<h2>Our family just completed a visit to Lenoir-Rhyne College. What follows, with apologies, is my rather long take on that visit. Moderators, please let this thread remain on Parents board rather than moving it to the Colleges board. Leaving the thread here will give Lenoir-Rhyne College the attention it truly deserves.</h2>
<p>Lenoir-Rhyne College, established in 1891, is a small Lutheran-based LAC located in the town of Hickory, NC, population approximately 38,000. The 100-acre campus, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, is charming and has a country feel to it. It is not by any means manicured, but it is natural and pleasant.</p>
<p>The majority of the campus buildings are brick and traditional. The main classroom and administration buildings, as well as the library are built around a treed quad, which is dotted with several concrete tables and benches and landscape lighting. The campus is filled with terraces and patios and atriums that blend interior and exterior spaces, making the campus seem just perfect for lingering.</p>
<p>Dorms are on the periphery of the campus. There is a variety of housing. The condition of the dorms varies. Some are more modern and well-kept than others. Dorm rooms are spacious and offer air-conditioning (some individually controlled), phone hookups, data ports, and cable TV. Students are allowed to bring refrigerators (up to 4 cu ft) and microwaves, among other items. Beds are bunkable or loftable (the college provides the setups). Rooms come with desks, dressers, and open closet storage. The newest dorm, the Living-Learning Center has modern amenities and includes a sprinkler system. Some of Lenoir-Rhyne dorms are traditional, others have a suite configuration. Private rooms are available.</p>
<p>One freshman dorm, Morgan Hall overlooks the college’s beautiful football stadium, one of the nicest in the conference (students often watch games from the comfort of the dorms wrought-iron railed balconies). Sandwiched between the football stadium and the quad is a beautiful fitness center, which contains modern exercise and athletic training and hydrotherapy facilities. An adjoining 8-lane indoor competition swimming pool, which ranges in depth from 3.5 to 12 feet, has a gallery capable of seating about 300-500 spectators. While the pool has an excellent configuration for competition, it is in need of a freshening up. A new air circulator would also help improve the air quality in the facility. The pool is used by the college population, the community, and local swim clubs. Students at the college are working to develop a varsity swim program. Lenoir-Rhyne currently offers 14 varsity teams and a strong intramural program. </p>
<p>Across the street from the athletic center is a multilevel student center, which contains offices, the bookstore, dining hall, a mini-store, and a wonderful shop called the Bears Lair (Lenoir-Rhynes mascot is the bear), which opens onto a lovely, spacious solarium dining area, which features a large-screen TV. The building boasts a beautiful brick and concrete patio area lined with beautiful landscaping and stately trees.</p>
<p>For the most part, the buildings of Lenoir-Rhyne are very well maintained; the floors are shiny, and the rooms nicely furnished. The classroom and administrative facilities themselves are very modern and well-equipped. Computer labs are plentiful and filled with new equipment; the campus is wireless. Most classrooms are relatively small, in keeping with the small classes that the school is proud of (the student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1). The freshman English class we attended had 16 students; the introductory Sociology class we attended had 38. The campus library is large and spacious. There are many comfortable areas in the library available for quite reading, individual study, and study groups. In addition to its volumes, it can draw on the resources of the beautiful Hickory Public Library, which underwent a $6.2 million renovation in 1998-1999. </p>
<p>The area surrounding the college is very modest, with small older homes, businesses, and industrial sites. There are numerous furniture outlets; Hickory is one of the top producers of furniture in the United States. At first glance, families might not realize the fine institution they are visiting, if they focus only on the aesthetics of the place. Hickory has a charming, small downtown area with shops and eateries. It has several movie houses, coffee shops, and clubs. A full array of mall and boutique shopping and restaurants is available. Hickory also has a YMCA, which too has a swimming pool. Hickory is served by a regional airport. Delta Connections supplies connecting flights to the airlines Atlanta hub, which serves many cities. Hickory is less than an hour from Charlotte (and its Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, offering many direct flights), about an hour-and-a-half from Asheville and Winston-Salem, and about 250 miles from Atlanta. Outdoor sports are plentiful and popular here. The town has its own symphony orchestra.</p>
<p>The best part of Lenoir-Rhyne College is its people. The faculty and staff are wonderful and supportive. Everyone is important here. Everyone is greeted warmly. Everyone wants to help. Lenoir-Rhyne has a heart and a soul.</p>
<p>Teachers operate happy and challenging classrooms. They encourage student participation. They respect all student contributions and efforts. Student growth is nurtured. Its readily apparent that teachers want their students to succeed. Teachers foster a collaborative classroom environment, and they make themselves readily available to coach their students. During our visit, we noted that teachers took the time to make their assignments and rubric expectations very clear. Some might call it hand-holding, but it seemed to relieve the stress of transition to college, and gave the students the solid impression that there would be someone there every step of the way to ensure that they would succeed if they tried.</p>
<p>When we sat it on classes, each professor (and about 75% of the faculty hold the highest degree available in their respective fields) greeted us warmly and by name. Each offered to answer any questions or concerns we might have at any time. Students in each class made us feel right at home, pulling us into their groups and conversations. Some volunteered that a number of their friends, attending other institutions, were not having the same positive educational experience that they themselves were at Lenoir-Rhyne. Each student offered assistance. Classroom exchanges were positive and polite. It was very clear that there was mutual respect in the classroom, and an appreciation for everyone there. My son loved that!</p>
<p>Not only are the faculty members wonderful, the staff is too.</p>
<p>Members of the admissions staff quickly pulled together our visit, allowing us to accomplish virtually every item on our request list. Communications with the admissions department were timely and efficient.</p>
<p>A financial aid officer gave us the rundown on federal and college funding. My son, who was accepted very early in the rolling admissions process, was told of his initial eligibility for college scholarship and incentive awards. The rep relayed other advice, and told my son that Lenoir-Rhyne would do all it could financially to ensure that he could attend.</p>
<p>Lenoir-Rhyne offers coordinated disability services. We were particularly pleased by the way in which the director of disability services dealt with my sons needs. After a quick review of my sons documentation, she assured him that his needs would be met, and that she knew that he could do well. She described a variety of services available to him. She encouraged him to be himself and to work hard and told him that he would succeed. Lenoir-Rhyne respects and nurtures its students with disabilities. In fact, I believe that it is the first college in the United States to have a fully funded and fully staffed department serving deaf and hearing-impaired students. In keeping with that commitment, Lenoir-Rhyne offers signing as an alternative to the more traditional language courses that comprise its core.</p>
<p>In addition to providing disability services to qualified students, Lenoir-Rhyne offers a large variety of other student support services, among them a writing center, tutors, academic skills workshops, and more. The school makes it clear that it wishes every hardworking student to succeed, and that it will give each student the appropriate tools to do so.</p>
<p>There are a large variety of things to do at Lenoir-Rhyne. The school boasts a strong community service commitment, offers many internship and study abroad opportunities, NCAA Division II athletics, and clubs. There are several sororities and fraternities on campus. Lenoir-Rhyne also sponsors a Visiting Writers Series. This year the schedule includes such noted writers as lê thi diem thúy, Frank Deford, Kelly Link, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Joyce Carol Oates.</p>
<p>Finally, Lenoir-Rhyne Colleges food service is quite palatable. Offerings at lunch included very fresh salads and fruits, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, soup, spectacular desserts (here come the freshman 15), Hersheys ice cream (make that 20), and a nice variety of beverages, including low fat and skim milk. Dinner entrees included baked seasoned chicken, baked pork chops, burgers, or pizza. Accompaniments included green and fruit salads, green beans with mushrooms, potatoes, fluffy macaroni and cheese, and a variety of vegetables; all pretty tasty. Also, pasta was available, and seemed to be the favorite among the athletes.</p>
<p>Relying on clichés, our visit to Lenoir-Rhyne College proved that good things come in small packages, and that you shouldnt judge a book by its cover. Lenoir-Rhyne College really earns its spot as a College of Distinction. It is a unique and very special place!</p>