The
university's approach to education is simple yet effective: Teach
students to think and encourage exploration and discovery. "The Hollins
environment is especially conducive to learning and creativity,"
commented one student. "The academic experience downplays
competitiveness and stresses the benefits of discussion, interaction,
and support from both professors and fellow students."
Added a
recent graduate, "I could personally experiment while learning, and I
got a lot of different ideas and perspectives from the people who taught
me. My professors were a constant source of encouragement, always
assuring me, 'You can do this, you can do this,' and that made all the
difference for me."
Incoming students find that they are as much
colleagues with their professors as they are pupils. As longtime English
and creative writing professor Richard Dillard explained, "We are all
students and teachers alike." One of the hallmarks of the Hollins
faculty is their accessibility; many professors live on campus, take
late-night calls, include students in their research and writing, and
have open-door office policies.
"From the first time I visited
campus, they made me feel welcome and took every opportunity to get to
know me," a student said about the faculty. "Since I enrolled, I've
received a lot of individual attention and have benefited greatly from
the small class sizes." Hollins' student/faculty ratio is 9 to 1.
Hollins
offers majors in 29 fields of study. While perhaps best known for its
creative writing program (described by "Creative Writing in America" as
"pound for pound, the most productive writing program in America"), the
university also features strong programs in the visual and performing
arts and the social and physical sciences. "The acceptance rate of
students from Hollins into veterinary and medical schools is
phenomenal," said a biology major.
"ESP opens doors to the
perspectives and skills that will make students more employable or more
successful in whatever ventures they take in life," explained Hollins
Provost Wayne Markert. "Employers and graduate schools want students who
learned to think and to do."
ESP focuses on the acquisition of
knowledge across the curriculum. Students learn to apply this knowledge
through a skill set of writing successfully, thinking critically,
reasoning quantitatively, expressing themselves effectively, and
becoming adept technologically. While students must complete courses
over four years that satisfy all perspective and skills areas, the
emphasis in ESP is helping each student find a field that is rewarding
and enjoyable.
Hollins encourages its students to pursue learning
opportunities outside the classroom - and even outside the country. It
was among the first colleges in the nation to offer an international
study abroad program, recognizing that the global nature of business,
technology and international affairs makes learning in another country
an increasingly vital component of education. Today, more than half of
Hollins' students - 10 times the national average - study abroad in such
places as Paris, London, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Greece, and Spain.
"Without question, my year in Paris was the most important year of my
life in terms of personal development," said a former study abroad
student. "I look back now and think, 'What would I be like if I hadn't
gone?' It's amazing how much that one experience changed my outlook on
life."
