Roosevelt Academy

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Roosevelt Academy University College
Motto:	The Future Belongs to Those who Believe in the Beauty of Their Dreams (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Established:	2004
Type:	Liberal arts college
Dean:	Prof. Hans Adriaansens
Faculty:	50
Students:	600
Location:	Middelburg, Netherlands
Campus:	Urban
Colours:	Red and Gold
Affiliations:	Utrecht University, ECOLAS
Website:	www.roac.nl

Roosevelt Academy is a small liberal arts college located in Middelburg in the Netherlands. It offers a residential setting and is an international honors college of Utrecht University.

Contents 1 History 2 Admissions 3 Academics 3.1 Rankings 3.2 Exchange Programs 3.3 Middelburg Center for Transatlantic Studies (MCTS) 4 Campus 4.1 Academic Buildings 4.2 Residence Halls 4.3 Library and Bookstore 5 Student Organizations 5.1 Roosevelt Academy Student Association 5.2 AAC 5.3 HAC 5.4 Aurora 6 Traditions 7 Athletics 8 Costs 9 External links 10 References

[edit] History

In 1575, William of Orange was about to found the first university in the Netherlands, the choice was between the cities of Leiden and Middelburg, it became the University of Leiden and Middelburg missed out. However, centuries later, Middelburg would still get its university in the form of the Roosevelt Academy. Founder Professor Hans Adriaansens, unhappy with the undemanding and large scale climate of university education in the Netherlands, started developing the idea of a small scale and academically intensive undergraduate college in the Netherlands. This resulted in University College Utrecht in 1998 and in the Roosevelt Academy in 2004. The Roosevelt Academy was officially founded on February the 1st 2004 and the first students enrolled in August of that year after Queen Beatrix performed the official opening of the university.

[edit] Admissions

The academy admits 200 students each academic year. Approximately two-thirds are Dutch and the remaining third come from a wide number of countries. The Roosevelt Academy is seen by many outsiders as an elitist college for the rich; however, tuition is not any higher than any other university in the Netherlands. An article in a well-known Dutch newspaper made similar accusations but, after investigation, the newspaper soon admitted it had made a mistake.

[edit] Academics

Students in the college study a wide variety of courses spanning four different subject areas: Academic Core, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences and the Sciences, thus giving students both breadth and depth. After three years of successful study at Roosevelt Academy students are awarded a Utrecht University Honors BA or BSc degree. After Roosevelt Academy, many students continue their studies at renowned universities all around the world.

Students at Roosevelt Academy can take courses in the following fields:

Arts & Humanities American Studies Antiquity Art History Christianity Theatre, Film and Media Studies History Linguistics Literature Music Theory, History and Performance Philosophy Theology		Social Science Anthropology Economics Geography Law Political Science Psychology Sociology		Science Chemistry Cognitive Science Computer Science Earth Science Mathematics Life Science Physics		Academic Core Dutch English French German Spanish Statistics Rhetoric

[edit] Rankings

In 3 of the last 4 years, the influential magazine Elsevier ranked the Roosevelt Academy as the top liberal arts college in the Netherlands, its score was also higher than that of any regular university in the Netherlands.^[1] It should be noted however that, like any other university ranking, the ranking is highly subjective.

Rankings

	2008	2007	2006	2005
Elsevier Ranking of Dutch University Colleges	1st	1st	2nd	1st

[edit] Exchange Programs

During the second semester of their second year or the first semester of their final year, students can take part in an international exchange program. Students can study abroad abroad while earning credits towards their RA degree. Students can go to a wide variety of universities around the world. Options include locations through the Utrecht University exchange network, but also in the Honors Program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and at York University's Glendon College in Toronto.

[edit] Middelburg Center for Transatlantic Studies (MCTS)

Since Fall 2008, the Middelburg Center for Transatlantic Studies, or MCTS, has been based at the Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg. The MCTS brings students and faculty together from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in the spirit of intercultural understanding and dialogue. The MCTS offers two semester-length study-abroad programs plus a one-month summer program per year, focusing on a comparative, multidisciplinary approach to transatlantic relationships and developments. Staff and students from consortium Institutions gather in Middelburg to form an interactive, international learning community. Its mission statement:

"The Middelburg Center for Transatlantic Studies seeks to encourage and promote a transatlantic perspective by providing faculty and students with a unique multicultural environment in order to aid their personal, professional, and academic development."

MCTS students can enroll in RA classes, RA and MCTS faculty organise joint events and MCTS faculty also give guest lectures to RA students.

[edit] Campus

[edit] Academic Buildings

Roosevelt Academy's academic center is near the market square in Middelburg. This includes the medieval city hall which, which was built in 1452. It serves as the Roosevelt Academy's main building. The non-gothic section is known as Franklin Hall. Other university buildings include Theodore, often referred to as the Helm, and Eleanor. These buildings house all classrooms, computer labs, faculty and administrative offices. The Roosevelt Academy Graduate School of Music will eventually be housed in the Kloveniersdoelen building.

[edit] Residence Halls

All students live in one of the residential halls: the Bagijnhof, the Roggeveenhof, and the Koestraat. These Halls house between 100-200 students each and are spread throughout the inner city, all close to Roosevelt Academy's academic buildings. As the Roosevelt Academy grows, more buildings in the city center are being refurbished for student housing.

[edit] Library and Bookstore

Roosevelt Academy's official academic bookstore is De Drvkkery, located at the market square. Furthermore, students have full access to the Zeeland Library, which is the biggest library in the province. Moreover, students can use the digital library of Utrecht University.

[edit] Student Organizations

[edit] Roosevelt Academy Student Association

The Roosevelt Academy Student Association (RASA) organizes many social activities for students. It is the umbrella association of all student committees that deal with the different areas of student activity campus: For example, MovieCO organizes movie evenings and MusicCO strengthens local student musicians. Each year, the RASA board consisting of a chair, a secretary, a treasurer and three committee affairs officers is elected in the General Assembly, in which all students have the right to voice their opinion. During the General Assembly, the candidates for the positions also hold speeches and before the elections are held, the candidates are presented in a leaflet, in which their prospective programmes are also publicized.

[edit] AAC

The Academic Affairs Council (AAC) represents students in academic matters.

[edit] HAC

The Housing Affairs Council (HAC) represents students in negotiations with the housing corporation.

[edit] Aurora

Aurora is the alumni association of the Roosevelt Academy.

[edit] Traditions

Traditions at the Roosevelt Academy include the Opening of the Academic Year held every year in Middelburg's New Church and the Dies Natalis, the celebration of the founding of the college, which takes place every five years. Weather permitting, the procession of Notables, Professors and university instructors can be seen walking from the Stadhuis to Middelburg's New Church where the official ceremonies are held. Other traditions are the yearly King of the Channel rowing race against the Hogeschool Zeeland, and the University College Debate Tournament against University College Maastricht and University College Utrecht among others.

Many famous people have given lectures at the Roosevelt Academy, recently these have included ministers Rita Verdonk, Ben Bot, Atzo Nicolaï and former prime minister Dries van Agt. An interesting fact is that Saint Nicholas, better known as Sinterklaas, has been named special honorary visiting fellow to the Roosevelt Academy.

Ad Astra, the Roosevelt Academy Undergraduate Journal, is a journal that is published yearly by the Roosevelt Academy.

[edit] Athletics

The RASA Sports Committee organizes various sport activities for students. The Roosevelt Academy currently has men and women's rowing teams and students play field hockey, soccer, fencing, and basketball.

[edit] Costs

For Dutch and EU students, the tuition fees are fixed at 1,565 Euros per academic year (2008/2009). This is the same cost as other universities in the Netherlands. For non-EU/EEA students, the tuition fees are 7,000 Euros per academic year (2009/2010). Campus housing costs about 280-400 Euros a month. This includes internet, electricity, water, etc. Dutch students receive support from the Dutch government for accommodation. All fees included, the university administration estimates studying one year at Roosevelt Academy cost 9,000 Euros for Dutch and EU students and 17,000 for students from outside the EU/EEA.

[edit] External links

Roosevelt Academy

• Official Website of Roosevelt Academy
• Information of Financial Issues
• Information on the Academic Program
• De Drvkkery, Bookstore
• The Roosevelt Scholarship

Other

• Official Website of the Middelburg Center for Transatlantic Studies
• Study in the Netherlands
• Photo Essay of Middelburg by Photographer Niek Haak

[edit] References

v • d • e Liberal arts colleges (University colleges) in the Netherlands University College Utrecht (part of UU) (1999) • University College Maastricht (part of UM) (2002) • Roosevelt Academy (part of UU) (2004) • Academia Vitae (2008) • University College Tilburg (2008) • Amsterdam University College (part of the VU and UVA) (2009) Sorted chronologically (by year of opening)