The College
Alma College is a selective, residential private liberal arts college that highlights personalized education, social responsibility and extraordinary achievements. Devoted exclusively to the teaching and education of undergraduate students, the College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
With an enrollment of 1,422 students (43 percent men and 57 percent women), the College employs a full-time teaching faculty of 87, of which 81 percent hold the Ph.D. or other terminal degree. The student-teacher ratio is 13:1, and no classes are taught by graduate students.
Alma College was founded in 1886 by Michigan Presbyterians. While still mainta
ining a close relationship with the Presbyterian Church (USA), the College offers an environment that welcomes students of all religious backgrounds.
The College’s attractive campus is located in the city of Alma (population approximately 9,000), located one hour north of Lansing in the center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
National Recognition
Alma College is among the 10 percent of all colleges and universities in the nation to hold membership in The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization.
Alma College students report levels of educational experiences and faculty interaction that exceed the national norms by significant amounts, according to the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement.
Leadership development and service are part of Alma College’s core values, as 92 percent of our students participate in community service-learning activities during their four years at Alma.
Alma College is one of 240 institutions nationwide selected for inclusion in the Colleges of Distinction Guidebook, which profiles institutions that are consistently recognized for quality teaching, the kinds of experiences available to students, and how well students do after they graduate.
Exceptional Scholars
Since 2003, twenty-nine Alma College students have won prestigious national fellowships, scholarships and awards, including 17 Fulbright fellowships and multiple Udall, Truman, Marshall, Goldwater and Gates-Cambridge scholarships.
Alma College students are the pacesetters at the national Model United Nations competition in New York City. Alma has received “outstanding delegation” awards in each of the last 14 years (1997-2010) — the longest active winning streak of any college or university. Alma’s 26 “outstanding” awards are the most of any school in the 88-year history of the national conference.
Academic Program
Alma offers four degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Fine Arts. All require a liberal arts foundation.
Academic Calendar
Alma utilizes a 4-4-1 academic calendar with 14-week terms in the fall and winter and a four-week term in May. The intensive Spring Term provides an opportunity for innovative course patterns, travel classes, research and internships during an ideal season.
Performing Arts
More than a third of all Alma students take part in at least one performance each year. The College offers majors in theatre, dance and music, but students of all majors may join in productions. The Heritage Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s premiere performing arts facility. It houses the Theatre and Dance Department and serves as the performance venue for the College’s eight music ensembles. It features a 500-seat concert hall for large performances, an intimate 190-seat theatre, and a dance studio.
Alma College boasts a 13-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, a liberal arts approach to undergraduate education, 31 academic majors, self-designed programs of emphasis, pre-professional programs in law and medicine, and an intensive Spring Term that provides opportunities for innovative courses, travel classes, research and internships….
Location
Alma College is located in the city of Alma, population 9,000, in the center of Michigan’s lower peninsula. 50 miles north of Lansing and two and one-half hours northwest of Detroit, Alma is found at the intersection of US 127 and Route 46. The 110-acre campus is a block and a half west of downtown Alma, and within two hours of Michigan’s beaches and ski areas.
From the north, take US 127 to Alma, 17 miles south of Mt. Pleasant. Take the first Alma exit, which is Business 127. At the third light on Business 127 (also called Wright Avenue), turn right on Superior Street; the College will be on your right.
From the south, take US 127 to Alma, 48 miles north of Lansing. Take the first Alma exit to Business 127, and follow this route (which becomes Superior Street) through the downtown business district. Continue on Superior Street past Wright Avenue; the College will be on your right.
From the west, take Route 46 from US 131, about 40 miles. Turn right on Business 127. At the third light on Business 127 (also called Wright Avenue) turn right on Superior Street; the College will be on your right.
From the east, take Route 46 from Saginaw, about 35 miles. Turn left on Business 127. At the third light on Business 127 (also called Wright Avenue) turn right on Superior Street; the College will be on your right.
If you are arriving by plane, train or bus, then our alternative transportation page will help you reach our campus.
History
In 1885, the Presbyterian Synod of Michigan appointed a committee to consider the establishment of a Presbyterian College within the state and to secure funds for its foundation.
This committee included notable names such as J. Ambrose Wight, who preached about the need for such a college, inspiring wealthy lumberman Alexander Folsom to pledge $50,000 to the cause.
With additional pledges, the committee found Ammi W. Wright, an Alma lumberman with several business interests who was eager to promote religious causes. He offered two buildings to the College and about 30 acres of land.
The first Board of Trustees was soon formed, and it included Wight, Wright, August F. Bruske, George F. Hunting and Thomas F. Merrill. Many of these names are now legacies that live on within the buildings on campus.
The board began the process of putting together the College’s first faculty in 1886. Hunting, who became Alma College’s first president, was a professor of moral and mental science. Other faculty members included Mary C. Gelston, Theodore Nelson, Joseph W. Ewing, Charles A. Davis and Kendall P. Brooks, Sr.
It was determined that the College should be based on the principle of a liberal arts education, with the board saying, “We want a college of high literary and scientific character, furnishing excellent educational advantages in all departments.”
While 96 students enrolled, the first year did not go without difficulty. Faced with a $3,000 deficit, it would be one of many years when expenses exceeded income.
As a result, faculty took pay cuts, sometimes returning the pay they had already pocketed, and Hunting was relieved of his faculty duties in order to spend more time fund raising.
Such sacrifices would go on to become a permanent reflection of Alma’s selfless character. They also were a mark of the bold leadership that founded the College.
Athletics
Thirty-four percent of Alma students participate in intercollegiate athletics, joining the winning NCAA Division III tradition of the Alma Scots. Men: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field. Women: basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball
HOGAN CENTER
The Hogan Center, built in 1969, was renamed in 1999 to honor Romain and Helen Kempf Hogan ’28 through a generous gift from their son, James Hogan. It houses Cappaert Gymnasium, McClure Natatorium and Baker Jones Educational Unit. It also contains a state-of-the-art fitness center, training room, racquetball courts and coaches’ offices.
During a $10.2-million renovation in 2009-10, the Art Smith Arena was added to the Hogan Center to serve as the College’s primary venue for commencement, major events and athletics. The the 29,000-square-foot arena serves as the new home court for the men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams. It seats 2,430, with additional floor seating of 600 for non-athletics events, and is Alma College’s first LEED-certified building, the nationally recognizable mark of sustainable construction.
The Hogan Center is located on the east end of the Alma campus, behind the Heritage Center and just west of the intersection of Wright Avenue and Superior Street.
BAHLKE FIELD
Bahlke Field is named after Mr. and Mrs. William A. Bahlke, who contributed about eight acres of land in December 1923 for a new athletic field. Mr. Bahlke was admitted to the bar and moved to Alma to begin his practice in 1886, the same year the College was founded. He was involved in local government and in the organization and operation of several businesses. His wife, Mary E., was a member of the Alma College Board of Trustees from 1920 to 1942.
The facility was repositioned in 1985, with the football and baseball fields switching locations. The baseball field served the Scots through the 1999 season. The eight-lane track was also constructed in 1985. The current football surface, known as AstroPlay™, was installed in 2000, replacing the original artificial turf.
CAPPAERT GYMNASIUM
The site of intercollegiate volleyball and basketball contests as well as major campus events such as commencement and convocations, this facility is named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Cappaert of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Their generosity helped to make possible the Hogan Center. A 1942 graduate, Mr. Cappaert was a varsity athlete at Alma. The seating capacity is 2,500.
KLENK PARK
This state-of-the-art baseball facility is built on a parcel of land to the west of Charles Road northwest of the campus. A group of alumni led by Bruce Garish came up with a plan to name the new facility in honor of retired baseball coach and athletic administrator Bill Klenk ’59 for his 30-plus years of service to Alma College, Scot Athletics and, in particular, Scot Baseball.
Klenk Park also includes a room named for chemistry Professor Emeritus and former baseball coach Charlie Skinner ’37. The Skinner Room is a gathering place and contains a history of Alma Scot Baseball. The Skinner Room was dedicated in the spring of 2004.
Klenk Park was dedicated on May 13, 2000. Many dignitaries, including Jim Northrup, Bruce Gerish, Jim Greenless, President Alan Stone, many former players and Coach Bill Klenk, were in attendance. That evening, Coach Klenk hosted a dinner which included a history of Alma College baseball including a PowerPoint presentation of old pictures dating back to the 1800s.
MCCLURE NATATORIUM
This facility for intercollegiate and recreational swimming as well as swimming instruction is a popular feature of the Hogan Center. It is named in memory of Harold M. McClure, Sr., pioneer Michigan oil man and Alma civic leader. A professional athlete before he entered the oil business in 1919, Mr. McClure at one time was mayor of Alma. Funds for the facility were donated by Mrs. Harold M. McClure Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. Harold M. McClure Jr. of Alma.
McClure Natatorium has a six-lane, 25-yard pool with competitor lane lines. Each lane is 7 feet across with 1.5 feet on each side of the pool for wave reduction. Paragon starting blocks are located in the deep end. One three-meter standard and two one meter diving boards are also located in the deep end. The facility has seating for 400 spectators.
SCOTLAND YARD
The newest facility is located next to Klenk Park to the west of Charles Road northwest of campus. Built with donations from alumni, friends and family of the men’s and women’s soccer programs, the facility provides the College with a regulation-size soccer field: 115 yards long by 75 yards wide. Scotland Yard was dedicated on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony between games of the Scotland Yard Classic.
SCOTS PARK
Scots Park is the home of the Alma College softball team. The facility includes enclosed dugouts, a batting cage and a press box. Scots Park was the host site for the past eight MIAA conference tournaments and for the 1998 and 2004 NCAA regional championships.
Scots Park is located north of the Hogan Center and next to Bahlke Field. Access is available via Orchard Street off of Wright Avenue.
SUPERIOR STREET TENNIS COMPLEX
Home of the Alma College men’s and women’s tennis teams, the facility is located in the heart of campus just off Superior Street. The complex features six asphalt-covered courts in a beautiful setting right in the central part of the campus.
More than a third of all Alma students take part in at least one performance each year. The College offers majors in theatre, dance and music, but students of all majors may join in productions. The Remick Heritage Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s premier performing arts facility….
Source: Alma.edu