LAMP looking for diverse students

For 15 years now, IU's Liberal Arts and Management Program has been offering students a unique education, combining a major in the College of Arts and Sciences with specialized training in business.\nCall-outs for the program began Feb. 1 and will run until April 1. As call-outs for a new group of LAMP students begin, the program's directors plan to get students even more involved in extracurricular activities including a mentoring program, philanthropic activities and a sophomore leadership retreat.\n"LAMP is more than merely a collection of courses," LAMP Assistant Director Jane Rogan said. "The program offers a variety of curricular and co-curricular opportunities." \nSome opportunities offered by the program include an in-house adviser, career-related events and topical discussions and debates presented by IU faculty, staff, community members and LAMP alumni. \n"LAMP students are encouraged to participate in many interesting activities such as community service, art museum visits, and lectures," junior LAMP student Caitlin Tegart said. \nRogan said she hopes many students take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the program. She encourages any active freshman with a 3.0 GPA intending to pursue a major in the COAS and interested in developing his or her skills, along with an understanding for business and management to apply.\nTegart said the program can be beneficial to students with a variety of interests. \n"I would recommend that any COAS freshman or sophomore apply for the program," she said, "especially those who have an interest in pursuing business, work in the non-profit sector, or who just want to broaden their field of study."\nTim Tilton, the program's director, said LAMP is extremely helpful in preparing students to achieve their future goals. \n"LAMP is a great way to prepare both for a constantly changing job market and for a full, rich, and stimulating life," he said.\nRogan added that LAMP students have gone on to pursue a number of careers. \n"LAMP graduates have gone on to successful careers in medicine, law, management consulting, education, not-for-profit management, financial analysis, software engineering, and much, much more," she said. \nLou Miller, Jim Ackerman and Joe Waldman created LAMP 15 years ago. \n"The basic goal of LAMP was to provide some exposure to business subjects for students in the College of Arts and Sciences," Waldman said. "They were to receive a basic grounding in the functional areas of business, finance, production, and marketing." \nAlong with classes in accounting, economics, management and required courses for their COAS major, LAMP students also have three required seminars, one each year.\nOther than the freshman or sophomore standing and 3.0 GPA requirements, applicants must complete a number of other tasks. \n"The application process for LAMP involves gathering two recommendations, writing a 250-word essay on public affairs and a 100-word statement of purpose," Tegart said.\nDespite the academic requirements, those involved are looking for more than just intelligence. The admissions committee is also looking for involvement with campus and community groups and leadership potential. \n"LAMP students are strong students," Rogan said, "but they are also 'doers' with a keen sense of responsibility and commitment to their community."\nThe application process for the program is competitive, but Rogan said the number of students accepted each year is somewhat flexible. \n"The program routinely accepts between 75 and 100 students each year, and although the application process is a competitive one, something that students are often worried about, our mission is to provide an honors-level education to as many qualified students as possible," Rogan said. "This means that if there are 101 eligible and well-qualified candidates for the program, we will most likely accept them all." \nLooking to the future, Rogan, Tilton, and Waldman each have their own ideas for improvement of the program. \n"This year we hope to increase the vibrancy of the mentor program by adding more mentor events and opportunities for students." \nRogan also said she hopes to continue the tradition of the many educational and inspirational speakers that come to talk to LAMP students. \n"LAMP continues to develop the Race and Gender Speaker Series -- a commitment with the Kelley School of Business -- to examine issues of race and gender in business and society," she said.\nWaldman said extracurricular activities have always been of great importance to the program and that he hopes there are more improvements made in that area. \n"A lot more can be done for the LAMP students in the area of extracurricular activities such as getting them involved in the business school's overseas programs, volunteer activities, and student organizations," he said.\nTilton plans to use suggestions from the COAS first formal review of the program to improve the quality of the curriculum and services it offers to students. \n"My personal goal for LAMP is to implement the review's recommendations in a way that makes the program even more attractive for students"