Moravian College is the 6th oldest college in the country, tracing its roots to 1742. Founded by followers of the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination, Moravian
is home to a small liberal arts school as well as a seminary. Those wishing to be ordained in the church must study at this seminary, but students say that religion is not dominant at the college.
President Christopher Thomforde spoke to my group of visiting counselors about the values he sees at Moravian, including community, service and stewardship. The 6-foot, 5-inch former Princeton basketball player retired in 2013 after 7 years in his position.
One of the interesting initiatives at Moravian is the IN FOCUS program, in which the college community selects a common theme for research, investigation, reflection and action for the entire school year. This year’s theme, Sustainability, is the subject of guest speakers and film screenings for students, faculty and staff to share and discuss. Topics in coming years will include Health Care and War & Peace.
Moravian has 30 majors; the largest are psychology, education, music & art, biological sciences, business and nursing. New programs include sports management and pre-music therapy.
As important as the academics, though, is the atmosphere on campus. “I felt like I was home the second I was on campus,” said my tour guide Kelsey, a junior political science major from nearby New Jersey. The admissions office tells counselors to encourage students to visit; they will customize students’ visits to campus. Moravian staff will facilitate your sitting in on a class, meeting with a faculty member and/or talking with a sports coach. When Moravian surveyed alumni recently, 91% felt that the college fully prepared them for the world of work or success in grad school.