When Carleton alumni are asked what sticks with them most after graduation, they often reflect on the richness of the academic experience. Small class sizes are a standard feature of a liberal arts college like Carleton, but few places can claim to have so many professors who are as passionate about teaching and who love to spend time with students. The academic experience here is defined by a culture of curiosity, an embrace of one’s inner nerd and the pairing of diverse academic passions; the Annual Fund is used to support every facet of this experience, including:
- Student research throughout the school year and over break
- Opportunities for hands-on learning, including fieldtrips to organic farms and art museums in the Cities; at many colleges these are an additional expense, even when required for the class
- Faculty compensation, which is used to attract and support professors who want to be in a classroom working directly with undergraduate students and who are excited by the opportunity to engage with students on a personal level
- The services of the Academic Support Center, including the Math Skills Center, the Writing Center and more
- Professional development opportunities that allow professors to stay current in their fields, to develop new research and classroom curricula and to advance their practice as teachers
- Speakers and visitors sponsored by academic departments, from the chemistry department’s comps visitors to the poets and writers invited to campus by the English department
- The physical resources used to support learning, from smartboards to telescopes, from the art department’s sawmill to the natural habitat of the Arb, from the Pearlman Teaching Museum to books in the Libe