Cornelia Strong College

Cornelia Strong College Arms

Cornelia Strong College is one of three residential colleges on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It is currently housed in South Spencer Hall. It is usually abbreviated as Strong College.

• Motto: per aspera ad astra, meaning "Through hardships to the stars"
• Arms: three gold stars on a blue shield
• Mascot: the lemur

Description

Cornelia Strong College was founded in 1994, and was originally housed in Moore-Strong Hall. It is named for Cornelia Strong, professor of mathematics and astronomy in the University from 1905 to 1948. Modeled after the residential colleges of Harvard and Yale, Strong College is open to both undergraduate and graduate students in the University through a competitive admission process, and is advertised as suited to those who seek a richer and more rewarding academic experience than they might have in a traditional residence hall. Strong College does not have a special curriculum—its members take the usual complement of courses throughout the University. Instead, Strong College offers its members the opportunity to join and contribute to an informal social and academic community of students and faculty within the context of the greater University. Strong College is interdisciplinary and non-curricular.

Who was Cornelia Strong?

Cornelia Strong

Professor Cornelia Strong (1877–1955) From: Elizabeth Ann Bowles, 1967. A Good Beginning: The First Four Decades of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"A word often used by former students to describe Miss Strong was "brilliant." A native of South Carolina and the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, she received her early education at the Agnes Scott Institute. In 1903 she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell, where she was elected to membership in Sigma Xi. Professor John Henry Tanner was so impressed by her work that he later requested that she be given a leave of absence to return to Cornell to help him write a high school algebra book. Her quest for knowledge carried her to universities across the country, Cornell, Harvard, Michigan, California, Colorado, and Wisconsin, and in 1931 she received her Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. From 1905 to 1948 she was a member of the mathematics faculty at the Normal in Greensboro and one of the most valued members of the entire faculty. One of the achievements of which she was most proud was the introduction of astronomy to the curriculum in 1931."

"From 1913 to 1937 Miss Strong was chairman of the Committee on Advanced Standing, a truly difficult task which concerned the many alumnae who returned to earn standard degrees after the college had been accredited. It was the task of her committee to evaluate the academic records of these students to determine how much work would be necessary to meet degree requirements. She also served on the Loan Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Consolidated University Administrative Council."

"As a teacher, she was known for her "thoroughness, her insistence upon accuracy, her infinite patience. Her...students...came to understand and to apply logic in their reasoning...and (at least some of them) experienced...the rare moments in their lives when the wonder and beauty of the mathematical universe flashed upon their sight."

What Is A Residential College?

A residential college is a program within the structure of a university designed to bring together different people - students, faculty, and staff - from all sections of the institution. Often, the experience of attending a larger university is overwhelming. One can sometimes feel lost in the crowd and lack a sense of belonging to a smaller, close-knit community. While a small liberal arts college can often provide a friendlier atmosphere, it can often lack the resources of a larger university. A residential college gives students the best of both worlds- the social experience of a small, liberal-arts college within the larger context of a research university. Residential colleges focus on the slow accumulation of knowledge through personal and academic interaction. In other words, a residential college is a complete hybrid of the university experience, blending together intellectual and social maturation.

Weekly Events

Strong College Council

Strong College Council meets Monday nights at 8. It is open to all members of Strong College, and everyone is highly encouraged to attend. Council is responsible for organizing and implementing traditional Strong College events, including the annual Croquet Tournament and Buffalo Creek Regatta, as well as developing any special events members might want to try. Council is also a forum for members to discuss issues relevant to CSC. Council is overseen by a member-elected President and run by a series of committees. All members are encouraged to serve on at least one committee.

Movie Night

Strong College's Movie Night, formerly known as the Lemurodeon, is held every Wednesday at 8.

College Tea

College Tea is held every Tuesday afternoon from 4:30 to 5:30 in the Junior Common Room (JCR). Tea brings together the students, or Junior Members, with Strong College’s Fellows, faculty members associated with the program who represent a wide array of departments and fields. Tea is an essential part of the College experience, coupling a casual atmosphere that encourages interaction with an intellectual environment that fosters learning and inquiry. As one CSC member puts it, “Why not live in a place where I can sit and eat goldfish crackers every Tuesday with the Dean of my college and the head of the Honors program?” *

Blue Lemur Coffee Bar

The Blue Lemur Coffee Bar is held from 9 to midnight every Thursday night and is considered by the CSC faithful to be the highlight of the College week. The Blue Lemur provides free coffee. The Blue Lemur is the best example of student leadership in CSC: it was founded in 1996 by members Sherrill Hayes (’97, ’00) and Tim Owens (’98) and has been passed down from College generation to College generation without interruption.

Casual events are one of the most important aspects of life in Strong College. Public spaces such as the JCR are home to a nightly stream of impromptu events, including card games of all sorts, study groups, or simple conversation between groups of College members.

Annual events

Strong College Croquet Tournament

The Strong College Croquet Tournament has been held each fall during Homecoming Weekend since 1995. In recent years, the Croquet Tournament has alternatively been held the third Saturday of September. Participation in the tournament is open to all Strong College members. The tournament is complemented by a cookout, a hat contest arbitrarily, and rather skillfully, judged by one of the Faculty Fellows, and the annual Pie-A-CA fundraiser, at which College Staff and Fellows receive faces full of dessert while raising funds for local charities.

Buffalo Creek Regatta

The Buffalo Creek Regatta has been held every spring since 1995 in (ironically) Buffalo Creek, located in Peabody Park, one of UNCG’s finest natural resources. Miniature boats are handcrafted and judged for speed as well as appearance. The Regatta features a cookout, and prizes are awarded to boats in various categories.

Dances

The Halloween and Valentine’s Dances have also been held continuously since the inception of Strong College. Recent annual events have included a Survivor challenge, the year-end Luau, and the Senior Dinner.

Special Policies

Cornelia Strong College has two special policies designed to promote academic success and encourage personal responsibility.

No-Alcohol Policy

Until 2006, South Spencer hall, the home of Cornelia Strong College, was a no-alcohol building. Under this rule no one, including students and guests of legal drinking age, was permitted to possess or consume alcohol in South Spencer hall. In 2006 Residence Life removed the no-alcohol policy from all residence halls on campus, meaning that any resident of legal drinking age can drink in their room, so long as they are not in the presence of a person under the legal drinking age. Membership in Strong College, however, requires signing an agreement not to drink in the residence hall, so no member of the program may drink no matter their age.

24-Hour Courtesy Policy

Strong College has "quiet hours" from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 12 a.m. through 10 a.m. Friday-Saturday. No noise should be audible from student rooms during these times. South Spencer is also a 24-hour "courtesy" hall. This means students are expected to be civil at all times and respond appropriately at any time of the day to reasonable requests to lower the sound of music, television, or their voices.

Coordinates: 36°04′08″N 79°48′31″W / 36.0688°N 79.8087°W / 36.0688; -79.8087