Our vision will assure that St. Lawrence is a University where faculty and staff have the motivation, skills and resources to awaken each student to his or her best potential. To achieve this vision, we have added, since 1997, 18 new positions, solidifying our excellent 12-1 student-faculty ratio.

St. Lawrence faculty are discussing new initiatives in several areas. Read more about their work in these areas:

International/Global Studies at SLU/Responses to CIIS White Paper

Academic Planning

Critical Literacies

Civic Engagement

Academic Learning Goals ~ Spring 2006 {on-campus access only}

Course Closeout Report

FYP: Reflections and Goals

Read more about our initiatives since 1997:

Expanded student-faculty research opportunities.

Our University Fellows program, piloted with five student-faculty teams during the summer 1999, has expanded to 30 students; we hope to serve as many as 100 students every summer.

Increased options to educate students for life and work in a global multicultural society.

St. Lawrence University offered a new program of study in Shanghai, China, beginning in the spring, 2003, semester. The University partners with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), which offers a semester-long program for students with no prior background in the study of Chinese, or those who have studied up to an intermediate level. It is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global economy. The CIEE program is affiliated with East China Normal University.In addition to a course in the Chinese language, participants will take courses in Chinese history and society; economic development; and Sino-U.S. international relations. All courses are taught in English, by Chinese faculty members at the CIEE center; the courses are exclusively for CIEE participants.

New major program in global studies, developing better connections among existing programs (African studies, Asian studies, Canadian studies, Caribbean and Latin American studies, European studies, Native American studies) while also addressing in greater comparative depth an investigation of states, nations, cultures, communities, ecologies and economies as they exist in larger structural, cultural and natural contexts.

Created a new Adirondack Semester, modeled after study abroad programs, taking place in the wilderness near Saranac Lake, NY. Students study the biology, history, literature, art and culture of the Adirondacks in an immersion experience.

Expanded Academic Options

We have begun construction for Phase 1 of a four-phase science facilities project.. Phase I of the project features two new interconnected buildings constructed parallel to one another for biology and chemistry, with animal behavior laboratory space for those departments, plus psychology, a greenhouse and extensive space for student and faculty research.

St. Lawrence University has engaged The Stubbins Associates (TSA), of
Boston, to serve as lead architects of this project. Working with TSA are two
specialty firms: Croxton Collaborative Architects PC of New York City, known as
one of the foremost innovators in sustainable design, and Research Facilities
Design (RFD), of San Diego, a firm that has been involved in the design of over
500 research and teaching laboratories throughout the country.

Arts facilities expansion also is taking place, encouraged especially by the 2004 opening of the new Student Center, which allows space in the E.J. Noble Center to be used in different ways to support fine arts, music, and speech and theatre. A $1 million first phase was completed by December 2004.

Created new majors in computer science, biochemistry, neuroscience.

Launched the Integrated Science Education Initiative, which involves almost two dozen faculty from biology, chemistry, geology, psychology, environmental studies and mathematics. Together and independently, they have begun to develop courses that use the 300-acre Little River area of campus as an outdoor laboratory.

Introduced a stand-alone environmental studies major to augment the well-established interdisciplinary program. Opened the Environmental Sustainability House to provide laboratory experiences in many real-life environmental issues.

St. Lawrence University's oldest international study program, based in Rouen, France, has been redesigned and is now open to more students, including first-year students. Established in 1964, the program has been offered as either a semester or year to students with a good command of the French language (the equivalent of at least four college semesters). The fall semester will continue to be available to those students, but the spring term is designed for students with minimal exposure to the language (one semester of college French or up to two years of high school French).

The spring program will begin with a two-week residence in Quebec City, including instruction in French at Laval University and an introduction to Quebecois culture. Students will then travel to Rouen, where they will have home stays and study French language, conversation, cultures and traditions, and take a 10-ay sojourn to Senegal. First-year students will participate in a seminar course, while upper-class students will choose an elective course.

Last Updated: November 2006