Welcome to Lawrence University

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Welcome to Lawrence

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The new Lawrence University arch welcomes everyone to our community and has quickly become part of LU tradition: During our first-year welcome ceremonies, you'll pass under the arch alongside your new classmates—and just a few years later, you'll walk under it with your friends at graduation. Along with the Honor Code, the Rock, and class colors, passing under the arch is just one of Lawrence's many traditions that makes the campus special to Lawrentians. Founded in 1847—one year before Wisconsin became a state—Lawrence has a long history of welcoming all students: LU was the second college in the United States to be founded as a co-educational institution. With that in mind, welcome to our virtual tour! Here are some tips to help you get started: -Click on the forward-facing arrow to start walking ahead or select the "Next" button to jump to the next destination. -If you already know where you want to go, simply select that location from the list on the sidebar OR click directly on the map below. -And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location.

Main Hall

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Main Hall opened in 1854 and is the oldest building on campus; it was Lawrence's original one-stop shop, containing all the campus classrooms, the laboratory, the library, administrative and faculty offices, a dining room, a chapel—and even living quarters for students. Today, Main Hall houses the humanities, as well as the languages including French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Latin, and Greek. A distinctive feature of Lawrence is interdisciplinary work; in Main Hall, faculty offices here are not grouped by department; instead, the disciplines are intermingled. This environment creates opportunity for interesting crossover, which has given rise to popular interdisciplinary programs like Ethnic Studies, Latin American Studies, and Global Studies. 

Conservatory of Music

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Lawrence consists of both the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music. About 20% of LU's students study in the Conservatory; majors include music performance, education, theory, composition, and even jazz and improvisation. Having a world-class conservatory as part of a liberal arts campus is unique, and in both the college and conservatory, we emphasize collaboration, interdependence, and a global view of the world, encouraging our students to grow through hands-on engagement. Lawrentians do not need to be music majors to take lessons or participate in ensembles, so more than half of all LU students are involved with the Conservatory at some point during their college experience—plus, students of all majors enjoy attending concerts in our performing arts series, ensemble performances, and student and faculty recitals.

Memorial Chapel

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One of the most recognizable venues in the local arts community, Memorial Chapel was built as a community auditorium in 1919. The 1,184 seat Lawrence Memorial Chapel is used for public events such as the Lawrence Artist and Jazz series, ensemble rehearsals and concerts, public meetings, and the university convocation series. The chapel also features a magnificent, 41-stop mechanical-action organ. The performing arts series brings world-renowned musicians to campus and our student musicians frequently play in the chapel – every large ensemble regularly rehearses and performs on stage, and students can reserve the space for their own practices and performances.

Warch Campus Center

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Warch Campus Center is the hub of campus; here you'll find Lawrence's dining rooms, mail center, study lounges, a cinema and everything else you could want in a campus gathering space. From club meetings to the President's Ball, Warch's 107,000 square feet of activity space is used daily by students, faculty, staff, and guests. Warch is home to two dining areas offering a wide array of foods that cater to many dietary needs. Andrew Commons is a cafeteria-styled space featuring various options that change daily, but include constant favorites like pizza, salad, burgers, and fries; Kaplan's Cafe is open for a quick bite, a cup of coffee, or a scoop of ice cream.

Varsity Athletics

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Lawrence is home to 22 NCAA Division 3 varsity sports, from football to fencing and ice hockey to lacrosse—and nearly 30% of our students are varsity athletes! Our coaching staff members serve not just as skilled coaches but as mentors who guide our Vikings through their journeys as student-athletes. Most of our teams practice and compete at Lawrence's athletics complex along the Fox River, which includes the Banta Bowl, Alexander Gymnasium, and Whiting Field. On most weekends during the academic year, you'll find our students cheering on the Vikings at home, often in Midwest Conference competition!

Wellness Center

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LU's Wellness Center is home to fitness and recreation options for our students, staff, and faculty. The facility includes a four-lane running track, racquetball court, and two full basketball courts, which are also used for badminton, volleyball, and fencing competitions. You'll also find a weight room, cardio room, and multi-purpose room where free classes are offered daily. In the lowest level, you'll find our 8-lane, 25-yard swimming pool, plus a diving well with 2 boards, which is used by our varsity swim team. The Wellness Center also houses Lawrence's health and counseling services, wellness education, and prevention programming. Physical health services, available to all Lawrence students at deeply discounted prices, include a full-time nurse, scheduled doctor's appointments, and a 24/7 nurse phone line. Our full-time wellness counselors are available for appointments Monday through Friday, in addition to a 24/7 counseling line.

Briggs Hall

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Briggs Hall is where you'll find computer labs, an anthropology lab—containing more than 24 casts of skulls of pre-humans and early hominids—and psychology labs that include one-way mirrored control rooms, psychopathology group therapy rooms, developmental and social psychology rooms, and an acoustical analysis room. All of these features make Briggs the perfect home for Lawrence's social sciences programs, including anthropology, psychology, government, international relations, gender studies, economics, business & entrepreneurship, mathematics, statistics & data science, and computer science.

Steitz Hall

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Steitz Hall is named after Lawrence grad Thomas Steitz (class of '62), a biochemist who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry. At 78,000 square feet, Steitz Hall is the largest academic building on campus, and provides space for biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. Inside Steitz's doors, you'll find Lawrentians engaged in research alongside our world-class faculty; our students can also apply for paid, full-time summer research positions. Steitz is connected to Youngchild Hall by the Science Atrium, which is a beautiful stone, glass and tile area that is a favorite study spot for science majors. Youngchild is home to physics, geology, and the Science Learning Commons, as well as several super cool lab spaces, like the Physics Laser Palace and Nuclear Physics Lab.

Mudd Library

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The Seeley G. Mudd Library—or "the Mudd," as students call it—is Lawrence's academic and information hub. Not only does it contain countless books and digital resources, it also houses the Center for Academic Success, our IT Helpdesk, computer labs, and quiet study space. The Mudd also hosts many study groups, tutoring appointments, and late-night study sessions. In addition, the Mudd is home to Lawrence's Makerspace, which offers hands-on tools and innovative equipment so Lawrentians can enhance the creativity of their academic work. The Mudd is filled with academic professionals and resources designed to help our students meet the moment, whether that's when inspiration strikes or when a class project gets difficult.

Wriston Art Center

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The Wriston Art Center is where you'll find our Studio Art, Art History, and Museum Studies programs. Opened in 1989, Wriston was designed by Lawrence graduate Jefferson Riley (class of '68) and features studio spaces for both 2D and 3D art, a digital photography lab, a dark room, the Visual Resources Library, an amphitheater, a 150-seat auditorium that is regularly used for lecture series, and the Wriston Art Galleries, which hosts a dozen shows per year, including exhibitions of Senior Experience projects from Studio Art majors. The Wriston Art Collections are also found here, containing nearly 6,000 objects ranging from prints, drawings and paintings to coins, textiles, and sculptures. This impressive collection spans historical periods from antiquity to the present and represents cultures from around the globe.

Creativity at Lawrence

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Lawrentians express their creativity in many areas of our campus: They've created more than 95 clubs and organizations, ranging from Building Intergenerational Relationships—a club that aims to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations—to the Great Midwest Trivia Contest, one of Lawrence's many campus traditions. It's not uncommon for students to create their own businesses, either—like Soar Voice Intensive by Hannah Jones (class of '22), or a Summer Beading Camp for ages 7 to 13 by Moreau Halliburton (also from the class of '22).

Inclusive Community

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As we mentioned earlier in this tour, Lawrence has been inclusive from the start: Beginning with its co-educational founding in 1847, Lawrence has a proud history of fostering a community where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. Our fully residential campus is made up of students from 46 U.S. states, 8 federally recognized Native Nations, and 37 countries; 28% of our students identify as students of color. Along with LU's 20 diversity-focused student organizations, our gender inclusive housing options, and cultural showcases like International Cabaret, inclusivity isn't a campus-only priority. Appleton is home to a variety of cultural festivals, restaurants, and shops. As the only city in Wisconsin to have a Diversity and Inclusion coordinator since 1997, the Appleton community has established itself as a welcoming and inclusive place to live, work, and play.

Lawrence Events

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No matter what time of year it is, there's always something happening on campus, whether it's a fiber arts meet up, "noon ball" pick-up basketball in the Wellness Center, a sustainability committee meeting, language tables in the commons, a student performance, a summer research info session, or even bingo in the Campus Center, we've got you covered! And if you find yourself with decision fatigue, you can always count on hitting the major events throughout the year like Pumpkin Carving and Homecoming Weekend in the Fall, the President's Ball and Winter Carnival in the Winter, and LUaroo and Zoo Days in the Spring.

Sustainabilty

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Sustainability is a top priority at Lawrence, and we invest heavily in green initiatives. We continually seek ways to reduce our environmental impact through sustainable practices. Our motto is "sustainability is everybody's job," and with access to environmentally focused coursework, student organizations, internships, and research projects, Lawrentians have countless opportunities to get involved. As one example, our Student Sustainability Fund provides grants of up to twenty-five hundred dollars to support student-led projects, such as bringing goats to campus to control weeds in "SLUG," our Sustainable Lawrence University Garden. Our Warch Campus Center is LEED Gold certified and solar panels on several campus buildings provide energy to offset significant carbon emissions—plus, a project is underway to convert Bjorklunden, our 441-acre Door County campus, to a carbon neutral facility.

Rivers and Trails

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The Fox River has been important to Lawrence since Boston fur trader Amos Lawrence saw this spot on the hill and decided it would be a great place for a college. The Fox River runs right alongside Lawrence, and there are trails on both sides of the river that can be reached from several places on campus. In fact, there are five trails and four parks within easy access of campus.

Student Success

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Whether it's a quick chat with your residence hall Community Advisor or a scheduled meeting with your faculty advisor, Lawrence invests in your success from the moment you arrive on campus. For example, the Center for Academic Success is a central resource for every Lawrentian, providing academic counseling, academic skills workshops, free tutoring, and academic accommodations. And there are plenty of other offices—like the Career Center, International House, the Diversity and Intercultural Center, and the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life— that all support students' interests beyond the classroom. Each year, Lawrentians participate in internships, research, and study-abroad opportunities that develop us into scholars and individuals—and help us find our place in the world.

Residence Halls

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Here at Lawrence University, we believe that residential living enhances your education. As a four-year residential campus, we offer several housing options for students to choose from, whether that's our traditional residence halls, group housing on our Quad, lofts in Sage and Colman or apartment-style housing in Big and Small Exec. All residences offer kitchens and lounge spaces. Plus our housing selection allows students to indicate preferences for gender inclusive, gender specific, or mixed floors.

Bjorklunden

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As we mentioned earlier in the tour, Björklunden is Lawrence's sparkling gem on Lake Michigan: This 441-acre campus is located in Door County, Wisconsin, which is less than a two-hour drive from Appleton. In 1962, Donald and Winifred Boynton of Highland Park, Illinois, gifted the woods, meadows, original buildings, and a mile of pristine lakefront to Lawrence with the understanding that the property would serve as a place of refuge and peace—and it has probably become Lawrence's most universally beloved space (and a popular location for alumni weddings). Björk has grown into a fundamental part of the Lawrence experience: On a typical weekend during the academic year, the lodge hosts a wide variety of retreats, rehearsals, and seminars, all at no extra costs to students.

Appleton

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Lawrence is in downtown Appleton, a vibrant city of nearly seventy-five thousand residents. Students can safely walk to off-campus shopping, restaurants, or coffee shops. Plus, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, which features a full Broadway series each year and is also home to the Fox Valley Symphony, is right down the street from campus. Every August, Appleton hosts the Mile of Music, one of the biggest homegrown music festivals in the country. Appleton and Lawrence have had a long and collaborative relationship. In fact, Appleton's current mayor, Jake Woodford (class of '13), is a Lawrence grad, ensuring that students are a welcome part of the downtown community.

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