Lynchburg College,
Lynchburg, VA 24501-3199
Lynchburg College
Lynchburg, VA 24501-3199
Multicultural Profile
Lynchburg College, founded in 1903, is located in a metropolitan area of nearly 200,000 in Central Virginia. Known by its 1,650 undergraduate students as a small, friendly and busy campus, the College is committed to strong academic standards and to working together as colleagues to develop the potential of each individual student.
Diversity is a top priority at the College and in 1986, the Office of Institutional Change was established to actively recruit minority students. African-American undergraduate students total 168, and an additional 27 students are Asian-American, Hispanic or Native American. Twenty-six students from 15 foreign countries also call Lynchburg College their home away from home.
The graduation rate for African-American students at Lynchburg College is substantially higher than at other private colleges and is ahead of the national averages for all students.
A strong liberal arts program offers 49 majors, 27 minors, 19 interdisciplinary programs and two dual degree programs. The student/faculty ratio is 13.1, making possible small classes and individualized attention from professors. Computers are important at Lynchburg College and are used throughout the curriculum. The Westover Fellows program offers an honors curriculum, and the Leadership Institute offers many choices and three levels of programs for leadership and service development.
African-American students take part in many of the more than 50-cmpus-wide stuent organizations, clubs, performing arts groups, varsity and intramural sports, student government and student media.
Clubs and organizations of special interest to minority students include Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Black Student Association, and the Lynchburg College Gospel Choir.
A summer Transition Program is specifically designed for freshmen minority students to ease the change from high school to college. Students come to campus for two weeks during the summer and take courses in such areas as communication skills, English and computer technology and take part in cultural, social and recreational activities.
About 80 percent of Lynchburg College students receive some form of financial assistance, and all available resources are used to ensure that students requiring financial assistance receive aid compatible with that need.
Financial aid awards come in a variety of forms, including scholarships, grants, loans and work assignments. Among the scholarship programs available specifically to minority students are the Minority Student Incentive Grants, Minority Student Grants, and Central Virginia Black Teachers scholarships. State residents are eligible for Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants and Central Virginia residents are eligible for the Lynchburg Area Student Assistance grants.
A special invitation is extended to to Virginia and North Carolina high school seniors to participate in a Diversity Awareness Weekend, a two-day program providing minority high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to become familiar with the college environmental by living in residence halls, attending classes and interacting with the College community.