In episode 10 of the Conversatio podcast, Dr. Mary Stratton, Chair of the Education Department at BAC, and Dot Guthrie, Founder and Curator of the African American Museum of History and Culture in Gastonia, NC sat down with Phillip Brach, VP of College Relations at BAC to discuss the how the college and the county are partnering to provide education around African American culture from our local area.
Belmont, N.C. (September 12, 2022) – For the first time in Belmont Abbey College’s history, U.S. News & World Report has selected the private Catholic college as the Top Institution for Undergraduate Teaching in the U.S. Southern Region of colleges. The Best in Undergraduate Teaching category especially recognizes an administration and faculty that display an unparalleled commitment to undergraduate education. These rankings, determined by a peer assessment survey where college Presidents, Provosts and Admissions Deans nominate up to 15 schools in their Best Colleges ranking category, recognizes a particular strength in undergraduate teaching. This unprecedented recognition highlights Belmont Abbey’s strong commitment to foster learning inside and outside the classroom and encourage students to pursue excellence and virtue in all they do.
“Our faculty do more than teach. They serve as supportive mentors, steadfast cheerleaders, and exceptional role models to our students,” says Dr. Travis Feezell, Provost of Belmont Abbey College. “As a Catholic higher education institution, inspiring future generations to walk in God’s will for their lives and providing them a quality education to foster success is of the highest value. These rankings are a direct result of our faculty’s commitments which greatly impact our students and our community at large.”
Bryce Catahan, a current student at Belmont Abbey, experienced the tremendous impact of Abbey faculty firsthand. At the beginning of his college career, Catahan was uncertain of declaring a major. After taking several Communications and Writing courses taught by Dr. Erin Jensen, Cathan felt confident in his path forward. “Professor Jensen helped me explore my authentic interests. Because of Dr. Jensen, I have a clear picture of what I want to do after college,” Catahan says. After graduation in May, Catahan plans to work in brand and social media management. When asked about her time at the Abbey, Helen Behe says “I’ve learned during my time here that being a part of the Honors College means being a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s a community of students who, encouraged by their professors, approach each text with wonder and their own unique way of seeking the truth.” Behe, currently a junior, is majoring in English and is a part of the Honors College at Belmont Abbey.
Belmont Abbey is a place where students can learn, seek, and thrive in an authentic and supportive environment, guided by exceptional faculty who are experts in their fields and upstanding members of their communities. Moreover, they care for students as individuals and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others.
In addition to #1 in Undergraduate Teaching, Belmont Abbey College receives a top 15 Best Regional College ranking and a designation as a Best Value School, with Belmont Abbey ranked in the top 20 institutions in the South. Nearly ten years ago Belmont Abbey lowered tuition by 33% and has not increased it since, in an effort to lessen financial stresses on students and families pursuing higher education. In the last decade, Belmont Abbey has seen exceptional growth and is responding by adding new baccalaureate and Masters’ level degrees, two new residence halls, a Sports Complex and Tennis Center. The college is also thrilled to open a new hospital on campus grounds in 2023 in partnership with CaroMont Health.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/.
