It is a place that recognizes each student s potential for excellence and then motivates and enables the student to achieve that potential . The professors know the students and work with them both inside and outside of the class.
Students have personal relationships with faculty and staff.
To foster these relationships, professors should be full-time faculty, who have a commitment to both the students and the institution, and have a teaching load that allows them to fulfill this commitment. A challenging educational experience encourages students to be creative, to work collaboratively, and to integrate knowledge by experimenting intellectually. It is one in which faculty and professional staff help the students to explore topics at a higher level and to develop self-confidence. Students are pushed beyond information gathering to seeking knowledge. A challenging educational experience allows students to explore the curriculum through a broad range of electives, beyond a narrow selection of general education courses.