference.

The track and field and cross country teams have often been among the best in the division. In 1997, then-senior Karl Paranya became the first (and, as of spring 2005, the only) Division III runner to run a 4:00 mile, running 3:57.6.

The men's soccer team, the nation's oldest, won the first intercollegiate soccer match, beating Harvard College in 1905.

The College's football team disbanded after the 1971 season, but Haverford boasts the best (and only) varsity cricket team in the country.[1] The team, which was started in the 1830s, has a rivalry with the University of Pennsylvania that dates back about 150 years.

The fencing team has competed since the early 1930s and is a member of both the Middle Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association (MACFA) and the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association (NIWFA). Coached by only three fencing masters in over 70 years, Haverford has had varying success. The men's team was the conference champion in 1983, and again in 2004, under the leadership of Coach David Littell, a 1988 Olympian and 3-time All American.

The campus

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Designed by the noted Olmsted Brothers landscape architects, the campus includes an arboretum with a beautiful nature trail, a duck pond, historic trees of diverse species, sculpture, and a zen garden.

Almost the entire student body (97%) lives on campus, where housing options include apartments, themed houses or traditional dormitories.

Haverford is located on the Main Line about 10 miles west of Philadelphia. The school is connected to downtown by the SEPTA R5 commuter rail system and Norristown High Speed Line.

Student life

While the workload is generally considered heavy, students usually manage to find time to relax and have fun, especially on weekends. Weekend activities range from the usual college options of a cappella singing groups, indie bands, student films, and improv comedy, to more unusual adventures, such as tag or sardines in the INSC (Integrated Natural Sciences Center). Of the nation's 357 "best" colleges, the Princeton Review ranks Haverford as #6 for Best Overall Undergraduate Experience.

In 2002, a group of students founded a computing club called FIG (a recursive acronym for FIG Is Good). Services provided by FIG include the college's first student portal, Go!, and server space for students. In 2003 FIG created discussion boards as a part of Go!, called the Go! Boards. Amid controversy, the boards have come to constitute much of the discussion on campus as well as providing a place for procrastination. Future FIG plans include online photo albums for students, kiosks, and possibly a more customizable Go! including Go! Sports.

Free music events are often presented in the basement of Lunt (a student dorm), adjacent to the always-popular Lunt Cafe. Professional funk, rock, blues, and jazz bands are brought in by the Federation of United Concert Series, a student organization. Student musicians have created a vibrant musical community on campus, forming (in 2005) at least ten bands whose styles include jam rock, hardcore punk, folk, and jazz. Haverford boasts excellent practice facilities. In 2005, students created a recording studio and a record label, Black Squirrel Records, which in April released a compilation album that featured Haverford student bands.

Many students are involved in volunteering, either on their own or through Haverford's volunteer coordination organization, Eighth Dimension. Volunteer opportunities are especially plentiful due to Haverford's proximity to Philadelphia. Activism is also a part of student life, and groups such as the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), Students Toward a New Democracy (STAND), Amnesty International, College Republicans, and College Democrats have a presence on campus. The student body tends to be politically liberal.

Major student social events on campus also include Screw Your Roommate, Snowball, La Fiesta, Sundance, and Haverfest (a weekend-long party at the end of the year).

In 2004, college president Tom Tritton said the school was considering increasing the number of students. This would require the expansion of student housing and other campus buildings.

Notable alumni

Fictional Alumni

External links


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Centennial Conference

Bryn Mawr | Dickinson | Franklin & Marshall | Gettysburg | Haverford | Hopkins | McDaniel | Muhlenberg | Swarthmore | Ursinus | Washington Col.

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