Alice Lloyd College

Alice Lloyd journeyed from Boston to Kentucky in 1915, seeking a milder climate in which to recover from her failing health. In the Appalachian Mountains, she found that education became her life's work. She truly believed that these hills and hollows held the leaders of tomorrow. Thus, Alice Lloyd College (ALC) was born.
From its inception, Alice Lloyd College has placed a supreme value on educating the whole person. The name of the community, Pippa Passes, originated from a poem by Robert Browning called "Pippa's Song". Pippa was a poor mill child who passed through the surrounding villages singing lyrics that ultimately changed the troubled lives of the people she encountered. This great work became a symbol for one of the purposes of Alice Lloyd College: the influence of unconscious good upon the world.
It was Alice Lloyd and co-founder June Buchanan who saw the spirit of learning prevail both in and out of the classroom, forming the basis of character education. The "Christian Forum" required students to discuss ethical and moral issues, life's purposes and goals, and Christian standards of conduct. These values were all significant in the total educational experience. Leadership was the desired result of character building.
Today, this tradition remains a central focus of Alice Lloyd College. It is reflected in the leadership of its faculty and staff; Student Work Program; Caney Convocation Series; a special leadership course required of freshman students; and high standards of conduct, dress, and attitude.
Students and parents alike are reminded of the College's philosophy during orientation sessions. It is expected that students who have engaged in the Alice Lloyd College experience will not only be intellectually equipped to continue their pursuit of learning, but will also be prepared as responsible citizens for a life of service and leadership.
The idea of working for an education at ALC is as old as the school itself. Early students provided labor in exchange for tuition, room, and board. They were earning their own way on the path of becoming the leaders of tomorrow. Today, tuition is guaranteed to qualified students residing in 108 Central Appalachian counties in parts of five states. At Alice Lloyd College, every full-time student is required to work as a part of his or her overall educational experience. So committed is the College to the concept of student leadership, that successful completion of the work assignment is a graduation requirement.
Alice Lloyd College provides a comprehensive leadership development program for its students. This training contains aspects of leadership philosophy, citizenship, and cultural development, which build upon a strong traditional liberal arts education. The institution attempts to infuse leadership education initiatives into all aspects of the educational experience including formal classroom instruction; activities that enable students to experience cultures outside of Appalachia; group learning activities; involvement in service to others; and activities that place them in leadership roles.
To accomplish this ideal, the Academic, Student Services, and Work Program have become intimately connected in pursuing the mission of preparing leaders to serve Appalachia through a formal leadership development program. Through the years, Alice Lloyd College has impacted many lives, and in turn, those people have become leaders in their communities and the region serving in roles such as doctors, lawyers, ministers, political leaders, and educators.
Alice Lloyd College has been marketed as a college that is Providing Leadership for Appalachia.