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.

History

Middelburg City Hall in 1918

In 1575, William of Orange was about to found the first university in the Netherlands. Given the choice between the cities of Leiden and Middelburg, he founded the University of Leiden. Centuries later, Middelburg got its university in the form of the Roosevelt Academy. Founder Professor Hans Adriaansens, unhappy with what he saw as the undemanding, 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.^[1][2] The first class (of 91 students) graduated in 2007.^[3]

Organization and financing

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The academy is a college of Utrecht University. In 2005, the Dutch government (which funds all higher education) ceased financial support for the academy, to which it had given close to a million euros the previous year. This amounted to 20% of the university's operating budget. The government thought the academy's independent construction might create a precedent. In 2007, an agreement was made that allows the academy to be financially independent, and self-sufficient.^[4] The academy is now financed in part by the Middelburg municipality.^[5]

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. Tuition is the same as other public universities in the Netherlands.

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. After three years of successful study at Roosevelt Academy students are awarded a Utrecht University Honors BA or BSc degree.

De [NVAO][1] (Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation)has determined that Roosevelt Academy deserves the label "excellent". NVAO chairman Karl Dittrich said during the opening of the academic year in Middelburg (September 2009): "The Liberal Arts and Sciences degree is an example to the Netherlands and other countries."

Rankings

In 2008, the influential magazine Elsevier ranked the Roosevelt Academy as the top liberal arts college in the Netherlands, for the third time in four years; the academy received high marks for the quality of the education and the mentoring of the students.^[6]

Exchange programs

Students may study abroad during their fourth or fifth semester. Students earn credits towards their RA degree while at a wide variety of universities around the world. Options include locations through the Utrecht University exchange network. RA also has direct exchange agreements with the Honors Program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney USA, and with Glendon College in Toronto Canada.

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 organize joint events and MCTS faculty also give guest lectures to RA students.

Campus

Middelburg City Hall

Academic buildings

Roosevelt Academy's academic center is near the market square in Middelburg. This includes the medieval city hall, which was built in 1452 and now serves as the academy's main building. The city, which owns the building, began renting the old, Gothic part of the building to the academy in 2006.

The newer, non-gothic section of the city hall is known as Franklin Hall and was rented to the academy from its beginning.^[7] Other university buildings include Theodore (often referred to as "the Helm") and Eleanor. These buildings house all classrooms, computer labs, and faculty and administrative offices. The Roosevelt Academy Graduate School of Music will eventually be housed in the Kloveniersdoelen building.

Residence halls

All students live in one of the residential halls, the Bagijnhof, the Roggeveenhof, the Koestraat and the Driewegenhof. These halls house between 100-200 students each and are spread throughout the city. As the Roosevelt Academy grows, more buildings are being refurbished for student housing.

Library, bookstore, journal

Roosevelt Academy's official academic bookstore is De Drvkkery, located on the market square. Students have full access to the Zeeland Library (the biggest library in the province) and can use the digital library of Utrecht University.

The academy publishes an annual journal, Ad Astra.

Student organizations

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 brings together local student musicians.

Each year, the RASA board is elected in the General Assembly. It consists of a chair, a secretary, a treasurer and three committee affairs officers. 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 programs are also publicized.

AAC

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

HAC

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

Aurora

Aurora is the alumni association of the Roosevelt Academy.

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.

Many famous people have given lectures at the Roosevelt Academy; recent lectures were given by ministers Rita Verdonk, Ben Bot, and Atzo Nicolaï, and former prime minister Dries van Agt. Saint Nicholas, better known as Sinterklaas, has been named special honorary visiting fellow to the Roosevelt Academy.

Athletics

The RASA Sports Committee organizes various sports for students. The Roosevelt Academy currently offers rowing, field hockey, soccer, fencing, rugby, and basketball.

Costs

For Dutch and EU students, the tuition fees are fixed at 1,565 Euros per academic year (2008/2009), the same as other universities in the Netherlands. For non-EU/EEA students, tuition fees are 7,000 Euros per academic year (2009/2010). Campus housing costs about 280-400 Euros a month and 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.

External links

Roosevelt Academy

• Official Website of Roosevelt Academy
• Information on Costs and Tuition
• 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

References