News and information about the Rhodes campus experience.

On May 27, Rhodes College President Marjorie Hass sent an email to the campus community announcing changes to the Fall 2020 academic calendar, an updated health and safety plan, and the conditions necessary for a return to campus.

Rhodes College paid tribute to staff on May 19 with a virtual celebration, and four Rhodes employees were recognized with the college’s 2020 Outstanding Staff Awards based on nominations submitted by faculty, staff, and students. These awards recognize employees who continually strive for excellence, keeping the mission of the college in focus.

Due to the campus’ shift to remote learning, the annual Senior Thesis Exhibition in Clough-Hanson Gallery had to be cancelled. However, the work of the three senior studio art majors, Annie Grace Netterville, Ben Aquila, and Jamie Payne, won’t go unnoticed. Their works have appeared in a print publication, produced by Rhodes’ Department of Art and Art History, titled “Couple Things . . .”

The Summer Scholars program provides current high school students and recent high school graduates meaningful, credit-bearing pre-college experiences. Students enroll in two-week, credit bearing courses that will prepare them for college-level instruction in a liberal arts context. Small classes will be taught in a variety of subjects by Rhodes professors who are nationally and internationally recognized scholars in their fields. Students will have the opportunity to prepare for college classes by engaging in college-level work and assignments.

When the realities of COVID-19 set in and the college moved to remote learning, one of my first questions was: what now? My teaching and overall academic approach is rooted in active pedagogy, experiential learning, and collaboration, which all seemed more difficult and less relevant.

Rhodes College is offering a series of four free Zoom webinars open to the general public. These webinars will take place on Wednesday evenings, and feature panels of college and community experts who will address various aspects of the pandemic and field questions from the audience.

Rhodes College held a virtual celebration of the Class of 2020 on May 16. The college conferred 484 degrees in total: 313 Bachelors of Arts, 142 Bachelors of Science, 11 Masters of Arts, and 18 Masters of Science. An in-person ceremony where names will be called, and graduates hooded will be held at a date to be determined.

The Distinguished Service Medal is given annually during commencement exercises to recognize those individuals who have given selflessly to the college. This year, the college recognizes Rhodes Trustee Arthur W. Rollins ’81 of Atlanta, Georgia. Rollins served his alma mater as a member of the Rhodes Board of Trustees during the tenure of three Rhodes presidents: James H. Daughdrill, Jr., William E. Troutt and Marjorie Hass.

The Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize is awarded to the graduating senior who best exemplifies the spirit of the liberal arts and affirms the college’s mission in their intellectual expression and self-reflection. It is the college's highest academic honor. This year’s recipient of the Rhodes Prize is Maleelo Shamambo ’20.