The College
As Colorado's public liberal arts college, Fort Lewis College focuses on undergraduate education, offering quality baccalaureate degree programs in the arts, sciences, and professional areas of education and business. The College has an enduring commitment to develop and maintain its programs at a level equal to those of other outstanding undergraduate institutions in the nation.

In addition, Fort Lewis College has the unique legal and historical mission to offer education for all Native Americans nationally at no cost in tuition.  Currently, approximately 18% of the student population at Fort Lewis College is Native American, representing over 100 federally recognized tribes.

Fort Lewis College has an approximate enrollment of 4,000 students.

Degrees Offered
Fort Lewis College offers a number of programs leading to the bachelor’s degree. The Bachelor of Science degree is offered in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics; the Bachelor of Arts degree is granted in all other four-year programs. In addition, the College offers a program leading to the Associate of Arts degree in agricultural science.

The Fort Lewis College teacher education programs have been approved by the Colorado Department of Education. Licensure programs are offered for the following: early childhood (pre-school, K-2), middle childhood (elementary), young adult (secondary), and K-12 (art, music, physical education).

College-Wide Liberal Education Outcomes
A liberal arts education encompasses more than specific curricular requirements. The College has defined four Liberal Education Outcomes that students will attain through fulfilling their general education requirements as well as through in-depth study within the major and the experiences available to them at a liberal arts institution. The four liberal education outcomes for Fort Lewis students are:

• Learning as inquiry – The ability to use modern methods to access, analyze, interpret, and apply a wide
  range of information, data, and appropriate sources.
• Critical thinking as problem solving – The ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information
  in order to solve complex problems.
• Communication as intellectual contribution – The ability to contribute to scholarly understanding of a
  subject by balancing complexity and clarity of argument, clear conceptual organization of evidence, and
  adaptation to context and audience.
• Action as responsible application of academic learning – The ability to use all of the above to make
  positive contributions to one’s community and the larger society.

Location
Fort Lewis College sits on a mesa-like terrace overlooking Durango and the 13,000-foot peaks of the La Plata Mountains. With a population of approximately 15,000, Durango is the largest community in Southwest Colorado and serves as a hub of commercial activity for a regional population of more than 60,000. Durango’s elevation is 6,500 feet; it is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, yet it is only 50 miles away from the deserts of the Southwest. Durango is about 350 miles from Denver, 200 miles from Albuquerque, and 450 miles from Phoenix.

The Campus
The distinctive architecture of custom stonework found on the Fort
Lewis campus reflects the heritage of Southwest Colorado’s Ancestral
Pueblo Indians. The backdrop of the rugged San Juan Mountains
creates a learning environment of incomparable natural beauty and
sets off the architecture that is based on the ancient and contemporary
living sites of the first inhabitants of this region.
Academic activities are centered in Chemistry Hall, Education and
Business Hall, Center of Southwest Studies, Sage Hall, Art Hall, John F.
Reed Library, Theatre Building, Dan Noble Hall, and the academic wing
of Berndt Hall. The College Union Building houses a cafeteria, snack
bar, post office, bookstore, lounge and meeting rooms, as well as
Student Government offices, the student newspaper, public radio
station, and Student Activities.
The on-campus Housing Office, Financial Aid Office, Records Office,
Native American Center, Advising Center, Career Services, and Health
Center are in Miller Student Center.
About 1,580 students live on campus in residence halls and apartment
complexes. Physical education and recreation facilities include the
Student Life Center, Outdoor Pursuits, a large gymnasium, indoor
swimming pool, football stadium, tennis courts, softball fields, soccer
fields, track, nature trails, and, nearby, cross-country ski tracks in
winter and golf course in summer.

Semester Calendar
Fort Lewis College operates on a semester calendar. The semesters are each 15 weeks. The fall semester generally begins late August or early September and ends mid-December; the winter semester begins in early January and ends late April or early May. Summer Sessions are 5 weeks and begin in early May. All three Summer Sessions are the equivalent of one semester.

Summer Programs
The summer programs at Fort Lewis College offer a rich variety of courses from the regular curriculum for students who wish to graduate in fewer than four years.

The Faculty
Fort Lewis recruits its faculty from the best colleges and universities in the country. About 90 percent of the tenure track faculty hold the highest degree attainable in their disciplines. Many of Fort Lewis Colleges faculty have developed national reputations for excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum development. Because Fort Lewis College is primarily an undergraduate institution, faculty members focus on teaching and work closely with students.

Accreditation
Fort Lewis College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Additional accreditations include:

• Music Department – National Association of Schools of Music
• Chemistry Department – American Chemical Society
• Exercise Science Department – Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
• School of Business Administration – Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International
• Education Department – Teacher Education Accrediting Council (National); Colorado Department of Education (State)

Assessment
To improve instruction and to ensure that it is meeting its educational goals, the College regularly assesses students’ progress. The College assesses college-wide and departmental goals by using a wide variety of measures including surveys, student work samples, its own instruments, and nationally standardized tests such as Graduate Record Exam, ETS Major Field Tests, and National Survey of Student Engagement to measure the quality and success of its programs. The College frequently requires students to participate in assessments to help the College improve its academic programs and teaching methods. All departments
have assessment processes in place that provide data on student learning in the majors.