History of Lakeland College
Lakeland College traces its beginnings to German immigrants who traveled to North America and eventually to the Sheboygan area where they settled in 1847. Even as they struggled for food and shelter, these pioneers thought in terms of higher education for their children.
In 1862, they built Missionshaus (Mission House), a combined academy-college-seminary. The school provided training in the liberal arts followed by a traditional seminary curriculum, as most of the students were destined to become ministers. As the needs of students changed, Mission House gradually broadened its purpose. By the end of the century, enrollment was no longer limited to pre-theological students and the college had developed strong programs of study in a number of disciplines.
A talented, scholarly faculty set high standards for the college early in its existence, standards which have been maintained to this day. Known simply as Mission House for 95 years, the college adopted the name Lakeland in 1956. The era of Mission House had ended, but Lakeland College became heir to its campus, tradition, and educational mission.
Today Lakeland is an independent, private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Both the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs are fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Lakeland’s teacher education program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).
The ambition of Lakeland College is less to be large than to be effective; its aim is not to rank first in size, but to rank first in helping students realize their potential for intellectual growth. Valuing excellence above all else, Lakeland’s commitment is to enhance student access to educational resources, student closeness to faculty and staff mentors, and student success in both classrooms and careers.
The John Esch Library
Lakeland’s library is located at the center of campus in a building first built in 1940, expanded in 1981 and remodeled in 1996. Computer stations and study carrels are available for student use from early in the morning to late at night. The library’s collection includes more than 68,000 books. The college also subscribes to over 300 academic journals, newspapers, and magazines. As a member of Eastern Shores Information Catalog (EASICAT), the college has additional local access to 1,000,000 items. Lakeland students also have access to the following academic databases: Badgerlink, ProQuest, JSTOR, PsycINFO, NetLibrary, LexisNexis, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the American Chemical Society.
Graduate Programs
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
The Lakeland Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree program, especially designed for working adults, provides a broad-based professional education consisting of post-graduate coursework which integrates research, case studies, computer technology, and other instructional processes. The objectives of the program include an understanding of business and economic problems and the development and refinement of managerial skills to address these problems in the context of the global workplace. Students interested in furthering their professional goals in accounting, finance, healthcare management, and project management, may pursue emphases in these areas.
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
The Lakeland Master of Education degree in Teaching and Professional Development (M.Ed.) is designed for classroom teachers and department heads who are seeking opportunities for intellectual and professional growth within the context of a liberal arts education.
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling
The Lakeland Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling degree is designed to provide a broad-based education in counseling for professionals in the field and for interested educators. Students accepted into this program can pursue an emphasis in one of three areas: Early Childhood through Adolescence School Counseling, Community Counseling, or Higher Education Counseling.
Undergraduate Programs
A Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in several locations:
Lakeland’s Main Campus
The Lakeland Bachelor of Arts degree requires the completion of 120 semester hours with a minimum grade-point-average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Over 35 majors are available at Lakeland’s 240-acre main campus, which is located 12 miles northwest of Sheboygan in rural, eastern Wisconsin. The college is 60 miles north of Milwaukee, 120 miles northeast of Madison, and 60 miles south of Green Bay. The campus is in close proximity to Lake Michigan and the picturesque Kettle Moraine State Forest.
The William R. Kellett School of Adult Education
In addition to its on-campus programs, Lakeland offers working adults and other non-traditional students the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degrees in a variety of majors through The William R. Kellett School. Utilizing several delivery modalities, students taking courses through the Kellett School may participate in onsite classes through the off-campus centers: Chippewa Valley, Fox Cities, Green Bay, Madison, Marshfield, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Rapids, Kohler Co., and at other corporate locations throughout the state. The Kellett School offers traditional 12-week online courses and 7-week online accelerated courses in addition to BlendEd® v1.0 and BlendEd® v2.0 courses, which have all been developed as extensions of the college’s programs for working adults. Such courses link faculty and students from many different locations into interactive learning groups via academic software and computer networks. Online courses require all students to have access to an outside Internet provider, which is required for research, class projects and connection to download/upload class notes.
While students in the William R. Kellett School do not enjoy all of the benefits available to traditional undergraduate students (for example, participation in athletics, student government, and access to on-campus facilities), they do have access to the college’s online library resources, and receive a challenging, academically rigorous program of study.
Associate of Arts (A.A.)
The Associate of Arts degree is available only at Lakeland College’s branch campus in Japan. This program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of liberal arts coursework with a minimum grade-point-average of 2.0. The specific course requirements include but are not limited to those listed as the General Studies course requirements of the college at the freshman and sophomore levels (100- and 200-level courses).
Special Academic Programs
English Language Institute (ELI)
The ELI is a continuing, full-time program of the college which offers international students and other non-native speakers of English the opportunity to develop the English proficiencies required to be admitted to, and succeed in, the American college or university of their choice.
Nursing
Lakeland College partners with Columbia College of Nursing (CCON) in Milwaukee to offer students the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Students complete their general education and prerequisite sequence at Lakeland over two years, then complete their nursing coursework at CCON, earning a degree in nursing from CCON. Interested students may either apply for direct admission to the CCON program upon initial application to Lakeland or may apply for admission at a later point in their Lakeland career. Students who are directly admitted upon initial application must complete all required prerequisites with prescribed minimum grades in order to retain their direct admission to CCON.
Nursing as a Second Degree
Lakeland College, in association with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh College of Nursing, offers students an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lakeland and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from UW-Oshkosh in five and one-half years. Students first obtain a bachelor’s degree at Lakeland’s main campus. Included in the first degree are the science and general education requirements necessary for application to UW-Oshkosh’s Accelerated Online Bachelor’s to BSN Program. During their senior year at Lakeland students apply for admission to UW-Oshkosh’s program. Upon admission, students will begin the Nursing Program either in May or October, completing the BSN in twelve months. Additional information is available through Lakeland’s Natural Science Division Chair.
Programs Abroad
Pursuant to the college’s mission to prepare students for life in a diverse, global society, and to its intent to make the campus both a port of entry to the world for American students and a port of entry to American higher education for other students from around the world, Lakeland offers a variety of short and long term study abroad opportunities, and encourages students to participate in one of these exciting opportunities. For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Study Abroad Office.
In addition to the Lakeland study abroad programs listed below, other programs are available on a case-by-case basis. Students may also participate in a wide array of programs around the world, available through Lakeland’s membership in the Wisconsin Association of Colleges and Universities (WAICU).
Lakeland College Japan (LCJ)
Lakeland maintains an accredited branch campus in Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo branch campus offers Japanese students an intensive English language program and an accredited Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree program. All classes at Lakeland College Japan are conducted in English.
American students from Lakeland College and from other accredited colleges and universities in the United States may also study at Lakeland College Japan as part of their undergraduate program. The Study Abroad at LCJ program provides the opportunity to study Japanese language and culture while continuing a student’s undergraduate education. No prior Japanese language proficiency is required.
Tama University in Japan
Lakeland maintains an exchange program with Tama University in Japan. Students pursuing majors or minors through the Division of Business Administration are eligible to participate in this program. All classes at Lakeland College Japan are conducted in English. No prior Japanese language proficiency is required.
Foreign Study Semester in Germany
The college offers guest semesters in Germany to all students with knowledge of German, regardless of major. Students are eligible to study for one or two semesters at Universität Kassel or Universität Marburg. The semesters in Germany include intensive German language practice, study trips, foreign student orientation and assistance in selecting classes for the regular semester. A one-month long summer seminar in Germany may also be available.
London Theatre Trip
The college offers on a regular basis an eleven-day study tour in England where students see and analyze five productions performed by some of the most prestigious theatrical companies in the West. The course focuses on productions in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. Past groups have seen Taming of the Shrew, Cats, Miss Saigon, Volpone, Phantom of the Opera, Tales from Ovid, Winter’s Tale, and a variety of others. Also included in the trip is a full-day tour to Bath and Stonehenge, and a London Underground pass. Students have also gone on walking tours to Anne Hathaway’s cottage, locales around London frequented by the Beatles, and the British Museum, the Tower of London, and Warwick Castle.
Summer Program in Ansan, Korea
Lakeland offers an escorted short-term program each summer at its sister school in Ansan, Korea. Students participating in this program complete a course conducted at Ansan College, taught by the accompanying Lakeland College faculty member. An additional component of the program is the required participation as English language conversation partners with Ansan College students. No prior Korean language proficiency is required.
Spanish Language Programs
Lakeland College has a sister school relationship with the Universidad Reformada in Barranquilla, Colombia. Opportunities during May Term and summer term for Spanish language study are also available in Spain and Latin America. These programs are coordinated by the Spanish department in cooperation with other Lakeland College departments and/or outside agencies.
May Term Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture
This escorted course is conducted at Lakeland’s sister school, Shanghai Finance University (SFU) in Pudong, metropolitan Shanghai. Costs are minimized through Lakeland’s collaborative arrangement with SFU. No prior Chinese language proficiency is required.
Tropical Biology Program
The Lakeland College Biology Program offers an intensive two-week study abroad program in Belize during May Term of even years. This program is designed for junior and senior biology majors and explores tropical terrestrial and aquatic ecology as well as exposing students to past and present Central American cultures.
University of Luxembourg
Lakeland College students are eligible to spend a semester studying at the University of Luxembourg. Located in the heart of Europe, Luxembourg is a small country located between France, Belgium, and Germany. The University of Luxembourg offers many programs in English, including courses in business, economics, biology, chemistry, computer science, and education to name a few. More information about the University of Luxembourg and their programs may be found at http://wwwen.uni.lu/.
Program for Alumni Career Enhancement (PACE)
Lakeland College’s unique Program for Alumni Career Enhancement (PACE) offers Lakeland Bachelor of Arts degree graduates the opportunity to return to the classroom to achieve their evolving career goals. A Lakeland graduate can, for example, strengthen a major or minor, add a new major or minor, develop a new area of concentration, or complete certification requirements for a new profession. This program offers on-campus Lakeland traditional undergraduate program courses to alumni at a reduced cost.
A Lakeland College graduate returning under the PACE program will not receive a second degree. Nor will the graduate receive another diploma. The new major (and/or minor) will appear on the graduate’s transcript as an additional major (and/or minor).
For more information on these programs, please refer to the “Academic Rules and Procedures ” and “Curriculum ” sections of this catalog. |
