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SOUTHEAST REGION SCHOOLS
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of Virginia Elite among public institution of higher education, UVA also holds its own against the best of the private schools, too. A number of special programs are offered in addition to the regular curriculum. The most prestigious of these is the Echols Scholars program, which exempts students from distribution and major-field requirements and lets them loose to explore the academic disciplines as they see fit. The school invites about 180 top freshmen into the program and houses them together for their first year. To encourage more professor/student interaction, the university instituted a University Seminar program, in which prominent faculty teach 15 or fewer first-year students in a seminar learning environment. Virginia is noted for its honor system, which was instituted by students in 1842 after no one owned up to shooting a professor on the Lawn. Students are expected to "have the moral fortitude to abide by the community's standards of moral conduct," and the penalty for infractions is a swift dismissal from campus. About 30 percent of both men and women make up the Greek system, which has a fairly prominent role in campus social life. The student-run University Union and more than 300 student organizations offer movies, concerts, social hours, and other extracurricular activities. Ultimately, this quintessentially Virginian institution can take pride in its paternal lineage and its powerful present, as it defends its title as one of the premier public institutions in the country. Xavier University of Lousiana The university has built a national reputation as one of the most effective teaching institutions anywhere, and has been designated as one of only a few Model Institutions for Excellence by the National Science Foundation. In addition to the many internships available, Xavier offers cooperative education programs in all fields and study abroad programs throughout North, Central, and South America, Europe, Africa, and Japan. The new Center for the Advancement of Teaching works to improve pedagogy across the curriculum and encourages African-American students to become teachers and researchers. Fraternities and sororities play a leading role in extracurricular and social life, though less than 10 percent of the student body goes Greek. Popular events include Culture Fest, Spring Fest, and Homecoming. Xavier is a school where achievement has been the rule and beating the odds a routine occurrence. More important, it's a place where perseverance and dedication are rewarded.
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