Dr. Pamela Lewis
Queens University of Charlotte

     Dr. Pamela Lewis, President of Queens since July 2002, wants Charlotte Rotarians to think about the private educational institution on Selwyn Avenue in new ways.  Like Rotary which began its long history as a single-sex organization, only to admit women in recent years; Queens – long a college for women – has admitted male students for ten years.   Both organizations, having seen the light, are better positioned to fulfill their similar mottoes: Service Above Self and Not To Be Served, But To Serve.

         Ms. Lewis also wants to clarify Queens’ place among the 1400 institutions in America’s higher education industry.  Taking her terms from surveys by U.S. News and World Report, she places Queens no longer among Liberal Arts Colleges offering only undergraduate education.  Within that category, Davidson, e.g., ranks as a prestige institution attracting students nationwide.  By contrast, Queens is classified among the 130 Southern Masters Universities drawing students from the Southeast, and offering Master’s degrees in business, communications, nursing, creative writing and education.   Within that category, which includes the University of Richmond, Rollins, James Madison, Elon and UNCC, the survey places Queens as #20 in the first tier.  Queens achieves this high ranking based on quality measures, referred to as “programs that work.”  Its Internship Program ranks in the top 10 with schools like Georgia Tech and Cornell, thanks to the cooperative relation with 350 Charlotte employers.  Its Belk International Experience program sends virtually all Juniors to foreign lands for several weeks under faculty supervision.  As a result, by graduation 96% of Queens students have traveled abroad, compared to only 9% for students nationwide.
     The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) queries freshmen and senior students about the quality of their education based on five measures: Academic Challenge, Faculty-Student Interaction, Supportive Campus Environment, Collaborative Learning and Enriching Educational Experience.  Queens freshmen scores place it in the top 10% on three variables and the top 20% on two.  Queens Seniors put it in the top 10% for all five variables, and number one in Enriching Educational Experience.  When Queens wins four of the last eight NC Professor of the Year awards in competition with nominees from fifty state institutions, and when USNWR places it in the top 15 for “Best Value” in its category, Charlotteans can be proud of what’s happening on Selwyn Avenue.
  If great colleges and universities are the foundation of great cities, Charlotte ranks better in some categories than in others.  CPCC, UNCC, Davidson and J.C. Smith are distinguished for serving their constituents.  But Charlotte lacks an institution comparable to Emory, Vanderbilt, Rice, or SMU, a private comprehensive university of distinction.  The city needs a commitment to create such an institution.   Queens will work to grow its undergraduate programs, and expand its graduate offerings, perhaps including law and medicine.
     In response to questions, Dr. Lewis noted that Queens seeks to double its freshmen class size, increase male enrollment to 40%, assure a waiting list of highly qualified applicants, and address capital needs amounting to $40 million.
     Please, she asked, talk no more about Queens College.  Rather speak and think Queens University of Charlotte.
    Head Table: David Anderson, Mike Hawley, Peggy Wesp, Cynthia Carlson, Charlene Kammerer, Neil Burkhead.
    Visiting Rotarians & Guests: Bob Knight; Invocation: John Tabor; Song: Jeff Wise.

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New Member

Peter F. Larson

Litchfield II, LLC

 

Classification: Land Development-Residential

c/o Sam Malone & Assoc.

116-B W. John Street

P. O. Box 1139

Matthews, NC 28106

704-847-9026

peter.f.larson@att.net

     Pete Larson is the Chief Operations Officer and Authorized Member of Litchfield II, LLC, a residential development company in Matthews, NC.  He is a Charlotte native who recently returned to Charlotte in 2001 after a 30 year career in the US Army, retiring as a Colonel.  His military career included numerous leadership roles from Platoon Leader thru Battalion Commander.  Key staff positions include Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence for the 25^th Infantry Division, Deputy G2, XVIII Airborne Corps, and Army Attaché Officer, US Embassy, Thailand.  He is a combat veteran, serving in Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia/Kuwait/Iraq), Operation Just Cause (Panama), and Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti).  His most recent award, conferred by the King of Thailand and presented by the Thai Ambassador in November 2002, was the induction into the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant in recognition for his contribution to fostering Army-to-Army relations and goodwill.  Pete is a 1975 graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.  He also has a Master of Arts from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  He is married to Karen Wharton Larson and has one daughter, Helena.  Welcome to Charlotte Rotary, Pete.

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