Student Life
One of the hallmarks of the Moravian University experience is the abundance of opportunities available to students, from research to music ensembles to sports to international study to internships, clubs, and more—and opportunities continue to expand.
Activities outside the classroom enrich learning and allow students to apply that learning and to practice life and career skills. They reinforce Moravian University values. And they’re fun!
Moravian Students Prove Exceptional
Each year, the college witnesses students accomplishing the amazing. In 2018, a group of 15 Moravian University students was one of only 30 cohorts selected from 285 college campuses across 57 nations for the 2018 UN-backed Millennium Fellowship. This award supports student leaders in advancing UN goals on their campus and in their community.
Over the fall 2018 semester, the Moravian University Fellows worked on a community program that encompassed food reclamation and food insecurity, housing insecurity, and LGBTQ+ outreach and partnership.
A New Honor Society
On March 24, 2018, Moravian University inducted 105 members to the Alpha chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha, the first honor society in the United States to celebrate first-generation students.
Alpha Alpha Alpha was the brainchild of Associate Provost Carol Traupman-Carr, herself a first-generation college student. The society was incorporated in August 2018 and has accepted an application for an 11th chapter.
A Token of Thanks
A MoPaw is a Moravian University way of recognizing extraordinary individuals in our community. It is a simple way to say thank you to people who have had an impact, big or small. The giver of a MoPaw pens a brief message on the back and sends it to the recipient.
The initiative—conceived out of Pillar 3 of the college’s strategic plan, which focuses on nurturing a culture of community—went live at the start of the 2015-16 academic year.
Number of MoPaws delivered:
- 2015-16: 10,000
- 2016-17: 20,000
- 2017-18: 21,000
Lacrosse Came Back
In the spring of 2016, lacrosse returned to varsity play for the first time since 2010. The team competed as an independent and then rejoined the Landmark Conference in 2017.
“Because of our generous alumni and donors, we were able to return lacrosse to a varsity sport and build a field that can support the program,” says President Bryon L. Grigsby '90.
International Experience
Students have been studying abroad since 1983 when French Professor Jean-Pierre Lalande began leading trips to Europe during what was then January Term. Today roughly 23 percent of our students participate in a study-abroad program. The national average for colleges and universities is 10 percent.
President Grigsby’s wish is for every Moravian University student to have a study-abroad experience, and Provost Cynthia Kosso is leading an initiative to make opportunities for international study accessible to all undergraduates. The trend is toward one-to- three-week faculty-led trips, which have traditionally taken place during spring break or May term. This year, the college will be offering a new winter-term program, debuting a trip to Tanzania.
Honoring Our Heritage
Serving the community is a central tenet of Moravian tradition and hence of our college’s foundation. To honor our history and put in practice that commitment to service, we held our first Heritage Day on September 2, 2016.
Students, faculty, and staff are assigned to volunteer for various nonprofit organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley and regroup in the afternoon to reflect on their experience.
Participation has grown each year:
2016: 1,195 students, faculty, and staff served 27 organizations
2017: 1,271 students, faculty, and staff served 44 organizations
2018: 1,281 students, faculty, and staff served 47 organizations
Our Own Shark Tank
In November 2015, the first Michael L. Karapetian ’97 Entrepreneurship Symposium invited students to develop a thorough business plan and present it to a panel of judges. The top three entrepreneurs are awarded cash prizes.
Now in its fourth year, the symposium has added a new category, “Passion Projects,” for ideas that are not necessarily based on a profitable model but fit students’ passions and need a well-managed business plan for implementation and sustainability.