Private college tuition plan cited
Lawrence University is among a group of colleges cited in the December 15 issue of BusinessWeek for launching what the magazine hails as one of the best new products of 2003.

The Independent 529 Plan, a tax-advantaged plan for families to save for tuition at more than 200 participating private colleges, was one of 30 new products highlighted by the publication in its annual list of new and innovative products.

Lawrence was among an original consortium of 50 institutions involved in designing the financial plan, which was launched in September 2003, after winning approval from both Congress and the Internal Revenue Service.

"In spite of the widespread availability of financial aid,” says Steve Syverson, dean of admissions and financial aid, “families are increasingly uneasy about their ability to finance a high-quality education at Lawrence or one of the other top colleges. This program will help them secure today’s tuition prices for their children’s future educations.

"The program takes a lot of the guesswork out of planning for financing a top-notch private education,” Syverson adds.

Lawrence is one of only three private colleges in Wisconsin currently participating in the Independent 529 Plan.


National gathering focuses on LU science facilities
State-of-the-art science facilities at Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley were showcased in September for more than 120 national academic leaders representing 30 colleges and universities at the “Building Spaces for Science That Make a Difference” assembly.

Lawrence and UWFox co-hosted the event, which was sponsored by Project Kaleidoscope, a Washington, D.C.-based national alliance committed to building and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

During the three-day conference, facilities at both campuses, including Lawrence’s new Science Hall (2000) and renovated Youngchild Hall (2001), as well as UWFox’s science wing, earth science museum, and planetarium, were presented as case studies.

Academy of Music summer camps
The Lawrence Academy of Music’s Jazz Odyssey is a music camp for middle- and high-school students, who get hands-on experience with jazz improvisation in small-group settings. Sessions focus on developing aural, theory, and compositional skills, along with master classes in jazz history and jazz performance. Jazz Odyssey 2004 will be held the week of July 25-30. There also is a Piano Odyssey camp from July 19-23. For more information on LAM summer campus, call 920-832-6632 to request a brochure.

Let there be LUX
The seventh annual Björklunden Seminar for Emeriti and Their Spouses was held on October 20-24. The organization of retired Lawrence professors, known as LUX, meets monthly for coffee and holds an annual seminar at which members present lectures on topics that are of special interest to them but not necessarily in the areas of their formal teaching careers.