Albion College
Encyclopedia
Albion College is a private liberal arts college
located in Albion, Michigan
. Related to the United Methodist Church
, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa
. It has a student population of about 1500.
The school's sports teams are called the Britons and the school colors are purple and gold. They participate in NCAA
and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(MIAA) as well as the Midwest Lacrosse Conference
for Men's and Women's Lacrosse.
Albion College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association
and the Michigan Campus Compact, an organization dedicated to encouraging student volunteerism.
As of 2009, Albion College was ranked 97 in US News and World Report's "Top 100" List of Liberal Arts Colleges, and 96th in Forbes magazine's list of "America's Best College Buys."
The origin of Albion College lies not in the city of Albion, but about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of the present location of the college. On March 23, 1835, Methodist Episcopal
settlers in Spring Arbor Township
obtained a charter for the Spring Arbor Seminary from the Michigan Territorial
Legislature. Foundations for a building were begun in 1837 at a location about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of the current village of Spring Arbor but were soon abandoned due to the economic turmoil caused by the Panic of 1837
. No classes were ever held at the Spring Arbor location. The trustees applied to move the seminary to Albion in 1838, and the legislature approved the move in 1839.
With 60 acres (243,000 m²) of land donated by Albion pioneer, Jesse Crowell
, the cornerstone was laid for the first building in 1841. In 1843, now named the Wesleyan Seminary, classes were first held in the local Methodist Church. In 1844, classes began in the newly constructed Central Building, which was rebuilt as the present Robinson Hall in 1907.
The Albion Female Collegiate Institute was founded in 1850 by the Wesleyan Seminary Corporation. The two schools merged in 1857 under the name The Wesleyan Seminary and Female College at Albion.
On February 25, 1861, both schools were completely merged under the name Albion College when the school was fully authorized by the State legislature to confer a full four-year college degree upon both men and women.
Albion College offers approximately 25 academic majors leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. In addition to the academic majors, numerous concentrations, academic institutes, and special programs are offered. These include the Prentiss M. Brown Honors program, The Center for Sustainability and the Environment, Fritz Shurmur Education Institute, the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service at Albion College, the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Professional Management, and pre-professional programs in engineering
, medicine
, and law
.
The Albion College student body is composed of approximately 1,650 students. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. The average class size of under 19 is comparable to other small liberal arts colleges. Albion College employs more than 120 full time faculty, of whom more than 95% have earned the highest degree offered in their field.
Albion College offers many opportunities for students to travel and study at other institutions. Programs are offered in Philadelphia, Chicago
, London
, Heidelberg
, Tübingen
, Tokyo
, Seoul
, Cape Town
, Aix-en-Provence
, Ballyvaughan
, Athens
, Brussels
and Paris
.
Albion College appears on the U.S. News & World Report
list of America's Top Liberal Arts Colleges. Also, Albion is a member of The Princeton Review's 371 Best Colleges and Best Midwestern Colleges list. http://www.princetonreview.com/schools/college/CollegeRankings.aspx?iid=1023181
Construction on a new science complex recently ended. The new Kresge Hall and remodeled Palenske Hall, Putnam Hall and the Norris Center house the Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science departments of the college.
(Wesley Hall, Seaton Hall, Whitehouse Hall, and the Mitchell Towers), upper-class apartments (the Mae Harrison Karro Residential Village, Munger Place, the Burns Street Apartments, and the Briton House Apartments), seven women-only housing options (The Beach House, Porter Street Annex, The Manor, Octagon House, Ingham Hall, Fiske Hall and Dean Hall), one men-only housing option (711 Michigan Avenue), six fraternity houses, and numerous annexes. In addition to campus housing, several students live at The Goodrich Club
, a co-op founded in 1932. Wesley and Seaton Halls traditionally house mostly first-year students. Wesley Hall is, by far, the largest residential building on campus with over 450 residents. Mitchell Towers and Whitehouse Hall typically are home to Sophomores and some Juniors. The Mae Karro Residential Village (commonly called "The Mae") houses Seniors. The majority of rooms in Wesley and Seaton Halls house two students with residents of each hallway sharing one community bathroom. All other dormitories have suite-style housing with two rooms sharing one bathroom between them.
Albion's campus is home to well over 100 student organizations. These groups — dedicated to academia, politics, sports and recreation, diversity awareness, and community service — are a large part of student life at Albion College. Groups such as The Nwagni Project, The Albion Croquet League, College Democrats of America, Habitat for Humanity International
, and "Break the Silence" are examples of some of the prominent groups on campus. Intramural sports
are another large part of campus life, with four season and about ten sports offered annually.
In 2006 Albion College designated one of the schools annexes as the "Environmental House." Since this time the students who live in the house have worked towards self sustainability and raising environmental awareness on campus.
The 144 acre (0.58274784 km²) Whitehouse Nature Center plays an important role in classroom instruction at Albion College and offers its facilities and services as an environmental education area to public schools and the community. The Whitehouse Nature Center features six self-guided trails, 400 plant species, 168 bird species, 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of oak-hickory and flood-plain forest, a tall-grass prairie and spring in the Adele D. Whitehouse Wildflower Garden, an arboretum of Michigan trees and shrubs, 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) of farmland and research projects, and an interpretative building with classrooms, observation room, porch, and restrooms. Every spring a controlled burn
is performed in the prairie section of the nature center in order to restore and perpetuate the native prairie ecosystem.
The recently constructed Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center is the only equestrian center owned by a private college in Michigan. The 340 acres (1.4 km²) facility features a state-of-the-art 81 stall barn, a grass outdoor competition arena, a sand outdoor riding arena, a 100x400ft indoor riding arena, on-site instructional facilities, three instructors, many school horses, and three competing teams. The teams compete in IDA dressage competitions and IHSA hunt seat and western competitions. In the last two years, Albion has had several riders advance to regional and zone champions with IHSA hunt seat and 2 riders compete at the IDA national championships.
The Albion College Music Department offers students numerous ensembles in which to participate. The British Eighth, the Albion College Marching Band is one of the most visible examples of the school's mascot. The British Eighth wears uniforms reminiscent of those worn by the British Royal guards at Buckingham Palace
. Under the direction of current Director of Bands Dr. Sam "Mac" McIlhagga, the band has increased in size to approximately 80 members. The British Eighth achieved national recognition by marching in the 2006 Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Albion College Symphony Orchestra
, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir
, Jazz
Ensemble, and Briton Singers perform regularly throughout the school year. The Jazz Ensemble is particularly active in performing in the Albion community.
All academic, administrative, and residential buildings are controlled through the Siemens Building Automation System, the college’s central plant system. Kresge Hall, the college’s primary athletic gym, uses a heat recovery system to maximize energy efficiency in a building which requires 100% makeup air. Whitehouse Hall, Seaton Hall, and Baldwin Hall have all been refitted with thermal pane windows and new washers and dryers to maximize energy efficiency. During academic break periods, buildings are closed, equipment is shut down, and temperatures are lowered to help reduce energy consumption.
Lighting on campus has been updated to more environmentally friendly and economically efficient systems. The first stages of this plan included making lighting more economically and environmentally beneficial in the Dow Center’s Lomas Field house, Kresge Gymnasium, Whitehouse Hall, Robinson Hall, and the six fraternity houses. The Dow’s, 150 lights were replaced by 100 fluorescent lights; using two-thirds the energy and emitting almost double the amount of light.
Buildings have been outfitted with state-of-the-art light sensor equipment. The sensors turn on lighting only when a room is occupied. The conversion of exterior lighting to HPS (high pressure sodium) is made for maximum energy efficiency. Interior lights turn off when the monitors in the room sense a certain amount of daylight, saving energy by utilizing natural light. This reduces the number of bulbs and increases light.
By 2010, the Albion College sustainability movement was in full swing. This marked the launch of the college’s “Year of Sustainability”. The themed year was created to make students aware of their impact. The year-long theme was incorporated to nearly every aspect of life on campus. The year began with a “Week of Impact”, a celebration designed to kick-off the life-style change. The week included days aimed at physical health, waste-management, and open discussion presentations. Other events are scheduled throughout the academic year.
Students have taken the initiative to help Albion College to become a self-sustaining campus. Such programs include various groups and clubs with the same goals as the college; creating inventive ways to maintain a sustained living environment. The Sustainability Council, the Albion College Environmental House, The Whitehouse Nature Center, and the Ecological Awareness Club were created to educate and entertain the students, the faculty, and the general public about sustainability and reducing environmental impacts.
In October 2009 Albion College made history by receiving certifications from both The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP) and The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The MTESP recognizes environmental achievements, and the MAEAP “develop and implement a proactive environmental assurance program ensuring that Michigan farmers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and working to comply with state and federal environmental regulations”. Albion College is the first college among higher education institutions to earn these state certifications.
The Albion College Britons field 22 intercollegiate teams, eleven for men and eleven for women. Albion College is a charter member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
and competes in the NCAA
, The school's Lacrosse team also competes in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference
. Men's sports at Albion include cross country
, football
, golf
, and soccer in the fall, basketball
, swimming
and diving
in the winter, and baseball
, tennis
, track and field, and Lacrosse
in the spring. The Albion women compete in cross country, golf, soccer, and volleyball
in the fall, basketball and swimming and diving in the winter, and softball, tennis, track and field, and lacrosse in the spring. As of the 2011 Men's and Women's Lacrosse season, Albion is one of only three NCAA sanctioned Lacrosse programs in the state of Michigan with Adrian College, and The University of Detroit-Mercy. The trio of NCAA lacrosse programs will be joined by the University of Michigan in 2012 for Men's Lacrosse, and 2013 for Women's Lacrosse.
Albion won the NCAA Division III football championship in 1994. During the 2005 season, both the men's and women's basketball teams advanced to the Division III playoffs. Throughout the 2006 season, the men have been ranked in the top 10 by D3Hoops.com http://www.d3hoops.com since the beginning of the season.
Men's Sports
-Baseball
-Basketball
-Cross Country
-Equestrian Hunt Seat
-Football
-Golf
-Lacrosse
-Soccer
-Swimming and Diving
-Tennis
-Track and Field
Women's Sports
-Basketball
-Cross Country
-Equestrian Hunt Seat
-Golf
-Lacrosse
-Soccer
-Softball
-Swimming and Diving
-Tennis
-Track and Field
-Volleyball
National Championships:
and six general purpose social sororities
. The six social fraternities each lease a house from the college. These essentially identical buildings are occupied by members of Alpha Tau Omega
, Delta Sigma Phi
, Delta Tau Delta
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Chi
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
. The six social sororities at Albion College do not live in their lodges, but rather hold meetings and other events there. The social sororities at Albion are Alpha Chi Omega
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
, Alpha Xi Delta
, Delta Gamma
, Kappa Alpha Theta
, and Kappa Delta
.
More than 40% of Albion College students are members of a social Greek organization.
The song Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
was written in 1911 by Byron D. Stokes (Albion, 1913) and F. Dudleigh Vernor (Albion, 1914), and first performed by Harry Clifford (Albion, 1911)while undergraduates at Albion College.
Albion College is also home to nearly a dozen honorary, professional, service, and special interest fraternities. They include Alpha Lambda Delta
, Alpha Phi Omega
, Delta Sigma Pi
, Sigma Xi
, Theta Phi Alpha
, Kappa Kappa Psi
, Omicron Delta Kappa
, the Order of Omega
|, Phi Beta Kappa
, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
, Pi Sigma Alpha
, Psi Chi
, Sigma Alpha Iota
, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon
.
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
located in Albion, Michigan
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Related to the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
. It has a student population of about 1500.
The school's sports teams are called the Britons and the school colors are purple and gold. They participate in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is an athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The nine teams in the conference are all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making...
(MIAA) as well as the Midwest Lacrosse Conference
Midwest Lacrosse Conference
The Midwest Lacrosse Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. All schools are members of other conferences in other sports and formed the MLC until such time as...
for Men's and Women's Lacrosse.
Albion College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association
Great Lakes Colleges Association
The Great Lakes Colleges Association , is a consortium of 13 liberal arts colleges located in the states around the Great Lakes. The 13 schools are located in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana...
and the Michigan Campus Compact, an organization dedicated to encouraging student volunteerism.
As of 2009, Albion College was ranked 97 in US News and World Report's "Top 100" List of Liberal Arts Colleges, and 96th in Forbes magazine's list of "America's Best College Buys."
History
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
settlers in Spring Arbor Township
Spring Arbor Township, Michigan
Spring Arbor Township is a civil township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the southern part of the state. Located west of the city of Jackson, it covers entirety of the survey township of T3S R2W...
obtained a charter for the Spring Arbor Seminary from the Michigan Territorial
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
Legislature. Foundations for a building were begun in 1837 at a location about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of the current village of Spring Arbor but were soon abandoned due to the economic turmoil caused by the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
. No classes were ever held at the Spring Arbor location. The trustees applied to move the seminary to Albion in 1838, and the legislature approved the move in 1839.
With 60 acres (243,000 m²) of land donated by Albion pioneer, Jesse Crowell
Jesse Crowell
Jesse Crowell was a pioneer settler in Michigan, who platted Albion, Michigan in 1836, was its first postmaster, and played an important role in the public affairs and the development of Albion. He is renowned as Albion's Greatest Benefactor.Mr...
, the cornerstone was laid for the first building in 1841. In 1843, now named the Wesleyan Seminary, classes were first held in the local Methodist Church. In 1844, classes began in the newly constructed Central Building, which was rebuilt as the present Robinson Hall in 1907.
The Albion Female Collegiate Institute was founded in 1850 by the Wesleyan Seminary Corporation. The two schools merged in 1857 under the name The Wesleyan Seminary and Female College at Albion.
On February 25, 1861, both schools were completely merged under the name Albion College when the school was fully authorized by the State legislature to confer a full four-year college degree upon both men and women.
Academics
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, medicine
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, and law
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
The Albion College student body is composed of approximately 1,650 students. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. The average class size of under 19 is comparable to other small liberal arts colleges. Albion College employs more than 120 full time faculty, of whom more than 95% have earned the highest degree offered in their field.
Albion College offers many opportunities for students to travel and study at other institutions. Programs are offered in Philadelphia, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren, an area of great rocky expanse, considered by many to be a unique landscape....
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Albion College appears on the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
list of America's Top Liberal Arts Colleges. Also, Albion is a member of The Princeton Review's 371 Best Colleges and Best Midwestern Colleges list. http://www.princetonreview.com/schools/college/CollegeRankings.aspx?iid=1023181
Construction on a new science complex recently ended. The new Kresge Hall and remodeled Palenske Hall, Putnam Hall and the Norris Center house the Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science departments of the college.
Campus life
Albion College's 225 acre (0.9105435 km²) campus houses 93% of the students that attend the college in four dormitoriesDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
(Wesley Hall, Seaton Hall, Whitehouse Hall, and the Mitchell Towers), upper-class apartments (the Mae Harrison Karro Residential Village, Munger Place, the Burns Street Apartments, and the Briton House Apartments), seven women-only housing options (The Beach House, Porter Street Annex, The Manor, Octagon House, Ingham Hall, Fiske Hall and Dean Hall), one men-only housing option (711 Michigan Avenue), six fraternity houses, and numerous annexes. In addition to campus housing, several students live at The Goodrich Club
The Goodrich Club
The Goodrich Club is a co-op located at 402 East Porter Street in Albion, Michigan. It was founded in 1932 and named after Dr. Frederic S. Goodrich, then a professor at Albion College.- History :...
, a co-op founded in 1932. Wesley and Seaton Halls traditionally house mostly first-year students. Wesley Hall is, by far, the largest residential building on campus with over 450 residents. Mitchell Towers and Whitehouse Hall typically are home to Sophomores and some Juniors. The Mae Karro Residential Village (commonly called "The Mae") houses Seniors. The majority of rooms in Wesley and Seaton Halls house two students with residents of each hallway sharing one community bathroom. All other dormitories have suite-style housing with two rooms sharing one bathroom between them.
Albion's campus is home to well over 100 student organizations. These groups — dedicated to academia, politics, sports and recreation, diversity awareness, and community service — are a large part of student life at Albion College. Groups such as The Nwagni Project, The Albion Croquet League, College Democrats of America, Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
, and "Break the Silence" are examples of some of the prominent groups on campus. Intramural sports
Intramural sports
Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. The term derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning "within walls", and was used to indicate sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an ancient city...
are another large part of campus life, with four season and about ten sports offered annually.
In 2006 Albion College designated one of the schools annexes as the "Environmental House." Since this time the students who live in the house have worked towards self sustainability and raising environmental awareness on campus.
The 144 acre (0.58274784 km²) Whitehouse Nature Center plays an important role in classroom instruction at Albion College and offers its facilities and services as an environmental education area to public schools and the community. The Whitehouse Nature Center features six self-guided trails, 400 plant species, 168 bird species, 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of oak-hickory and flood-plain forest, a tall-grass prairie and spring in the Adele D. Whitehouse Wildflower Garden, an arboretum of Michigan trees and shrubs, 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) of farmland and research projects, and an interpretative building with classrooms, observation room, porch, and restrooms. Every spring a controlled burn
Controlled burn
Controlled or prescribed burning, also known as hazard reduction burning or Swailing is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for...
is performed in the prairie section of the nature center in order to restore and perpetuate the native prairie ecosystem.
The Albion College Music Department offers students numerous ensembles in which to participate. The British Eighth, the Albion College Marching Band is one of the most visible examples of the school's mascot. The British Eighth wears uniforms reminiscent of those worn by the British Royal guards at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. Under the direction of current Director of Bands Dr. Sam "Mac" McIlhagga, the band has increased in size to approximately 80 members. The British Eighth achieved national recognition by marching in the 2006 Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Albion College Symphony Orchestra
Albion College Symphony Orchestra
The Albion College Symphony Orchestra is the only orchestral ensemble attached to the Albion College Department of Music. It rehearses and performs in Goodrich Chapel, located on the Albion College campus. As of 2007 the orchestra has over 50 members and is under the direction of Dr. James Ball...
, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Ensemble, and Briton Singers perform regularly throughout the school year. The Jazz Ensemble is particularly active in performing in the Albion community.
Sustainability
2006 was the beginning of significant change at Albion College starting with a movement to create a more sustainable environment, for both the students and residents of Albion. The Dining and Hospitality Services and the grounds department at the college were the first to make the transition. Dining services introduced organic foods into the diets of students on campus while making the effort to purchase from Michigan-based suppliers. Baldwin Dining Hall replaced the napkin baskets with napkin dispensers to eliminate waste. The grounds department made an impact by installing new sprinkler systems that use significantly less water. In the fall of 2009 the sports fields and athletic department branch of the grounds department installed rain gardens. The gardens simply collect the surface water from the outdoor tennis courts. 99% of leaves are mulched into the grass around campus, saving a half pound of nitrogen each year. The grounds department went from throwing away 700 cubic yards of leaves to only 7 cubic yards.All academic, administrative, and residential buildings are controlled through the Siemens Building Automation System, the college’s central plant system. Kresge Hall, the college’s primary athletic gym, uses a heat recovery system to maximize energy efficiency in a building which requires 100% makeup air. Whitehouse Hall, Seaton Hall, and Baldwin Hall have all been refitted with thermal pane windows and new washers and dryers to maximize energy efficiency. During academic break periods, buildings are closed, equipment is shut down, and temperatures are lowered to help reduce energy consumption.
Lighting on campus has been updated to more environmentally friendly and economically efficient systems. The first stages of this plan included making lighting more economically and environmentally beneficial in the Dow Center’s Lomas Field house, Kresge Gymnasium, Whitehouse Hall, Robinson Hall, and the six fraternity houses. The Dow’s, 150 lights were replaced by 100 fluorescent lights; using two-thirds the energy and emitting almost double the amount of light.
Buildings have been outfitted with state-of-the-art light sensor equipment. The sensors turn on lighting only when a room is occupied. The conversion of exterior lighting to HPS (high pressure sodium) is made for maximum energy efficiency. Interior lights turn off when the monitors in the room sense a certain amount of daylight, saving energy by utilizing natural light. This reduces the number of bulbs and increases light.
By 2010, the Albion College sustainability movement was in full swing. This marked the launch of the college’s “Year of Sustainability”. The themed year was created to make students aware of their impact. The year-long theme was incorporated to nearly every aspect of life on campus. The year began with a “Week of Impact”, a celebration designed to kick-off the life-style change. The week included days aimed at physical health, waste-management, and open discussion presentations. Other events are scheduled throughout the academic year.
Students have taken the initiative to help Albion College to become a self-sustaining campus. Such programs include various groups and clubs with the same goals as the college; creating inventive ways to maintain a sustained living environment. The Sustainability Council, the Albion College Environmental House, The Whitehouse Nature Center, and the Ecological Awareness Club were created to educate and entertain the students, the faculty, and the general public about sustainability and reducing environmental impacts.
In October 2009 Albion College made history by receiving certifications from both The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP) and The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The MTESP recognizes environmental achievements, and the MAEAP “develop and implement a proactive environmental assurance program ensuring that Michigan farmers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and working to comply with state and federal environmental regulations”. Albion College is the first college among higher education institutions to earn these state certifications.
Athletics
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is an athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The nine teams in the conference are all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making...
and competes in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, The school's Lacrosse team also competes in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference
Midwest Lacrosse Conference
The Midwest Lacrosse Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. All schools are members of other conferences in other sports and formed the MLC until such time as...
. Men's sports at Albion include cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and soccer in the fall, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
in the winter, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track and field, and Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
in the spring. The Albion women compete in cross country, golf, soccer, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
in the fall, basketball and swimming and diving in the winter, and softball, tennis, track and field, and lacrosse in the spring. As of the 2011 Men's and Women's Lacrosse season, Albion is one of only three NCAA sanctioned Lacrosse programs in the state of Michigan with Adrian College, and The University of Detroit-Mercy. The trio of NCAA lacrosse programs will be joined by the University of Michigan in 2012 for Men's Lacrosse, and 2013 for Women's Lacrosse.
Albion won the NCAA Division III football championship in 1994. During the 2005 season, both the men's and women's basketball teams advanced to the Division III playoffs. Throughout the 2006 season, the men have been ranked in the top 10 by D3Hoops.com http://www.d3hoops.com since the beginning of the season.
Men's Sports
-Baseball
-Basketball
-Cross Country
-Equestrian Hunt Seat
-Football
-Golf
-Lacrosse
-Soccer
-Swimming and Diving
-Tennis
-Track and Field
Women's Sports
-Basketball
-Cross Country
-Equestrian Hunt Seat
-Golf
-Lacrosse
-Soccer
-Softball
-Swimming and Diving
-Tennis
-Track and Field
-Volleyball
National Championships:
- 1994 - Football - NCAA Division III
Greek life
Albion College is home to six general purpose social fraternitiesFraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
and six general purpose social sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. The six social fraternities each lease a house from the college. These essentially identical buildings are occupied by members of Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
, Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
. The six social sororities at Albion College do not live in their lodges, but rather hold meetings and other events there. The social sororities at Albion are Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
, Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
, Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
, and Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
.
More than 40% of Albion College students are members of a social Greek organization.
The song Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Often called the most beloved and popular of college fraternity songs, "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" was written in 1911 by Byron D. Stokes and F. Dudleigh Vernor...
was written in 1911 by Byron D. Stokes (Albion, 1913) and F. Dudleigh Vernor (Albion, 1914), and first performed by Harry Clifford (Albion, 1911)while undergraduates at Albion College.
Albion College is also home to nearly a dozen honorary, professional, service, and special interest fraternities. They include Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
, Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
, Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Sigma Pi
ΔΣΠ ' is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University, New York, New York and is currently headquartered in Oxford, Ohio...
, Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
, Theta Phi Alpha
Theta Phi Alpha
Theta Phi Alpha women's fraternity was founded at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 national sororities recognized in the National Panhellenic Conference...
, Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
, the Order of Omega
Order of Omega
The Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations, rather than a social or professional group in se...
|, Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
, Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi sigma alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha , the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science...
, Psi Chi
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
, Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon
Sigma Gamma Epsilon
The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon is a national honor society to recognize scholarship in the earth sciences founded in 1915 at the University of Kansas. It has chartered more than 200 chapters at colleges and universities across the United States....
.