Deep Springs College
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Deep Springs is a private, all-male, alternative college located in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. Deep Springs is located in Deep Springs Valley, near the larger Owens Valley and several miles away from the nearest towns: Bishop, California, and Dyer, Nevada. While the official name of the institution is just "Deep Springs" it is more often referred to as "'Deep Springs College'" for purposes of accreditation and to give the rest of the world some idea of what goes on there. Deep Springs was founded under the name "Deep Springs Collegiate and Preparatory".
Deep Springs is a two-year college with a reputation as the most selective undergraduate institution in the United States. Its acceptance rate hovers at approximately 10 percent. Every year it admits between 10 and 16 students. The college supports approximately 26 male students, three administrators, eight or nine teachers, and a staff of five. Teachers do not hold tenure at Deep Springs and usually only remain for a year or two.
Deep Springs is a work college, which means that its students must, in addition to their studies, work 20 hours a week on the ranch farm attached to the college. Deep Springs maintains a cattle herd and an alfalfa farming operation. Students pay only for incidental expenses such as textbooks; tuition, room, and board are covered by scholarships for all students. After completing their associate's degree at Deep Springs, most students continue their studies at other universities, with two thirds earning a graduate degree and over half eventually earning a doctorate.
Self-governance is an important part of the Deep Springs philosophy, and students play a key role in decisions about admissions, curriculum, and faculty hiring.
The institution was founded in 1917 by L. L. Nunn, an industrialist who made his fortune building power plants throughout the western United States. The plants required well-trained engineers who were not afraid of living under rough conditions, so he started an educational program to train the men. Nunn later applied his knowledge in education to opening a liberal arts school.
The current president of the college is F. Ross Peterson, a historian.
External links
- Official website (http://www.deepsprings.edu/)