Academics at Lees-McRae College is a 360° experience, no doubt. From our vantage point in the spectacular mountains of North Carolina, we view the world as our classroom and seek to understand other people, places, and cultures and to become agents of change to help shape a more just future. Drawing upon our heritage of service and a liberal arts tradition, we welcome diverse viewpoints, exercise creative and imaginative approaches in the search for truth, and develop positive habits of the mind and of the heart.

Lees-McRae College provides students opportunities to dream of new possibilities, dare to make meaningful contributions while demonstrating personal responsibility, and achieve excellence in all they do. Faculty truly cares about each individual student and provides support and individual attention that contribute to student success. A variety of programs in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Professional Studies challenges students to explore their world while also preparing them to enter the professional world or graduate school.

Dr. Jim Carson
Program Coordinator, Social Sciences
Associate Professor of Psychology.

"I attended the University of Denver as an undergraduate and received my PhD from the University of Illinois in Developmental Psychology. An NIMH post-doctoral fellowship allowed me to study at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. I have always enjoyed teaching and Lees-McRae College has given me an opportunity to teach a range of topics to both traditional and non-traditional students. Being in the classroom and helping students achieve what they previously thought impossible are the things I enjoy most about my work. I appreciate having the opportunity to know and interact with my students on a personal level."