Landmark College is a

private college Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. De ...

Putney, Vermont Putney is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2020 census. The town's historic core makes up the Putney Village Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Histo ...

, designed exclusively for students who learn differently, including students with a

learning disability Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...

(such as

dyslexia Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inap ...

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

or executive function challenges. Established in 1985, Landmark College was the first institution of higher learning to pioneer college-level studies for students with

. Offering associate and bachelor's degree programs in the

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as La ...

and sciences, Landmark College is accredited by the

New England Commission of Higher Education The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evaluation and accreditation of public and private universities and colleges in the United States and other ...

(NECHE).

History

The campus the college occupies originally belonged to

Windham College Windham College was a liberal arts college located in Putney, Vermont, on the campus of what is now Landmark College. History Windham was founded in by Walter F. Hendricks as the Vermont Institute of Special Studies. The school's initial aim was ...

. After Windham shuttered in 1978, the campus remained unused. Plans for a prison and for a conference center fell through. Putney Selectman

Peter Shumlin Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American politician from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the List of governors of Vermont, 81st governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. He ...

was instrumental in persuading the government to allow

Landmark School Landmark School in Beverly, Massachusetts is an American school for students in grades 2–12 with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia and Executive function, executive function disorder. History Landmark School was founded i ...

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, to start a college on the dormant campus. Landmark College was established in 1985."An educational landmark remembered"
Wendy M Levy. ''Commons'' of Windham County. Issue 324, page A1. September 23, 2015. Retrieved 2017-06-10. Lynda Katz was president from 1994 to 2011, when Peter Eden took the helm. Landmark began offering bachelor's degrees in 2012."Landmark College To Open New $9.6 Million Science, Technology And Innovation Center"
Howard Weiss-Tisman. '' W.N.P.R.''

Connecticut Public Broadcasting Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. (CPBI), doing business as Connecticut Public or Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN) is the parent organization of Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). It is a 501 ...

. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 2017-06-09. The college built a $9.6 million, 28,500 square foot science and technology center named the MacFarlane Building in 2015. It was the first building erected since the college's founding.

Educational approach

Applicants are required to document average to above average intelligence with the ability to complete college level work; along with a condition that impairs learning, such as

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inap ...

, or

autism spectrum disorder The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

. All students are offered personal, directed assistance in their studies. The student to faculty ratio of 6:1 is small by postsecondary standards. Classroom faculty employ

universal design Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. It addresses common barriers to participation by creating things that can be used by the ma ...

principles, integrated assistive technology elements, individualized attention, and multi-modal teaching strategies in their courses.

Costs

Tuition and fees for 2022-23 were $76,680, making it the 50th most expensive college according to The National Center for Education Statistics. Tuition and fees for the 2015–2016 year were $51,330."Do the Math: College Tuition Is Rising Faster Than Inflation"
Molly Walsh. Seven Days. Da Capo. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 2017-06-10. In 2015, it topped

CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's ''Fortune'' and ''Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of Tim ...

's list of most expensive colleges. It was also the most expensive four-year, private non-profit by list price according to the Department of Education's rankings for the 2012–2013 year; fees including room and board were reported to be $59,930 in 2013 and $61,910 in 2015. Scholarships of up to $30,000 are available.

Students

Students come from across the United States and from around the world to attend Landmark College. The average age is 20 years, and about 97% of students live on campus. The male-to-female student ratio is about 3:1, which reflects the higher number of males who are diagnosed with conditions that affect learning. Students are not required to have taken the SAT or ACT examinations. About half of Landmark's full-time students transferred from another college due reasons such as lack of academic support, difficult-to-access academic support at former schools, or a reluctance to disclose and seek help for their disability. Student turnover is high;"Learning with Disabilities"
Abby Goodnough. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 2017-06-10. as the school originally offered associate degrees or because some students plan to master academic success strategies and return to their previous college. However, there are now several bachelor's degrees offered.

Academics

The college offers associate degrees and since 2012 has offered bachelor's degrees. Additionally, a post-baccalaureate certificate in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity aimed at education professionals was introduced in 2018. Secondary school students in several areas of Landmark's county, Windham, can access dual-enrollment NEASC accredited courses. Middle school students can participate in a summer program called "Expanded Learning Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.""Landmark College expands reach in Windham County"
Mike Faher. ''

Brattleboro Reformer The ''Brattleboro Reformer'' is the third-largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Vermont. With a weekday circulation of just over 10,000, it is behind the ''Burlington Free Press'' and the ''Rutland Herald'', respectively. It publishes six ...

''. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-09. In 2011, ''

'' reported that 30% of students in the associate program graduated within three years; many drop out in their first or second semester. Of those that graduate, a third drop out. Many students struggling at other colleges go to Landmark for a "bridge semester" to learn to manage their learning differences in an academic setting.

High school program

The three-week-long High School Program is intended to assist high school students entering their Junior or Senior year who learn differently develop self-understanding and self-advocacy skills.

Student life

Housing options range from suite living to traditional residence halls. All rooms are designed as doubles or singles. Residential halls are equipped with wireless Internet, cable television, laundry facilities, and common lounge space, as well as full-time residential staff. Some suite buildings have kitchens. ''Impressions'' literary magazine, ''The Independent'' student newspaper, and WLMC student internet radio station are among the print and audio media. The Landmark College Athletic Department provides club, intramural, and intercollegiate sports and fitness activities for students.

Notable alumni

Quinn Bradlee Quinn Bradlee FRSA FRAS FSA Scot (aged ) is an American filmmaker, author and advocate for improving the lives of disabled individuals. Biography Bradlee is the son of the late author and '' Washington Post'' executive editor Ben Bradlee, and ...

, filmmaker, author, and disability advocate * Dave Cole, visual artist and sculptor *

Ennis Cosby Ennis William Cosby (April 15, 1969 – January 16, 1997), the only son of American comedian Bill Cosby, was murdered on January 16, 1997, near Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, California. He was shot in the head by 18-year-old Mikhail Markha ...

(d. 1997), only son of American comedian

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

Notable staff

* Alice B. Fogel, poet and writer; English professor * Lesle Lewis, poet; English professor

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Putney, Vermont Education in Windham County, Vermont Educational institutions established in 1985 Learning disabilities Putney, Vermont Special schools in the United States Private universities and colleges in Vermont 1985 establishments in Vermont