Program areas at Dickinson College
Educating students - Dickinson College is committed to making a top-tier education in the liberal arts and sciences accessible regardless of families' economic means. All admitted students from the most recent entering class, who demonstrated financial need and who met application deadlines, were offered aid. In 2022-23, Dickinson students received an estimated $90,523,307 in financial aid, of which $75,796,849 was provided from the College's funds. State and federal aid programs, parent loans and other outside sources provided the remaining funds.continued on schedule oin fall 2022, the College employed 220 full-time equivalent faculty. 96% of full-time faculty members hold a doctorate or other terminal degree. Of this group, full professors comprised 26%, associate professors 38%, assistant professors 28%, and instructors 8%. The student-to-faculty ratio for fall 2022 was 9:1. To support its academic, student life and auxiliary programs, the College also employs 294 professional administrative staff personnel (all ft) and 302 support staff personnel (261 ft; 41 pt). Dickinson continues to receive favorable and frequent media attention and attract greater levels of student interest each year. As the number of applications and the quality and diversity of recent entering classes demonstrate, Dickinson has a secure national and international reputation as a top-quality liberal arts College. The increased level of interest the College has seen in recent years puts the College in a good position to continue to analyze and better understand the profile of students who enroll and remain at Dickinson in order to improve selectivity, yield and retention.2,125 students were enrolled for fall 2022, including 143 students studying off-campus at the College's centers in the u.s. and abroad. For fall 2022, students came from 43 u.s. states and territories and 40 foreign countries. The office of admissions admitted 2,885 first-year students reflecting an acceptance rate of 35%. First-year enrollment figures reflect the College's ongoing commitment to academic quality (55% ranked top 10% of class) and diversity (32% students of color and international students). The 1-year retention rate was 89%, and approximately 60% of entering first-year students graduate within four years. Dickinson students may select either of two broad degree orientations within the curriculum: the bachelor of arts or the bachelor of science degree. General education requirements are the same in either case; only students with the concentration in one of the natural or mathematical sciences may be candidates for the bachelor of science degree.courses are offered in two semesters, each comprising 14 weeks of classes followed by final examinations. The fall semester begins in late august and concludes in december. Students have a reading period at the end of classes in which to prepare for the final examinations and papers which are scheduled during the subsequent week. Spring semester begins near the end of january and runs through mid-may, following the same pattern of classes and examinations as the fall semester. Seeking a balance between the full breadth of liberal learning and depth represented by one disciplined approach to knowledge, each Dickinson student is required to take a minimum of 32 courses, complete a series of all-college requirements, and select a major concentration. General requirements for the degree include a first-year seminar, one "writing in the discipline" course and one "quantitative reasoning" course. Additional requirements for graduation include distribution courses (at least one course in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and laboratory science), cross-cultural studies (courses in foreign languages, u.s. diversity and global diversity), and one course in sustainability.dickinson offers a rich curriculum, including the exploration of new fields of study (recent introduction of a major in data analytics and a minor in ethics are examples).some the College's recent accomplishments include:an $800,000 grant from the mellon foundation which is funding a three-year initiative in native american studies. This project is designed to position the College to initiate and contribute to a robust national conversation on the indigenous boarding school experience, strengthen a vital new and understudied component in our undergraduate program, and position Dickinson College at the forefront of humanistic study of the present and future of north american indigeneity. The grant is providing start-up funding for 1) a faculty director for a center on the future of native peoples; 2) indigenously directed and focused symposia; 3) a postdoc position and short-term residencies at the College to support scholarship and enhance curriculum; 4) a faculty summer study group and follow-on grants to develop/revise related courses; and 5) expansion of the carlisle indian school digital resource center. The College also received a second $350,000 grant from the mellon foundation to launch a three-year project to create a literary disability studies program across literature and languages departments. The primary goal for this project is to energize a lasting network for literary study and for the humanistic study of disability at and beyond Dickinson College. The College is doing this through support for faculty scholarship, the development of shared expertise, and public humanities work; curricular innovation and pedagogical development; and community engagement in central Pennsylvania and with the us army war College. The College is also using a $275,295 grant from the arthur vining davis foundations for a three-year dialogues across differences initiative. The goal of this project is to help educate citizens who can listen with an empathetic and ethical mindset to perspectives other than their own and then reason with a depth of understanding. The College's approach integrates classroom learning across disciplines, leadership training, campus involvement, and community engagement. The grant is providing resources and tools to help faculty develop assignments, lesson plans, and/or entire courses, as well as workshops for them to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines on course design. The College has developed a new elective course to train students as civil dialogue facilitators and give them opportunities to partner with campus and community groups to lead dialogues on challenging contemporary issues. This grant will build a cohort of 25-35% of faculty who will use these tools to educate current and future student cohorts, and impart to 30-40% of the student body the skills for conducting effective civil dialogues in their personal and professional lives. The College has reached the $50 million mark in its $75 million campaign for scholarships.
Auxiliary services - auxiliary services provided by the College include housing and dining services, campus stores, and other services provided to support students and employees.