Prescott College

In 1965, the Ford Foundation brought together a group of educators from around the United States. Prescott College was the result of this gathering.

The college was originally built in 1966 on 200 acres (0.81 km²) outside of Prescott, Arizona. In 1974 the college went bankrupt due to poor fiscal management and the loss of anticipated donor funds. The original campus was purchased by Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott. A core of determined faculty and students refused to see the college fold, and after a series of emergency meetings, formed the Prescott Center for Alternative Education. This earned the school national publicity as "The College That Wouldn't Die."^[1]

During the spring semester of 1975, classes were held in the basement of the historic Hassayampa Hotel in downtown Prescott, Arizona, as well as in the homes of both faculty and students. Over the succeeding years, the college was able to regain the legal right to the name Prescott College and acquire property and buildings for its main campus. Prescott College has an agroecology program at Jenner Farm, an international center in Bahía Kino, Sonora, Mexico, programs in regenerative design in partnership with the Ecosa Institute, the Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse and the college also has a Tucson, Arizona location.^[2]

Most of the Prescott location buildings are repurposed buildings, converted to classrooms from stores and offices. The Village residence hall has a townhouse style housing groups of 7–8 students with shared common areas. The Crossroads Center is built from reclaimed timber, Corten steel, compressed earth with solar panels and rooftop gardens. It houses the Crossroads Cafe, classrooms, meeting facilities, the Fanon Center, the college library as well as computer labs.^[2]

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Ford Foundation

Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death of the two founders, the foundation owned 90% of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company. Between 1955 and 1974, the foundation sold its Ford Motor Company holdings and now plays no role in the automobile company.

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott is a residential campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. The university offers bachelor and master's in arts, sciences, aviation, business, engineering, and security & intelligence. The Prescott campus also offers a master's degree in Safety Science, Security & Intelligence, and Cyber Intelligence & Security.

Agroecology

Agroecology

Agroecology is an academic discipline that studies ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. Bringing ecological principles to bear can suggest new management approaches in agroecosystems. The term can refer to a science, a movement, or an agricultural practice. Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems. The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of farming, whether it be organic, regenerative, integrated, or industrial, intensive or extensive, although some use the name specifically for alternative agriculture.

Bahía Kino

Bahía Kino

Bahía Kino is a town part of the Hermosillo Municipality in Sonora, Mexico on the Gulf of California; it was named after Eusebio Kino. It has a population of approximately 7,000 people. The name also applies to the adjacent bay between Tiburón Island and Punta San Nicolás, Sonora. The names Bahía de Kino, Bahía Kino and Kino Bay are used interchangeably.

There are four general degree programs at Prescott College: the Resident Undergraduate Program (RU), Limited-Residency Undergraduate Program (LRU), the Resident Masters and Limited-Residency Masters Program (RM/LRM), and a Limited-Residency Ph.D. program (PhD) in Sustainability Education.^[3]

Within the resident undergraduate program, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Visual Arts or Interdisciplinary Arts & Letters.

Resident students live in Prescott and attend classes at the main campus. Students enrolled in the Limited-Residency program work with community based mentors and Prescott College faculty.^[4]

Prescott College was an early adopter of Prior Learning Assessment and in 2014 was certified as a Veteran Supportive Campus by the Arizona Department of Veterans Services. The college was the first private college in Arizona to receive such a designation. The college uses the system of narrative evaluation in addition to or as a substitute for the conventional grading system of A-F letter grades.^[2]

Resident undergraduate degree program

Resident undergraduate students begin with a three-week orientation in Arizona's wilderness, known as wilderness orientation. In their first week, students are introduced to the college and gather supplies before being sent out in groups of 7–14 people, depending on the size of the incoming class. The average distance covered varies from 50–100 miles. There are also options for a community-based orientation where students explore and are educated about their surrounding environment.^[5]

Limited residency degree programs

Students may also choose the limited residency program which allows one to attend a colloquium (or series of such) on campus once a year, work with a primary faculty adviser and a mentor(s) who is usually based in the student's home community. This allows for the student to study from home in a community based setting. Programs are offered for the bachelor's degree, the master's degree and even a Ph.D using this limited residency model.^[4]

Degree plan

Students design a degree plan by the beginning of their junior year. Prescott College students fulfill basic requirements (such as math and writing) and then design their Competence (like a major) and Breadth (like a minor). The degree plan is submitted to the student's Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) for review. The IGC consists of at least one faculty member, and another faculty member and a student if desired. The committee will then edit and suggest classes that are needed to enhance and complete the Competence and Breadth.

A student's course of study will fall under one of the following: Adventure Education (AE), Arts and Humanities (AH), Education (EDU), Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS), Psychology and Counseling (PSC) or Cultural and Regional Studies (CRS).^[6]

Some examples of student degree plans would be: "Environmental Studies with a competence in Ecology and a breadth in Chemistry" or "Global Studies with a competence in Latin American Cultures and a breadth in Psychology".

Resident undergraduate senior project

To graduate from the college, each student must design and complete a senior project. Some examples include: The creation of Butte Creek Restoration Council, HUB (helping understand bicycles), The Ripple Repeat Project (campus thrift store), The Latin American Studies Scholarship Endowment Fund, The Freedom of Education Fund, an internship relevant to a student's Competence, or a research paper. A student must rigorously justify the project as proof of competence in their field of study.^[7]

Prescott College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Association for Experiential Education.^[8]

The college's Teacher Education Program is approved by the Arizona State Board of Education and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC).^[8]

Prescott College has stand-alone student exchange relationships with Telemark University College in Norway, the Ecosa Institute in Prescott, the SOS Conservation Project, and Sail Caribbean, that permit students to study as visitors at other institutions while maintaining enrollment and paying tuition to Prescott.

Prescott College is a member of the EcoLeague, a six-college consortium of liberal arts colleges dedicated to ecologically focused education, and to modeling sustainability through their operations and facilities: Alaska Pacific University, Green Mountain College (now closed), New College of Florida in Sarasota, FL,Northland College, and College of the Atlantic and, since January 2014, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The consortium is unique in that each college is in a different geographic area.

Prescott College is also a member of Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a public interest, not-for-profit environmental law firm founded in 1989 in the US to strengthen international and comparative environmental law and policy around the world.

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Telemark University College

Telemark University College

Telemark University College was, until its merger, the fourth largest university college in Norway. The University College had about 7000 students, split between four different locations in Bø, Notodden, Porsgrunn, Rauland and Drammen.

Norway

Norway

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of Norway. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency of Norway; it also lays claims to the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. The capital and largest city in Norway is Oslo.

Alaska Pacific University

Alaska Pacific University

Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a private university in Anchorage, Alaska. It was established as Alaska Methodist University in 1957. Although it was renamed to Alaska Pacific University in 1978, it is still affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The main campus is located adjacent to the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the Alaska Native Medical Center.

New College of Florida

New College of Florida

New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded in 1960 as a private institution known simply as New College, spent several years merged into the University of South Florida, and in 2001 became an autonomous college, the eleventh independent school of the State University System of Florida as the honors college for the state system. Upon achieving independence, the school adopted its current name: New College of Florida.

Northland College (Wisconsin)

Northland College (Wisconsin)

Northland College is a private college in Ashland, Wisconsin. Founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the Congregational Church, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's descendant, the United Church of Christ. It enrolls 526 full-time undergraduates and employs 60 faculty members and 99 staff members. Northland College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

College of the Atlantic

College of the Atlantic

College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private college in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Founded in 1969, it awards bachelors and masters (M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Focus areas include arts and design, environmental sciences, humanities, international studies, sustainable food systems, and socially responsible business. The College of the Atlantic is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

Center for International Environmental Law

Center for International Environmental Law

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is a public interest, not-for-profit environmental law firm founded in 1989 in the United States to strengthen international and comparative environmental law and policy around the world. With offices in Washington, DC and Geneva, Switzerland, CIEL’s staff of international attorneys provide legal counsel and advocacy, policy research and capacity building in the areas of biodiversity, chemicals, climate change, human rights and the environment, international financial institutions, law and communities, plastic, and trade and sustainable development. Carroll Muffett is the current president.

In fall 2012, the college completed a $7.4M on-campus sustainable housing project, the Village, to accommodate up to 104 first-year students. The Village is a LEED Platinum certified facility that consists of 13 new multi-story townhome style apartment units, for up to eight students in each three-level unit. Most other students reside in nearby apartments, condos, and houses.

From 2013–2016 Prescott College rented out one of its Village buildings to Embry-Riddle University.

In 2016 a student-led initiative resulted in the acquisition of the Frantz Fanon Community Strategy Center for use for student and community organizing and club meetings. Groups that currently meet in the Frantz Fanon Community Strategy Center include the Queer Student Union, The Advocates for Responsible Sexual Culture, the Black Student Union, Mi Familia (a Latino and indigenous group), Yavapai County Planned Parenthood, and others. These clubs have successfully organized many events and demonstrations at Prescott College, and in the community. The Frantz Fanon Community Strategy Center also includes a zine library, a food pantry, a kitchen, and multiple classroom spaces.^[9]

Prescott College Activists were also able to successfully institute a $30 semester fee to support the Freedom Education Fund scholarship for undocumented immigrants seeking to attend university. Prescott College President John Flicker has said of this project “I am proud that our students take on the role of scholar activists”.^[10]

The College also has a Student Activity Center (SAC) which is used by a variety of individual students and clubs to hold meetings and interact. The space is also utilized for the Student Union Board (SUB) meetings and includes a lounge area, kitchen area and the Max and Bessie Bakal Memorial Lounge and Library.^[9]

Athletics

Prescott College has a mountain biking team registered with USA Cycling that offers scholarships. Most athletics are intramural in general, since the college curriculum is centered on field-based immersion courses.

• Cody Lundin, professor and reality TV star
• Matuschka, photographer and artist
• Todd Miller, journalist
• Gary Paul Nabhan, ethnobotanist
• Charlene Pesquiera, politician
• Lisa Popeil, singer and vocal coach
• Kathleen Stephens, former US ambassador
• Tom Udall, United States Senator from New Mexico, 2009–2021]

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Cody Lundin

Cody Lundin

Cody Lundin is a survival instructor at the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Prescott, Arizona, which he founded in 1991. There he teaches modern wilderness survival skills, primitive living skills, urban preparedness, and homesteading. Lundin was also a former co-host of Discovery Channel's reality television series, Dual Survival.

Matuschka

Matuschka

Matuschka, birth name Joanne Motichka is a New York City photographer, artist, author, activist, and model. Her self-portrait on the Sunday cover of New York Times magazine in 1993 was chosen by LIFE for a special edition entitled 100 Photographs that Changed the World published in 2003 and again in 2011. The artist has been nominated for many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, and has received dozens of citations, honors, and distinctions for her photographic works and activism since the early 90s. In 2012 Matuschka appeared in Rose Hartman's book Incomparable Women of Style, and in 2011 John Loengard included her in his monograph: The Age of Silver: Encounters with Great Photographers.

Todd Miller (journalist)

Todd Miller (journalist)

Todd Miller is a journalist based in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security, Storming the Wall: Climate Change, Migration, and Homeland Security, and Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World.

Gary Paul Nabhan

Gary Paul Nabhan

Gary Paul Nabhan is an agricultural ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, and author whose work has focused primarily on the plants and cultures of the desert Southwest. He is considered a pioneer in the local food movement and the heirloom seed saving movement.

Charlene Pesquiera

Charlene Pesquiera

Charlene Pesquiera is a Democratic politician from the US state of Arizona. She served as Arizona State Senator for District 26 from 2007 until 2008, when she declined to run for re-election. She is currently the Justice of the Peace for Pima County Precinct Four, which she was elected to in 2016.

Lisa Popeil

Lisa Popeil

Lisa Stephanie Popeil is an American voice coach, singer, and musician. She is the creator of the trademarked Voiceworks Method and, as a voice coach, specializes in the pedagogy of vocal styles.

Kathleen Stephens

Kathleen Stephens

Kathleen Stephens was the United States ambassador to South Korea from 2008 to 2011. She also served as the United States' chargé d'affaires to India from March to December 2014. She currently leads the Korea Economic Institute of America as president and CEO.

Tom Udall

Tom Udall

Thomas Stewart Udall is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from New Mexico from 2009 to 2021. Udall also served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district from 1999 to 2009 and New Mexico Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. Born in Tucson, Arizona, he is the son of former U.S. Representative Stewart Udall and the nephew of former U.S. Representative Mo Udall. A member of the Udall family, a western American political family, his relatives include Colorado's Mark Udall and Utah's Mike Lee. He was the dean of New Mexico's congressional delegation. Udall was first elected in the 2008 Senate race. He did not seek a third term in 2020, making him the only Democratic senator to retire that cycle. On July 16, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Udall to serve as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.

New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region of the western U.S. with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, and bordering Texas to the east and southeast, Oklahoma to the northeast, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the south. New Mexico's largest city is Albuquerque, and its state capital is Santa Fe, which is the oldest state capital in the U.S., having been founded in 1610 as the government seat of Nuevo México in New Spain.