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Lafayette College Profile

Eaton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College Profile

Founded in 1826, Lafayette College is a small private institution offering Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business, and Engineering educational programs. The school itself is located in the historic factory town of Easton Pennsylvania. Lafayette College itself is actually situated geographically within the city’s College Hill community, which overlooks the city. The landscape of the site is split into 2 large facilities, one being the main campus on the top of College Hill, and the second being the Metzgar Athletic Complex that contains several sports facilities within it’s 230 acre site. The complex is located 3 miles north of the main campus on top of College Hill.

The university has a large footprint of approximately 342 acres of park like property within the hilltop community of Easton. The physical layout observes numerous historic buildings shared by students, and local residents. The campus itself has approximately 72 buildings including lecture, residential, research, performing arts, athletic, and dining facilities. The overall campus map is typical of a college setting with wide sidewalks; grass field meeting places, and park like benches but the campus building, and landscape architecture is far from typical. The school has renovated several of it’s buildings over the past few years to offer students an intellectual environment housed within historical building structures, that accents colonial architecture.

The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered mainly between Markle Hall, and the grassy area around Farinon Center along Quad Drive. This main sidewalk/street connects several academic, research, and student life centers within the campus. I observed heavy pedestrian traffic in the area during my visit due to the time of day and my student tour guides told me that walkway gets packed with students going to different places in the morning when school is in session. The campus buildings and open spaces were also very clean and well maintained during my tour observations. These open spaces, and campus facilities allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus.

Lafayette students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The college also provides several critical student resources including student housing on campus for all 4 years, which helps students connect with each other throughout the year. The university also provides several types of student housing arrangements on campus including dormitory, apartment, and Greek residences. Approximately 98% of students live on campus according to campus officials. The college has a beautiful internal campus setting that has maintained it’s local roots and architectural appeal.

The published demographic information for the college describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Lafayette has developed a large campus community to offer students an excellent Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business educational formats to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

The college is home to a small campus population of approximately 1,198 male, and 1,083 female full, and 32 male, and 33 female part time students enrolled. Lafayette doesn’t offer graduate school programs. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 28% of students are from Pennsylvania. Others are from 30 states, and 40 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 82.9% of students are white, 2.4% Asian, 4.8% are Black, and 4.2% are Hispanic.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Lafayette College has a large educational system for a small private school, which offers Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 6,357 applied, 2,366 accepted, 601 enrolled. SAT Verbal 630, SAT Math 670. ACT 28. Application Deadline January 1.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Lafayette College guarantees on campus housing for all of it’s students. The school provides housing for 98% of it’s total student population including the Greek Houses. The college has a large Greek presence on campus with 26% of male, and 45 % of female students living in fraternities, and sororities. These Greek houses can be observed while driving on Sullivan Road, and McCartney Street on the campus perimeter. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Lafayette College has been described as a small private college within a hilltop residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that school’s network of facilities has encapsulated the real estate holdings in the area. The campus design allows a large number of students to have housing within walking distance to campus facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university housing demands. The college itself has 98% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Students who want off campus housing can find information about available resources on the quick links page.

Campus Life

Lafayette College is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local suburban community of Campus Hill only adds to the college’s international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Lafayette addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way with the campus being situated within a historical area with new buildings being constructed to match the colonial style architecture. An example of this type of new construction can be observed within Ramer History House. The school has also developed green technologies and architecture for the campus including the new Hugel Science Center, and the Skillman Library.

The campus was clean and well maintained and the emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community, and campus groups through the student center and Greek life. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at Lafayette.

Students at the college are encouraged to participate in externships with alumni to gain real world experience in each student’s major. These programs, along with internships, and global learning centers offer valuable information for students studying abroad, which helps round out their individual educational activities on campus.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. The college has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 250 academic, and 44 athletic clubs, and student organizations. Lafayette also has 23 NCAA Division I teams for men and women to participate in.

Campus life at Lafayette can be considered intellectual, and social due to several notable student venues including Farinon Student Center, which is the main social center on campus. The second location for social activities is down the hill from campus called “The Spot”. These on, and off campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, Greek life, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together.

Public Transportation

Campus transportation resources for students are available through the college’s shuttle system, which provides van service for daily classes, student activities, and links to local shopping and restaurants. This service is crucial to students who don’t have cars because it provides transportation services to the entire community.

The school’s shuttle service provides reliable transportation to students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The college also has a very large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. The Lehigh Valley enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Pennsylvania also gets it’s share of snow during this period. Students experience periods of rain during the spring and summer months as well. A strong indicator of pedestrian traffic around the college can be identified by the northeast weather patterns. Student parking within close proximity to campus buildings and student shuttle services help reduce the exposure literally and figuratively.

Community Profile

The City of Easton has been described as a historic city due to it’s relationship to the American Revolution as a meeting place for several Declaration of Independence signers. The community also has it’s roots in the manufacturing industry due to the city’s geographical location on the Delaware River, and proximity to the steel industry of Lehigh Valley. Students and residents enjoy the community’s economical, and cultural landscape within the city because its close to the campus. The city has also been described, as a student friendly community because of the school’s historical population was factory workers themselves.

Lafayette also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to the above-mentioned work force. The local area is favorable to students and residents because it offers several pedestrian walkways to Centre Square, which links students, visitors, and local residents to a several restaurants and local shops within walking distance to the campus.

The City of Easton is located within the northeastern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban, and city communities including Philipsburg across the bridge in New Jersey, and the cities of Allentown and Reading within the Lehigh Valley Region. These communities have several major highway networks that offer residents efficient transportation resources to all areas of the state including Route 78, 476, and 22. The Lehigh Valley also links to Amtrak, which is the main connection to the northeast corridor for rail service. Easton also has several local roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Routes 222, and 33 that links to the Pocono Mountain Resort area, and Interstate 76. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus. Appendix #1 on the back page of this profile lists several of observed resources in close proximity to the school.

The following demographics for the City of Easton describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 26,209 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Lafayette College has strong relationships with the city because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the college’s community services handbook.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 49.3% of residents are male, 50.7% are female. 78.5% of residents are white, 12.7% are African American, 9.8% is Hispanic or Latino, and 1.7% are Asian. 23.3% of residents are 18 years old or over, and 12% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Easton is also interesting. 48.5% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 41.5% of units are owner-occupied.

Lafayette College Quick Links Page

Easton Pennsylvania Area Hotel Quick Links Page

Grand Easton Suites
140 Northampton Street
Easton, P.A. 18042
Holiday Inn Express
90 Kunkle Drive
Easton, P.A. 18045
Courtyard by Marriott
2220 Emrick Blvd
Easton, P.A. 18020
Hampton Inn Easton
3723 Easton Nazareth Hwy
Easton, P.A. 18045
The Lafayette Inn
525 W.Monroe Street
Easton, P.A. 18042

Below is a list of hotels in neighboring Bethlehem, and Allentown within the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. The drive to these hotels is approximately 20 minutes.

Comfort Suites of Allentown
3712 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Holiday Inn Allentown Center City
904 West Hamilton Street
Allentown P.A. 18101
Holiday Inn Express
3620 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Four Points By Sheraton Hotel
Allentown Airport,3400 Airport Rd
Allentown P.A. 18109
Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel
300 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Comfort Suites
120 West Third Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Hampton Inn & Suites
200 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
437 Main Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
2201 Cherry Lane
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Homewood Suites by Hilton
2031 Avenue C
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Courtyard Marriott
2160 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
2140 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Residence Inn by Marriott
2180 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Easton P.A. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 78, 476, and 22. A complete list of local restaurants in Easton Pennsylvania can be found at: www.foodio54.com

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