Roosevelt Academy

Roosevelt Academy University College
Motto	IUVENTUTEM FUTURO AEDIFICARE (Building Our Youth for the Future) derived from a quote by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945): We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.
Established	2004
Type	Undergraduate Liberal Arts College
Dean	Prof. Hans Adriaansens
Academic staff	50
Students	600
Location	Middelburg, Zeeland, Netherlands
Campus	Urban / Inner-city
Colours	Crimson and Gold
Nickname	RA
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, both college's based on some ground principles of the Liberal Arts education Hans Adriaansens experienced during his brief time as a visiting professor at Smith College during the 1980-1981 academic year. The Roosevelt Academy was officially founded on January the 23rd, 2004 and the first students enrolled in August of that year after Queen Beatrix performed the official opening of the university.

Organization and financing

Roosevelt Academy, or RA, is an international Honors college of Utrecht University, offers a Liberal Arts and Science program. 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. The academy is now financed in part by the Middelburg municipality.

Admissions

The academy admits around 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. Up to date information about RA's application procedure and admissions requirements can be found on the RA website [1]

Academics

Students in the college study a wide variety of courses across three different subject areas: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences and the Sciences. After three years of successful study at Roosevelt Academy, students are awarded an Utrecht University Honors BA or BSc degree.

De NVAO (Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization)has given the Roosevelt Academy "excellence" status. NVAO chairman Karl Dittrich stated during the opening of the academic year in Middelburg (September 2009) that a "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.

In 2011, the Keuzegids Onderwijs 2011, ranked Roosevelt Academy as the number one University College in The Netherlands with an 8.4.

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.

Campus

Middelburg City Hall

Academic Buildings

The Roosevelt Academy campus is located 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. Other university buildings include Theodore and Eleanor. These buildings house all classrooms, computer labs, and faculty and administrative offices.

Residence Halls

All students live in one of the residential halls, Bagijnhof, Roggeveenhof, Koestraat or Driewegenhof, all within Middelburg. 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 Drukkery, located on the market square. Students have full access to the Zeeland Library (the largest library in the province) and can use the digital library of Utrecht University.

The Academy publishes an annual academic journal, Ad Astra (to the stars), that publishes noteworthy student essays and papers.

Recognized Student Organizations

Roosevelt Academy Student Association (RASA)

The Roosevelt Academy Student Association (RASA) organizes many social activities for students.

Aurora

Aurora Alumni Foundation 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 and professors can be seen walking from the Stadhuis to Middelburg's New Church where the official ceremonies are held.

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/EEA students, the tuition fees are fixed at 1,672 Euros per academic year (2010/2011), the same as other universities in the Netherlands. For non-EU/EEA students, tuition fees are 7,500 Euros per academic year (2010/2011). Campus housing costs about 280-400 Euros a month and includes internet, electricity, water, etc.

All fees included, the university administration estimates studying one year at Roosevelt Academy costs 9,000 Euros for Dutch/EU students and 17,000 for students from outside the EU/EEA.

Scholarships are not available through the Roosevelt Academy.

External links

Roosevelt Academy

• Official Website of Roosevelt Academy
• Information on Costs and Tuition
• Information on the Academic Program
• De Drvkkery, Bookstore
• Roosevelt Academy Student Association

Other

• Study in the Netherlands
• Photo Essay of Middelburg by Photographer Niek Haak