The Lyon Experience

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What's new at Lyon College?
    • Theres lots of good news. This past August, U.S. News & World Report recognized Lyon as a top-tier national liberal arts college – one of what U.S. News calls America's "best liberal arts colleges." Lyon was also named the 16th best value in the country among these colleges. We have built on this base to create the Lyon Experience to add additional value to an already exceptional education.

  • What's the Lyon Experience?
    • The foundation of the Lyon Experience is the educational program that earned us national recognition as a top-tier national liberal arts college.
    • We've added three elements to this to create the Lyon Experience; these will be highlighted and available to students entering this fall.
      • Nichols International Studies Program: Lyon's time-tested unique study abroad program
      • Our digital community: Campus-wide communications supported by our ubiquitous wireless connectivity and featuring laptop computers;
      • The Lyon Legacy: an experiential transcript that will document out-of-class achievements and the skills learned.

  • What makes the Nichols International Studies Program unique? Don't lots of colleges have these?
    • Lots of colleges have adopted this approach to giving students a cross-cultural perspective. This wide recognition suggests its value.
    • What makes Lyon's Nichols International Studies Program unique is that its endowed, enabling the College to pick up the majority of the cost so that all students can afford to participate. We pay for international airfare and lodging; the students pay for food and incidentals. So, a student might pay $500 - $750 for two weeks in Europe, Japan or South America.

  • Where do your students go on the study abroad trips?
    • Recent trips have taken students to Japan, to Peru where they visited Machu Pichu, to the Bahamas where they sailed the Caribbean, and to Greece where they studied the sites of early civilization.
    • This spring, groups will study
      • art and music in London and Amsterdam;
      • coral reef biology and Mayan archaeology in Belize;
      • the ecosystems of the Yukon; and
      • some of the most famous sites of early civilization in Greece.

  • Why did Lyon create the Laptop Program?
    • In teaching and learning as well as in careers and professional and graduate schools, computing and information technology play an increasingly important role. Our students use information technology to communicate with faculty and peers, do research and contact external experts.
    • Recognizing this, Lyon has invested heavily in its campus network; we've been "wireless" for the better part of a year.
    • Lyon created the Laptop Program to ensure that all students have access and exposure to these tools and to take advantage of the campus-wide wireless environment that provides exceptional flexibility and connectivity.

  • What happens if a laptop fails?
    • Our Information Services Department will also maintain a "loaner" pool that students may use in a pinch should their laptop have problems.

  • Why not simply expand the computer labs instead?
    • Lyon has provided and will continue to provide and maintain computer labs for student use and they get lots of use, especially around mid-terms and finals.
    • However, students tell us that these shared resources are often inconvenient. In addition, computer labs pose their own maintenance and monitoring challenges.

  • Don't most students bring their own computers anyway?
    • It's true that an increasing number of Lyon students bring a computer to campus; frequently – but not always – these are laptops.
    • However,
      • some students do not choose to bring computers and may find themselves at a disadvantage.
      • Further, while our Information Services Department seeks to assist students in maintaining their laptops, the sheer variety of hardware and software presents challenges. By standardizing hardware and software solutions, we think that we will be able to provide better support to our student users.

  • When will students get their laptops? They will receive them during Red Carpet Days when they arrive on campus just before the beginning of the fall semester. We'll provide workshops and tutorials to ensure that everyone knows how to use the features.

  • What's the Lyon Legacy Program?
    • Among the advantages of a residential college is the ability to extend the educational process beyond the classroom. However, only a handful of colleges provide formal documentation of these out-of-classroom learning experiences and the transferable skills they entail.
    • Beginning in fall 2008, Lyon's administrative information system will capture student-entered information about their out-of-classroom achievements. These will be summarized under six categories: leadership, professional development, campus and community engagement, global understanding and aesthetic expression. This will give students a permanent record of key features of their out-of-classroom learning and provide our academic advisers and career consultants with additional information.

  • What are some of the benefits of the Lyon Experience?
    • The Lyon experience fosters the development of the "whole person" – character as well as intellect. It prepares students for a lifetime of personal growth, professional fulfillment and community service.
    • Lyon students are more likely to graduate "on-time" than peers at the typical Arkansas college or university. Further, graduates report rates of acceptance at graduate and professional schools that are well above the national average.
    • Alumni credit their Lyon education with developing their reasoning skills, enhancing their leadership skills, developing their character, and expanding their awareness.

  • On-time graduation? What's that mean?
    • On-time graduation for a four-year degree program is four years.
    • National studies have shown that students are as likely to earn their degree in four years at a private college as they are in six years at state institutions. (Source: NAICU: Twelve Facts).
    • At Lyon, about 85% of those who graduate do so in four years. Nationally, about 50% of those who start in state four-year colleges graduate in four years (Source: NAICU: Twelve Facts).
    • This means that, on average, Lyon students begin their graduate or professional schooling or their careers one or two years earlier and avoid one or two years of additional tuition and fee charges.

  • You mentioned placement of graduates. How does Lyon differ?
    • Lyon graduates are sought by employers and welcomed by graduate and professional schools. Examples:
      • More than 90% of Lyon graduates who complete application to medical schools were admitted. This is about twice the national average.
      • Lyon has established an "early admission" program with The George Washington University Medical School. As a result, GWU will accept qualified Lyon students at the end of their sophomore year at Lyon upon the recommendation of the Lyon faculty coordinator. Upon graduation, these Lyon students may enter directly into The GWU Medical School without further application or testing.