2006-07 academic year underway
Colleges and universities related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) report on new programs, faculty members, and campus changes as they start academic year 2006-07.
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE
Decatur, Georgia
Agnes Scott College welcomes its eighth president, Elizabeth Kiss, former director of Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics. The Rev. Kate Colussy-Estes joined the college community as the new Julia Thompson Smith Chaplain. Groundbreaking for a new campus chapel also named for Smith is expected later in the academic year.
ALMA COLLEGE
Alma, Michigan
Alma College is observing its 120th year since its founding by Michigan Presbyterians. In September, political statesmen Robert Dole and George McGovern visited campus to discuss civility as part of the Center for Responsible Leadership Speaker Series. The campus was saddened by the loss of former president Robert Swanson, who died Sept. 15 at age 91. Dr. Swanson served as Alma’s president from 1956 to 1980.
AUSTIN COLLEGE
Sherman, Texas
Austin College continues its ranking among the top liberal arts colleges of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2007, announced in August. The ranking announcements came just prior to the opening of the 158th academic year of Austin College, which included an address by author and journalist Ron Suskind. The College campus community includes 340 new freshmen.
BELHAVEN COLLEGE
Jackson, Mississippi
Do you know what your calling is? We do. Belhaven equips students to serve Christ through the gifts and abilities He has given them. We think college should be more than a full auditorium, more than fitting into a club, and more than loosely connected subjects. At Belhaven, it’s about belonging, being challenged, and finding your calling. More information is available at www.belhaven.edu .
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield College ranked fifth in campus diversity among Northern Comprehensive Colleges according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 higher education rankings. U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., District Assemblyman Craig Stanley, and Bloomfield Mayor Raymond McCarthy attended a groundbreaking ceremony for our new Center for Academic Development; Senator Robert Menendez spoke at our opening convocation.
BUENA VISTA UNIVERSITY
Storm Lake, Iowa
With a new $26 million science center (2004), an established wireless laptop network, and a new online degree program, student outcomes at BVU are based on dedicated and supportive faculty, rigorous programs, and innovative integration of teaching and technology. In 2004-05, BVU was the largest producer of teacher education graduates of any private college in Iowa.
CARROLL COLLEGE
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Carroll College has received a $393,300 National Science Foundation grant to attract and retain students with high academic ability and high financial need who want to major in chemistry, biochemistry, or biology. The grant, which will fund Carroll’s new Science, Technology and Research (STaR) Scholar Program, is effective Sept. 1, 2007, and will be funded for five years.
CENTRE COLLEGE
Danville, Kentucky
It is official–Centre has an all-time high enrollment. The total enrollment for the 2006-7 Centre College academic year is an all-time record, as is the number of first-time freshmen enrolling at Centre. As of Aug. 31, there are 1,147 full-time students enrolled this year, of whom 328 are first-time freshmen and nine are new transfers.
COE COLLEGE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
As a nationally-recognized, selective, private liberal arts institution, Coe College has been providing students with a superior education since 1851. To see why Coe College is consistently ranked as one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country, you have to experience it in person. Call us today to schedule your visit.
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson College trustees will spend the next several months leading the search for the college’s seventeenth president. President Robert F. Vagt announced last summer his intention to leave after the conclusion of the current academic year, following a successful and energetic ten years on the job.
DAVIS AND ELKINS COLLEGE
Elkins, West Virginia
Ranked by U.S. News and World Report in its 2007 “Guide to America’s Best Colleges,” D&E stresses small classes and strong faculty-student interaction. It offers an innovative Winter Term that provides concentrated on-campus courses as well as study abroad and other off-campus learning opportunities for three weeks each January. More than 30 majors and pre-professional programs are offered. Davis & Elkins is home to a co-ed USCSA ski team as well as NCAA (Div. II) athletic competition. Find out more at www.DavisAndElkins.edu .
ECKERD COLLEGE
St. Petersburg, Florida
Eckerd is one of forty “Colleges That Change Lives” (Loren Pope, 2006). Eckerd’s August term for freshmen, 4-1-4 calendar that facilitates focused study abroad and faculty-mentored research during the January term, and service learning opportunities around the world provide undergraduates a learning environment offering life-changing experiences.
GROVE CITY COLLEGE
Grove City, Pennsylvania
Grove City College opened its $12 million Colonial Hall Apartments this fall, which allowed enrollment to increase to 2,450. The college has again been ranked No. 1 Best Value by U.S. News and World Report among other accolades on it academics, The Christian environment and low cost are heralded year after year. Learn more at www.gcc.edu .
HANOVER COLLEGE
Hanover, Indiana
Hanover College launched the Center for Church Leadership with a $500,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment and matching institutional funds. The center will recruit students for Hanover’s pre-ministry program to serve the church as ordained or lay leaders. It will also strengthen relationships with those who recognize the value of producing leaders educated in the liberal arts.
HASTINGS COLLEGE
Hastings, Nebraska
Hastings College welcomed a steady number of incoming freshmen with 263 new students. Total enrollment of 1,143 reflects a 90.4 percent retention rate. Construction continues on a new outdoor track complex, and the beauty of the campus was enhanced by the addition of two bronze sculptures. “The Learning Curve” and “Communion” were donated by Cal Johnson, board of trustees member, and his wife, Jane, and were created by artist Gary Lee Price of Springville, Utah.
ILLINOIS COLLEGE
Jacksonville, Illinois
A total of 1,023 students are currently enrolled for fall classes. This is the fourth year in a row that enrollment has topped 1,000 at the private, liberal arts school. As the college prepares for growth, the recent completion of the new 201-bed residence hall will allow a large percentage of the student population to live on campus.
JAMESTOWN COLLEGE
Jamestown, North Dakota
Jamestown College opened fall classes in the Unruh-Sheldon Center for Business and Computer Science. The latest technology, including interactive Web casting, and dual screen monitors at each computer station, are all part of the educational experience. Jamestown College is an independent, co-educational institution offering more than 40 majors and minors.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
Easton, Pennsylvania
In the last three years, Lafayette students and recent grads have received several major national and international undergraduate and post-graduate scholarships and fellowships, including the Fulbright Grant (8), Goldwater Scholarship (7), National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (4), Jacob K. Javits Fellowship (2), and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Fellowship (2).
LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
St. Charles, Missouri
The Lindenwood University campus population broke a record again. At the start of the fall semester, the residential population of 3,459 on the main campus has continued the trend of breaking the record set the previous year. This fall’s total is up from last year’s number by 250 students. The residential population in 1996 was 1,326 students.
LYON COLLEGE
Batesville, Arkansas
“We are honored to be cited again by U.S. News and World Report as one of the country’s best national liberal arts colleges,” said Lyon President Walter Roettger. “But it’s particularly gratifying that U.S. News has selected us as the ‘best value’ in the state and South Central United States among national liberal arts colleges. That’s a wonderful testimony to the quality of our faculty, staff, and students and the success of our alumni.”
MACALESTER COLLEGE
St. Paul, Minnesota
Macalester College broke ground for a new Athletic and Recreation Center in early October. The Macalester Athletic and Recreation Center, one of the most heavily used venues on campus, will be expanded and improved through a more than $40 million project that will begin in winter 2007 and be completed in fall 2008.
MARYVILLE COLLEGE
Maryville, Tennessee
Since 1877, February meetings have offered Maryville College students, faculty, staff, and the broader church community an annual dialogue with outstanding preachers and theologians. Recent speakers have included Rick Ufford-Chase, Rodger Nishioka, Anna Carter Florence, and David Young. The focus of February 22 & 23 will be “Creating Community from Chaos,” as the Right Rev. Ken Newell, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Northern Ireland, tells the compelling story of his work of compassion and reconciliation with Catholic neighbors.
MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY
Decatur, Illinois
Millikin University recently celebrated the reopening of the renovated Albert Taylor Theatre. The 103 year-old theatre is home to stage productions and campus events. The restoration included a new rigging system, sound system, new carpeting, new seating, and new paint design. The improvements were made to outfit the theatre for the 21st century while maintaining its unique character.
MONMOUTH COLLEGE
Monmouth. Illinois
Monmouth College’s enrollment remains near an all-time high. To house the growing number of students, ground was broken in August for another residence hall, the fourth to be added since 2001. Monmouth recently welcomed a new dean, Jane Jakoubek. She is funding a $100,000 faculty development endowment.
MUSKINGUM COLLEGE
New Concord, Ohio
Muskingum College has broken ground on a 23,000-square foot, $7.7-million campus center. The new facility will house rooms for studying and leadership development, a fitness center, and various areas for students to gather and enjoy food and refreshments. Completion is slated for the 2007-2008 academic year.
UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS
Clarksville, Arkansas
University of the Ozarks surpassed the $22 million mark in September in its five-year, $40 million “Promise of Excellence Campaign.” The campaign officially kicked off on Feb. 14, 2006, with the announcement of a $20 million lead gift from Mrs. Helen R. Walton of Bentonville, Ark., the lifetime honorary chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. The Walton gift provided dramatic enhancements to the university’s academic programs and created a Teacher Education Program of Excellence.
PEACE COLLEGE
Raleigh, North Carolina
Peace College has established a teacher-education program that prepares its students for dual certification in elementary education and special education. It’s the first program of its kind in the state. The program features a close collaboration with local schools, which will give students earlier and more extensive classroom experience than many teaching programs provide.
PIKEVILLE COLLEGE
Pikeville, Kentucky
As Pikeville College celebrates its 118th year, enrollment remains strong with 1,100 students — 800 undergraduate and 300 in the School of Osteopathic Medicine. The College family recently joined the local community and Habitat for Humanity, helping to build six homes in seven days. John Strosnider, D.O., dean of the medical school, was elected to serve as president of the American Osteopathic Association.
PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE
Clinton, South Carolina
Presbyterian College opened its 2006-07 academic year with a commitment to finance and build a Habitat for Humanity House in the Clinton community. Freshmen made the project part of their orientation, and campus groups from fraternities to athletics teams have contributed workdays. The project ties well into PC’s motto, “While We Live We Serve.”
QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE
Charlotte, North Carolina
Queens University of Charlotte has been a part of the Charlotte landscape for 150 years, and is proud to be celebrating its Sesquicentennial throughout the 2006-2007 academic year with an array of events and activities planned for the Charlotte community. Founded in 1857 on a strong Presbyterian heritage, the university is a private, co-educational, liberal arts institution boasting 21 majors and serving nearly 2,200 students. More information is available from www.queens.edu.
ST. ANDREWS PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE
Laurinburg, North Carolina
St. Andrews Presbyterian College is a four-year liberal arts and sciences college in the North Carolina Sandhills. The college boasts an unparalleled interdisciplinary curriculum, a study abroad program on three continents, a multidisciplinary science lab the size of an indoor arena, the first undergraduate college press in the country, the first four-year degree in therapeutic horsemanship and equine business management, and an award-winning bagpipe band.
TRINITY UNIVERSITY
San Antonio, Texas
Trinity University — located in historic, culturally rich San Antonio — is one of the nation’s top private undergraduate institutions. Noted for its superior academic quality, outstanding faculty, and exceptional academic and residential resources, Trinity is committed to the intellectual, civic, and professional preparation of its talented, purposeful students.
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The University of Tulsa, ranked among the Top 100 universities in the nation, is a private university providing comprehensive educational opportunities to more than 4,000 graduate and undergraduate students at its 200-acre residential campus. Students from across the nation and more than 60 countries worldwide enjoy TU’s personalized attention, small class sizes, and low student-faculty ratio.
WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
Asheville, North Carolina
Over the summer, Warren Wilson College named William Sanborn “Sandy” Pfeiffer, former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Ramapo College of New Jersey, to be its sixth president. Warren Wilson recently received the national 2006 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award in its category by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education at their conference in Tempe, Arizona. For more information on Warren Wilson College, visit www.warren-wilson.edu .
WAYNESBURG COLLEGE
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
As a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Waynesburg College offers more than 70 programs of study at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Students can prepare for ministry through our six-option Biblical and Ministry Studies program. In addition, community service is at the heart of the Waynesburg College mission, equipping students to make a difference locally and worldwide.
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
Fulton, Missouri
Westminster College, a select liberal arts college in Fulton, Mo., dedicated to developing leaders in a global community, is experiencing its fifth straight year of record enrollment. The Princeton Review recently ranked Westminster as the fourth best value private college or university in the nation and named it one of the Best Midwestern Colleges. U.S. News and World Report also selected Westminster as a top liberal arts college in the nation.
WHITWORTH COLLEGE
Spokane, Washington
Whitworth has seen applications more than double; enrollment, retention and graduation rates reach record highs; and $55 million in campus improvements made during the 13-year tenure of President Bill Robinson. This year, Whitworth was again in the top five best colleges and best values in U.S. News and World Report ranking of regional universities in the West.
WILSON COLLEGE
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Wilson College has received a $750,000 gift from alumna Dorothea Smith to launch a drive for the renovation and expansion of the college’s science center. She attended Wilson from 1929 through 1931. Wilson maintains a challenging liberal arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing strong writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills. Within its diverse, community, small interactive classes and faculty mentoring support students.
