Engaged Students

Because classes are small (average size is 21) and professors and students have a close working relationship, there are many opportunities for students to “dial in” to hands-on learning. Undergraduate research is strongly encouraged, and students are mentored by their professors in a wide range of subjects. In addition, students are active in many community service projects that cross disciplinary lines and encourage volunteerism.

Many “outside the classroom” opportunities are offered in such areas as study abroad and pre-professional programs. Internships also are a vital part of the learning experience at Montevallo. Students are encouraged to seek out these positions in the real world so that they can gain professional experience in their field prior to graduation.

The Ebenezer Swamp Ecological Preserve provides a natural laboratory for the study of biology as well as ecology, and the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory, which is capable of world-class astronomical telescopic observation and astrophotography, is accessible to people of all disabilities.

All prospective teachers spend a semester in a classroom under the supervision of a cooperating teacher (many are University of Montevallo alumni), who guides the student through the teaching process beyond the material learned in the classroom.

Students in the arts are able to participate in hands-on learning experiences through internships and by working alongside their award-winning and nationally recognized professors to create landmark artworks in the community and surrounding area.

Great Teaching

Not only do 95 percent of the faculty members at the University of Montevallo hold terminal degrees in their fields; many have also been recognized as leaders in their disciplines. UM has two Fulbright Scholars on the faculty, has hosted several Fulbright Scholars as visiting professors, and has had four faculty members named CASE Professor of the Year.

UM faculty members involve students in their own learning at every opportunity. While classroom instruction is vital to the learning process, active participation in a lesson is not only memorable, but also practical. When an art professor constructed an anagama kiln on campus, students assisted with the building project, and each time the kiln is fired, students participate in building the fire and maintaining the required temperature over the span of two weeks to produce high-quality pottery.

When a landmark sculpture was commissioned for the UM campus, students assisted the well-known and award-winning professor with the construction and placement of the installation over a period of approximately two years.

Game Studies scholars recently produced a class project, Vallo Opoly, based on the classic Monopoly™ game. The board is tailored to the university’s campus and events and includes UM history and activities as part of the game.

The Environmental Studies program offers service learning in partnership with a number of organizations, teaching students to put what they have learned into practice in support of their communities.

Art students recently painted a mural and hung a sculpture constructed of 1,500 recycled soda cans at the recycling center in the city of Montevallo. This project, while earning credit for the participating students, improved the appearance of an otherwise dismal city property. Future phases are planned.

In general, UM faculty members are teaching students to not only “learn their stuff” but also to use that learning in service to others.

Vibrant Community

The University of Montevallo resides in the small city of Montevallo and shares an active town-and-gown relationship with the community. Events are generally shared among students and citizens, thereby increasing the number and quality of these activities.

The most unique event on the UM campus is College Night, the university’s homecoming tradition, featuring sporting events and a competition between two teams to present the best original dramatic musical production. The shows, staged by the Purple and Gold teams, are original from the ground up. Scripts, music, sets and costumes are all created by students, and students direct, conduct and perform the final product. College Night leaders are elected in the spring, and recruiting of new “Purples” and “Golds” begins during the fall semester. The performances themselves take place at Homecoming in mid-February, accompanied by Purple-Gold athletic contests and other events. The climax comes late on a Saturday night when a panel of independent judges chooses a winner. College Night holds a place in the Local Legacies display in the Library of Congress.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra presents concerts at the university on occasion, broadening cultural horizons, and popular music groups and other entertainers perform each year, as well. In addition, the Department of Music presents a wide variety of recitals by faculty, students and guest artists each semester.

Artwalk, an art festival co-sponsored by the University and the city, is held in downtown Montevallo several times each year. Student artists are featured, and students help with the planning and production of the event.

A number of speakers address the student population and local residents each year, with topics ranging from sustainability to literature, from civil rights to World War II.

Intercollegiate athletics are an integral part of the total University program at Montevallo, complementing the goals of general education.

Athletic competitions featuring the University of Montevallo Falcons competing in 12 sports are hosted regularly on campus throughout the academic year.

Successful Outcomes

University of Montevallo alumni represent a cross-section of the nation’s professional population. From business to Broadway, from education to the chemistry lab, Montevallo graduates stand out among their peers for their ability to not only perform their duties, but to also “think on their feet,” adapt and see the “bigger picture.” The liberal-arts education these young people receive prepares them to produce new ideas, perceive new solutions to problems and serve the common good.

UM has produced such entertainment celebrities as television’s Polly Holliday, Broadway’s Rebecca Luker and baseball standout Rusty Greer. But the majority of the school’s superstars never make the front page of the newspaper. They are the teachers, speech pathologists, researchers and accountants who work daily to improve their world.

Success is not always defined by income, status or name recognition. UM success stories involve parents who have adopted six special-needs children from China, men and women who have worked in charitable organizations for their entire career, and a woman who organized a program to fly World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. (at no charge to the vet), to view the World War II Memorial.

The University of Montevallo has produced countless educators, social workers, musicians, businesspersons, attorneys, scientists and the like. All have made a contribution to their professions, but most have also taken their Montevallo education into the world to make it a better place.