Sewanee
Source: https://new.sewanee.edu
Archived: 2026-04-23 15:30
Sewanee
Skip to Main Content
01
The Sewanee Pledge
Funding for a summer internship or research fellowship. Study abroad for a semester at no additional tuition cost. Graduate in four years. Guaranteed.
View the Chapter
02
Academics
This is where things get interesting.
View the Chapter
03
Outcomes
97 percent of our graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
View the Chapter
04
Campus Life
Welcome movers, shakers, dreamers, explorers, and soon-to-be lifelong friends.
View the Chapter
05
The Domain
Our name for Sewanee's 13,000-acre campus—boundless opportunities for research, recreation, applied learning, and reflection.
View the Chapter
THE SEWANEE PLEDGE
Sewanee has taken a leading role in making a first-rate education more accessible, making scheduling and advising more personal, and making honor central to life on the Domain. Now, we have deepened our commitment by adding our pledge to new students.
We pledge—to help Sewanee graduates secure good jobs and spots at top graduate programs
by providing funding for a
summer internship
or
research fellowship
.
We pledge—to help Sewanee graduates find their place in an increasingly interconnected world
by providing you with access to a
semester-long study-abroad program
at no additional tuition cost.
We pledge—
that you will graduate in four consecutive years (with one major). If you do not, Sewanee will provide up to one additional year of study tuition-free.
Of course, you will have to do your part, too. But if you meet Sewanee’s academic and social expectations, we pledge—we guarantee—to make these opportunities available to you.
Sewanee's Pledge to you
The Sewanee Pledge
takes its name from our Honor Code ceremony. Now it is also our promise to you.
Sewanee students are provided funding for a summer
internship
or
research fellowship
, a semester-long study-abroad opportunity at no additional tuition cost, and the ability to graduate with one major in four years.
Watch video
If you pledge to do something cool, we pledge to cover the rest.
The Pledge Facts
200+
Approved study-abroad programs
At Sewanee, you have the opportunity to go to all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica). The world is becoming increasingly interconnected.
We pledge that you will have the opportunity to spend a semester learning more about it.
8
Weeks
You will get real-world, hands-on, career-shaping experiences during a summer
internship
or
research fellowship
. We pledge to give you an opportunity to spend a summer gaining a better understanding of yourself and the gifts you have to offer.
4
Years
Do your part, and we pledge that you will graduate in four years. If not, Sewanee will provide up to one additional year of study tuition-free. Are other schools promising you that? We didn’t think so.
OFFICE OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
The Office of Global Citizenship connects Sewanee students with the world. Are you interested in studying abroad or an international internship or research fellowship? We can help you find the program (and the fascinating international destination) that’s perfect for you.
Request more information
Schedule a visit
The academic experience at Sewanee is unlike any other. That’s not an empty marketing statement. It’s just a matter of …
Fact
>85%
Law and medical school acceptance rates
About 95 percent of Sewanee graduates who apply to law school are accepted. More than 85 percent of our recommended
pre-health graduates
are accepted to medical school (that’s more than
double
the national average).
9:1
Student to faculty ratio
Sewanee's not an environment where a professor stands up and lectures while hundreds of students scratch out notes. It's a place where everybody stands up for what they think and what they believe in. Don’t forget to bring something interesting to say.
98%
First destinations
Sewanee graduates get going
. 98 percent of our most recent graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
Scholarship Sewanee: Undergraduate Research
Sewanee’s undergraduate research program gives students the opportunity to explore new ideas, sharpen their research skills, and get a head start on a career or graduate school. Almost a quarter of students here were involved in mentored research projects last year, in the sciences (of course)—but also in the arts, English, politics, and more.
Students have the chance to wow their peers by giving talks and presenting posters during Scholarship Sewanee, the annual celebration of student scholarship and creativity.
Perhaps an in-depth study of new anti-cancer pharmaceuticals sounds more appealing. Or the effects of missionary work in the South; local bat habitats; the gender wage gap; or the influences of tourism on Havana restaurant food sourcing? Students dove deep into all of these topics and dozens more last year.
Read More
Finding Your Place
Sewanee's Finding Your Place (FYP) program introduces new students to intellectual, social, and community engagement projects even before their first semester on campus starts. The program builds skills for academic success and civic potential by bringing students and faculty together in an immersive environment.
Read More
My Sewanee Story: Lauren Joca
From studying parasitic isopods to ripping two-by-fours with a table saw, Lauren Joca stays busy. She takes five classes, conducts research in Spencer Hall, and volunteers with Housing Sewanee. (Somehow, she also manages to catch a sunset or two between commitments.)
At Sewanee, you learn by doing, so participating in
undergraduate research
and
civic engagement
isn’t too much of a stretch for students like Lauren.
Watch video
Learn more about our academic approach
Explore more than 70 programs of study
With a Sewanee internship, you’ll get to test-drive your skills in a real-world setting, build your network, and contribute to a team—all while perfecting qualities that employers find irresistible.
Internship Facts
626k
Awarded
This summer, Sewanee students received over $626,000 for unpaid (or underpaid)
internships
and research assistantships in a wide variety of fields and disciplines.
19
Countries (and 21 states)
Sewanee students were spread all over the country (and the world) for their
summer internships
and research assistantships.
250
Students
Over 250 students take advantage of Sewanee’s funding for
summer internships
and research assistantships with leading companies and organizations.
The Useful Summer
By Bobby Silk
Each summer, hundreds of Sewanee students travel across the country—and the globe—in pursuit of the same thing: an unforgettable internship experience.
Thanks to the
Sewanee Pledge
, which guarantees funding for a summer internship or research fellowship, and support from
Career Readiness + Student Success
, Sewanee students benefit from unparalleled opportunities to gain firsthand experience in their potential career fields. Whether they were involved in groundbreaking medical research, worked behind the scenes on a marketing campaign, or advocated for social good at a non-profit organization, most students returned from their summer experiences with a few things in common. They got a preview of what their professional lives could look like, made connections to help facilitate their future job searches, and—most importantly—had the chance to connect their talents and passions with the opportunities to put them into practice.
Here is a sampling of how some Sewanee students spent their summers as interns.
Read More
Most Sewanee graduates end up doing the same thing: exactly what they want to do with their lives.
Fact
97%
First destinations
Sewanee graduates get going. 97 percent of our most recent graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
16
International destinations
Sewanee graduates spread their wings. Spain, France, New Zealand, and China were among the most popular international destinations for our recent grads. They also found spots in Bhutan, Denmark, and Japan—just to name a few. We hope they send pictures.
144
37 percent
Sewanee graduates mean business. 37 percent of our recent graduates went into business, finance, or consulting. 10 percent went into government, politics, policy, and law; healthcare, medicine, and research; arts, publishing, media, sports, and entertainment.
Life After Sewanee
The Sewanee experience accompanies you beyond the gates. We’re finding that our recent graduates are doing some impressive things on the other side. For these alumni, success has taken many shapes and has taken them many places. From farming to finance, their career outcomes are exciting to see. Get to know some of our young alumni—we think they’re pretty amazing.
Read More
Career Readiness
The Sewanee Pledge
Where will I live? What's going on? What's to eat? You've got questions?
Here are (some) answers.
98%
Almost all students live on campus.
During your first year, you will live in
one of our 19 residence halls
. Later, you can also chose from five language houses, several theme houses, a women's center, and a hall for our student firefighters (that's right you can train to fight fires, and build houses, too, but more on that later).
80+
Student clubs & organizations
When you go down the list of
amazing clubs & organizations
at Sewanee, please heed these two words of advice: pace yourself. With club sports, honor societies, art & publication organizations, student government, and emergency services, you'll find at least one thing (or 20) you want to join.
37
Named drinks at Stirling's
A Cool Sewanee Morning. A Crazy Sewanee Night. An Iced All Saints' Chapel. These are just a few of drinks available at
Stirling's Coffee House
—our student-run coffee house. An extension of
Sewanee Dining
, Stirling's is a perfect spot to grab a bagel or just hang out in one of the big comfy couches. Oh, and try our renowned curry chicken salad salad ... yum!
Behold How Good: a Photo Essay on Belonging
By Meredith Garrett
Belonging is connection. It’s mattering. It’s thriving. At Sewanee, we’ve created an environment to foster this sense of belonging. We also know that there is no finality to belonging—it’s continual and evolving. That’s why we’ve built a community full of diverse people whose goal is to walk alongside you no matter what.
Have a look at some of the real-life people you’ll meet here on the Mountain. They were once where you are now—looking for a new community. See what these folks have to say about their experience. They are actively creating a space for you.
Come visit to see if Sewanee is where you belong
.
Read More
SVFD
Since its formal organization in 1951, the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) has served the University community and the neighboring areas of Sherwood and Monteagle with a team of highly-trained local residents and students.
Good Neighbors
Sewanee’s flourishing civic engagement program reaches beyond the Domain to prove that a crucial part of preparing students for success is giving them opportunities to interact meaningfully with the communities and people around them.
We envision a Sewanee where students learn to engage this place and make meaningful change. We offer a constellation of opportunities for students including internships, academic certificates, volunteer opportunities and courses.
The Office of Civic Engagement
facilitates partnerships between campus and community members to develop relationships, knowledge, and skills that improve our common life across the South Cumberland Plateau.
Read More
Learn more about Sewanee's campus life
Schedule a Visit
The University's Domain bears a plentiful harvest. That’s not a marketing claim. It’s just a matter of ...
Fact
13
Environmental programs of study
Sewanee's Integrated Program in the Environment
is one of the premier collections of environmental offerings in the country. A
working farm
, a
13,000-acre forest
, and well-funded internships offer opportunities to apply your classroom learning.
65
Miles of hiking nirvana
The Domain is home to an
extensive trail network
. The signature Perimeter Trail—the 19-mile loop that circles much of the Domain—is a must for your Sewanee bucket list. It provides a hiking experience unparalleled in the region.
Try one of our favorites
.
2,163
Pounds of salad greens
The
University Farm
supplies
McClurg Dining Hall, Stirling’s Coffee House, and the Cup & Gown Cafe
with over one ton of product annually, including fresh eggs, salad greens, and other produce. Want to get your hands dirty? Labs, research, independent study, and social events are just a few ways to get down on the farm.
A Living Learning Laboratory
"If you're a student who is interested in being outside and studying the natural world and being able to do that at any time, Sewanee is the place for you."
Professor Kristen Cecala is interested in how environmental change alters the ecology and distribution of amphibians and reptiles through behavioral mechanisms.
Watch video
Joyce & Rob
The Sewanee Outing Program (SOP) gives students the chance to explore Sewanee’s 13,000-acre campus, the surrounding region, and wilderness areas across the United States.
A polar wind rips across the mountainside, streaming through my scarf, pushing an ache into my jaw. Not counting the wind chill, it is twenty degrees below freezing. In these southern forests such cold is unusual. Typical southern winters cycle between thaws and mild freezes, with deep chills arriving for a few days each year. Today’s cold will take the forest’s life to its physiological limits.
I want to experience the cold as the forest’s animals do, without the protection of clothes. On a whim, I throw my gloves and hat onto the frozen ground. The scarf follows. Quickly, I strip off my insulated overalls, shirt, T-shirt, and trousers.
The first two seconds of the experiment are surprisingly refreshing, a pleasant coolness after the stuffy clothes. Then the wind blasts away the illusion and my head is fogged with pain. The heat streaming out of my body scorches my skin.
A chorus of Carolina chickadees provides the accompaniment to this absurd striptease. The birds dance through the trees like sparks from a fire, careening through twigs. They rest no more than a second on any surface, then shoot away. The contrast on this cold day between the chickadees’ liveliness and my physiological incompetence seems to defy nature’s rules. Small animals should be less able to cope with the cold than their larger cousins. Small animals cool rapidly because they have proportionally much more body surface than body volume.
The relationship between the size of animals and the rate of heat loss has produced geographic trends in body sizes. When an animal species exists over a large area, the individuals in the north are usually larger than those in the south. This is known as Bergmann’s rule, after the nineteenth-century anatomist who first described the relationship. Carolina chickadees in Tennessee live towards the northern end of the species’ range, and they are ten to twenty percent larger than individuals from the southern limit of the range in Florida. Tennessee birds have tipped the balance between surface area and body volume to match the colder winters here. Farther north, Carolina chickadees are replaced by a closely related species, the black-capped chickadee, which is ten percent larger again.
Bergmann’s rule seems remote as I stand naked in the forest. The wind gusts hard and the burning sensation in my skin surges. Then, a deeper pain starts. Something behind my conscious mind is trapped and alarmed. My body is failing after just a minute in this winter chill. Yet, I weigh ten thousand times more than a chickadee; surely these birds should be extinguished in seconds.
This piece was adapted with permission from The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2012 by David George Haskell.
David Haskell
Haskell’s work integrates scientific, literary, and contemplative studies of the natural world. A former Tennessee Professor of the Year and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Haskell he teaches courses in nonfiction writing, biodiversity, evolution, and conservation.
Your 13,000-acre laboratory
Your 13,000-acre playground
Roman Belton, C’26, an art and theatre double major from Indianola, Mississippi, has been awarded a prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for 2026-27. Belton is Sewanee’s 54th Watson Fellow. Selected from colleges and universities across the United States, winners of the fellowship receive a stipend of $40,000 for 12 months of independent study and travel outside of the United States.
Read More
Associate Professor of Biology Katie McGhee has received a prestigious Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This is the first-ever MCA Award given to a Sewanee faculty member, and was the only one given to an institution in Tennessee this year.
Read More
April
24
The 33rd annual Scholarship Sewanee event will take place on Friday, April 24. A daylong celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work, Scholarship Sewanee will feature student oral presentations, art exhibitions, musical performances, and a poster session. Check out the Scholarship Sewanee website at the link below to read student research project abstracts and view a full schedule of events.
Read More
Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Jon Meacham, C’91, returns to the Mountain on May 9 to reflect on 250 years of the American story, with a livestream available and a special Friday conversation with John Seigenthaler kicking off Commencement Weekend.
Read More
Vice-Provost and Dean of the College Jennifer Cooley and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Deon Miles honored the dedication and impact of Sewanee’s exceptional faculty with the presentation of the 2026 Faculty Awards. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to advising, scholarship, service, and teaching.
Read More
Kylene J. Monaghan, C’26, has been named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar, becoming the University’s 28th recipient of the world’s oldest and most celebrated international postgraduate award. Monaghan, a physics and mathematics double major from Blacksburg, Virginia, was selected as one of 32 American Rhodes Scholars chosen from 238 finalists nationwide.
Read More
Cynthia Abrams of WPLN, Nashville's local news and NPR station, visited Sewanee to explore how the University’s 20-mile Perimeter Trail has become a rite of passage for students—and a source of freedom, reflection, and connection to the Mountain.
Listen to the Story
Sewanee has again been recognized as one of the nation's best colleges for students seeking a great education with excellent career preparation and at a relatively affordable price, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company named Sewanee as one of its Best Value Colleges—and named it the No. 1 Most Beautiful College Campus in the country.
Read More
View more Events
View more News
The University of the South
Graduate Programs
School of Letters
School of Theology
Skip to Main Content
01
The Sewanee Pledge
Funding for a summer internship or research fellowship. Study abroad for a semester at no additional tuition cost. Graduate in four years. Guaranteed.
View the Chapter
02
Academics
This is where things get interesting.
View the Chapter
03
Outcomes
97 percent of our graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
View the Chapter
04
Campus Life
Welcome movers, shakers, dreamers, explorers, and soon-to-be lifelong friends.
View the Chapter
05
The Domain
Our name for Sewanee's 13,000-acre campus—boundless opportunities for research, recreation, applied learning, and reflection.
View the Chapter
THE SEWANEE PLEDGE
Sewanee has taken a leading role in making a first-rate education more accessible, making scheduling and advising more personal, and making honor central to life on the Domain. Now, we have deepened our commitment by adding our pledge to new students.
We pledge—to help Sewanee graduates secure good jobs and spots at top graduate programs
by providing funding for a
summer internship
or
research fellowship
.
We pledge—to help Sewanee graduates find their place in an increasingly interconnected world
by providing you with access to a
semester-long study-abroad program
at no additional tuition cost.
We pledge—
that you will graduate in four consecutive years (with one major). If you do not, Sewanee will provide up to one additional year of study tuition-free.
Of course, you will have to do your part, too. But if you meet Sewanee’s academic and social expectations, we pledge—we guarantee—to make these opportunities available to you.
Sewanee's Pledge to you
The Sewanee Pledge
takes its name from our Honor Code ceremony. Now it is also our promise to you.
Sewanee students are provided funding for a summer
internship
or
research fellowship
, a semester-long study-abroad opportunity at no additional tuition cost, and the ability to graduate with one major in four years.
Watch video
If you pledge to do something cool, we pledge to cover the rest.
The Pledge Facts
200+
Approved study-abroad programs
At Sewanee, you have the opportunity to go to all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica). The world is becoming increasingly interconnected.
We pledge that you will have the opportunity to spend a semester learning more about it.
8
Weeks
You will get real-world, hands-on, career-shaping experiences during a summer
internship
or
research fellowship
. We pledge to give you an opportunity to spend a summer gaining a better understanding of yourself and the gifts you have to offer.
4
Years
Do your part, and we pledge that you will graduate in four years. If not, Sewanee will provide up to one additional year of study tuition-free. Are other schools promising you that? We didn’t think so.
OFFICE OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
The Office of Global Citizenship connects Sewanee students with the world. Are you interested in studying abroad or an international internship or research fellowship? We can help you find the program (and the fascinating international destination) that’s perfect for you.
Request more information
Schedule a visit
The academic experience at Sewanee is unlike any other. That’s not an empty marketing statement. It’s just a matter of …
Fact
>85%
Law and medical school acceptance rates
About 95 percent of Sewanee graduates who apply to law school are accepted. More than 85 percent of our recommended
pre-health graduates
are accepted to medical school (that’s more than
double
the national average).
9:1
Student to faculty ratio
Sewanee's not an environment where a professor stands up and lectures while hundreds of students scratch out notes. It's a place where everybody stands up for what they think and what they believe in. Don’t forget to bring something interesting to say.
98%
First destinations
Sewanee graduates get going
. 98 percent of our most recent graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
Scholarship Sewanee: Undergraduate Research
Sewanee’s undergraduate research program gives students the opportunity to explore new ideas, sharpen their research skills, and get a head start on a career or graduate school. Almost a quarter of students here were involved in mentored research projects last year, in the sciences (of course)—but also in the arts, English, politics, and more.
Students have the chance to wow their peers by giving talks and presenting posters during Scholarship Sewanee, the annual celebration of student scholarship and creativity.
Perhaps an in-depth study of new anti-cancer pharmaceuticals sounds more appealing. Or the effects of missionary work in the South; local bat habitats; the gender wage gap; or the influences of tourism on Havana restaurant food sourcing? Students dove deep into all of these topics and dozens more last year.
Read More
Finding Your Place
Sewanee's Finding Your Place (FYP) program introduces new students to intellectual, social, and community engagement projects even before their first semester on campus starts. The program builds skills for academic success and civic potential by bringing students and faculty together in an immersive environment.
Read More
My Sewanee Story: Lauren Joca
From studying parasitic isopods to ripping two-by-fours with a table saw, Lauren Joca stays busy. She takes five classes, conducts research in Spencer Hall, and volunteers with Housing Sewanee. (Somehow, she also manages to catch a sunset or two between commitments.)
At Sewanee, you learn by doing, so participating in
undergraduate research
and
civic engagement
isn’t too much of a stretch for students like Lauren.
Watch video
Learn more about our academic approach
Explore more than 70 programs of study
With a Sewanee internship, you’ll get to test-drive your skills in a real-world setting, build your network, and contribute to a team—all while perfecting qualities that employers find irresistible.
Internship Facts
626k
Awarded
This summer, Sewanee students received over $626,000 for unpaid (or underpaid)
internships
and research assistantships in a wide variety of fields and disciplines.
19
Countries (and 21 states)
Sewanee students were spread all over the country (and the world) for their
summer internships
and research assistantships.
250
Students
Over 250 students take advantage of Sewanee’s funding for
summer internships
and research assistantships with leading companies and organizations.
The Useful Summer
By Bobby Silk
Each summer, hundreds of Sewanee students travel across the country—and the globe—in pursuit of the same thing: an unforgettable internship experience.
Thanks to the
Sewanee Pledge
, which guarantees funding for a summer internship or research fellowship, and support from
Career Readiness + Student Success
, Sewanee students benefit from unparalleled opportunities to gain firsthand experience in their potential career fields. Whether they were involved in groundbreaking medical research, worked behind the scenes on a marketing campaign, or advocated for social good at a non-profit organization, most students returned from their summer experiences with a few things in common. They got a preview of what their professional lives could look like, made connections to help facilitate their future job searches, and—most importantly—had the chance to connect their talents and passions with the opportunities to put them into practice.
Here is a sampling of how some Sewanee students spent their summers as interns.
Read More
Most Sewanee graduates end up doing the same thing: exactly what they want to do with their lives.
Fact
97%
First destinations
Sewanee graduates get going. 97 percent of our most recent graduating class are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months of graduation.
16
International destinations
Sewanee graduates spread their wings. Spain, France, New Zealand, and China were among the most popular international destinations for our recent grads. They also found spots in Bhutan, Denmark, and Japan—just to name a few. We hope they send pictures.
144
37 percent
Sewanee graduates mean business. 37 percent of our recent graduates went into business, finance, or consulting. 10 percent went into government, politics, policy, and law; healthcare, medicine, and research; arts, publishing, media, sports, and entertainment.
Life After Sewanee
The Sewanee experience accompanies you beyond the gates. We’re finding that our recent graduates are doing some impressive things on the other side. For these alumni, success has taken many shapes and has taken them many places. From farming to finance, their career outcomes are exciting to see. Get to know some of our young alumni—we think they’re pretty amazing.
Read More
Career Readiness
The Sewanee Pledge
Where will I live? What's going on? What's to eat? You've got questions?
Here are (some) answers.
98%
Almost all students live on campus.
During your first year, you will live in
one of our 19 residence halls
. Later, you can also chose from five language houses, several theme houses, a women's center, and a hall for our student firefighters (that's right you can train to fight fires, and build houses, too, but more on that later).
80+
Student clubs & organizations
When you go down the list of
amazing clubs & organizations
at Sewanee, please heed these two words of advice: pace yourself. With club sports, honor societies, art & publication organizations, student government, and emergency services, you'll find at least one thing (or 20) you want to join.
37
Named drinks at Stirling's
A Cool Sewanee Morning. A Crazy Sewanee Night. An Iced All Saints' Chapel. These are just a few of drinks available at
Stirling's Coffee House
—our student-run coffee house. An extension of
Sewanee Dining
, Stirling's is a perfect spot to grab a bagel or just hang out in one of the big comfy couches. Oh, and try our renowned curry chicken salad salad ... yum!
Behold How Good: a Photo Essay on Belonging
By Meredith Garrett
Belonging is connection. It’s mattering. It’s thriving. At Sewanee, we’ve created an environment to foster this sense of belonging. We also know that there is no finality to belonging—it’s continual and evolving. That’s why we’ve built a community full of diverse people whose goal is to walk alongside you no matter what.
Have a look at some of the real-life people you’ll meet here on the Mountain. They were once where you are now—looking for a new community. See what these folks have to say about their experience. They are actively creating a space for you.
Come visit to see if Sewanee is where you belong
.
Read More
SVFD
Since its formal organization in 1951, the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) has served the University community and the neighboring areas of Sherwood and Monteagle with a team of highly-trained local residents and students.
Good Neighbors
Sewanee’s flourishing civic engagement program reaches beyond the Domain to prove that a crucial part of preparing students for success is giving them opportunities to interact meaningfully with the communities and people around them.
We envision a Sewanee where students learn to engage this place and make meaningful change. We offer a constellation of opportunities for students including internships, academic certificates, volunteer opportunities and courses.
The Office of Civic Engagement
facilitates partnerships between campus and community members to develop relationships, knowledge, and skills that improve our common life across the South Cumberland Plateau.
Read More
Learn more about Sewanee's campus life
Schedule a Visit
The University's Domain bears a plentiful harvest. That’s not a marketing claim. It’s just a matter of ...
Fact
13
Environmental programs of study
Sewanee's Integrated Program in the Environment
is one of the premier collections of environmental offerings in the country. A
working farm
, a
13,000-acre forest
, and well-funded internships offer opportunities to apply your classroom learning.
65
Miles of hiking nirvana
The Domain is home to an
extensive trail network
. The signature Perimeter Trail—the 19-mile loop that circles much of the Domain—is a must for your Sewanee bucket list. It provides a hiking experience unparalleled in the region.
Try one of our favorites
.
2,163
Pounds of salad greens
The
University Farm
supplies
McClurg Dining Hall, Stirling’s Coffee House, and the Cup & Gown Cafe
with over one ton of product annually, including fresh eggs, salad greens, and other produce. Want to get your hands dirty? Labs, research, independent study, and social events are just a few ways to get down on the farm.
A Living Learning Laboratory
"If you're a student who is interested in being outside and studying the natural world and being able to do that at any time, Sewanee is the place for you."
Professor Kristen Cecala is interested in how environmental change alters the ecology and distribution of amphibians and reptiles through behavioral mechanisms.
Watch video
Joyce & Rob
The Sewanee Outing Program (SOP) gives students the chance to explore Sewanee’s 13,000-acre campus, the surrounding region, and wilderness areas across the United States.
A polar wind rips across the mountainside, streaming through my scarf, pushing an ache into my jaw. Not counting the wind chill, it is twenty degrees below freezing. In these southern forests such cold is unusual. Typical southern winters cycle between thaws and mild freezes, with deep chills arriving for a few days each year. Today’s cold will take the forest’s life to its physiological limits.
I want to experience the cold as the forest’s animals do, without the protection of clothes. On a whim, I throw my gloves and hat onto the frozen ground. The scarf follows. Quickly, I strip off my insulated overalls, shirt, T-shirt, and trousers.
The first two seconds of the experiment are surprisingly refreshing, a pleasant coolness after the stuffy clothes. Then the wind blasts away the illusion and my head is fogged with pain. The heat streaming out of my body scorches my skin.
A chorus of Carolina chickadees provides the accompaniment to this absurd striptease. The birds dance through the trees like sparks from a fire, careening through twigs. They rest no more than a second on any surface, then shoot away. The contrast on this cold day between the chickadees’ liveliness and my physiological incompetence seems to defy nature’s rules. Small animals should be less able to cope with the cold than their larger cousins. Small animals cool rapidly because they have proportionally much more body surface than body volume.
The relationship between the size of animals and the rate of heat loss has produced geographic trends in body sizes. When an animal species exists over a large area, the individuals in the north are usually larger than those in the south. This is known as Bergmann’s rule, after the nineteenth-century anatomist who first described the relationship. Carolina chickadees in Tennessee live towards the northern end of the species’ range, and they are ten to twenty percent larger than individuals from the southern limit of the range in Florida. Tennessee birds have tipped the balance between surface area and body volume to match the colder winters here. Farther north, Carolina chickadees are replaced by a closely related species, the black-capped chickadee, which is ten percent larger again.
Bergmann’s rule seems remote as I stand naked in the forest. The wind gusts hard and the burning sensation in my skin surges. Then, a deeper pain starts. Something behind my conscious mind is trapped and alarmed. My body is failing after just a minute in this winter chill. Yet, I weigh ten thousand times more than a chickadee; surely these birds should be extinguished in seconds.
This piece was adapted with permission from The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature, published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2012 by David George Haskell.
David Haskell
Haskell’s work integrates scientific, literary, and contemplative studies of the natural world. A former Tennessee Professor of the Year and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Haskell he teaches courses in nonfiction writing, biodiversity, evolution, and conservation.
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April
24
The 33rd annual Scholarship Sewanee event will take place on Friday, April 24. A daylong celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work, Scholarship Sewanee will feature student oral presentations, art exhibitions, musical performances, and a poster session. Check out the Scholarship Sewanee website at the link below to read student research project abstracts and view a full schedule of events.
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Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Jon Meacham, C’91, returns to the Mountain on May 9 to reflect on 250 years of the American story, with a livestream available and a special Friday conversation with John Seigenthaler kicking off Commencement Weekend.
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Vice-Provost and Dean of the College Jennifer Cooley and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Deon Miles honored the dedication and impact of Sewanee’s exceptional faculty with the presentation of the 2026 Faculty Awards. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to advising, scholarship, service, and teaching.
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Kylene J. Monaghan, C’26, has been named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar, becoming the University’s 28th recipient of the world’s oldest and most celebrated international postgraduate award. Monaghan, a physics and mathematics double major from Blacksburg, Virginia, was selected as one of 32 American Rhodes Scholars chosen from 238 finalists nationwide.
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Sewanee has again been recognized as one of the nation's best colleges for students seeking a great education with excellent career preparation and at a relatively affordable price, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company named Sewanee as one of its Best Value Colleges—and named it the No. 1 Most Beautiful College Campus in the country.
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