Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay State University
Motto Be a Gov!
Type Public
Established 1927
Endowment $22 million[1]
President Alisa White
Academic staff
 550[2]
Administrative staff
 629[3]
Undergraduates 9,835
Postgraduates 888
Location Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.
Campus Urban, 160 acres (0.8 km²)
Colors Red and White          
Mascot Governors
Website www.apsu.edu

Austin Peay State University /ˈɔːstən pi/ is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and is the fastest-growing university in Tennessee.[4]

History

Clarksville Masonic Lodge No. 89 sponsored the Montgomery County Male Academy. In 1845, the Masonic College was founded, and in 1848, the Montgomery County Male Academy merged with the Masonic College, taking the name of Montgomery Masonic College and Male Academy. This institution continued through 1855 when it was given to the Presbyterian Synod of Nashville to be operated by them as a male college and academy. The Presbyterians changed the name of the college to Stewart College, and later the name was changed again to Southwestern Presbyterian University. In 1925 Southwestern moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and in 1945 that institution became "Southwestern at Memphis" for many years until it was ultimately renamed Rhodes College in 1984. This was the forerunner of Austin Peay Normal School and located where Austin Peay State University now exists. Arguably, the site on which the current university is situated has held some type of an institution of higher learning longer than any in Tennessee west of Knoxville.

The Browning Building at Austin Peay State University

The university began as Austin Peay Normal School when it was created as a two-year junior college and teacher-training institution by Act of the General Assembly of 1927 and named in honor of sitting Governor Austin Peay. Limited in purposes and resources initially, the school gradually grew in stature over the years to take its place among the colleges and universities under the control of the State Board of Education.

Harned Hall was the first new building during the Normal School era, 1931-1943. In 1939, the state Board of Education authorized the school to inaugurate a curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The degree was first conferred on the graduating class at the 1942 Spring Convocation. By Act of the Tennessee Legislature of Feb. 4, 1943, the name of the school was changed to Austin Peay State College. In 1951, the state board authorized the College to confer the Bachelor of Arts degree and, in 1952, to offer graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Education. At the November 1966 meeting, the state Board of Education conferred university status on the College, effective Sept. 1, 1967. In February 1967, the state Board of Education authorized the University to confer the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees. In 1968, associate degrees were approved. The state Board of Education relinquished its governance of higher education institutions to the Tennessee Board of Regents in 1972.

In 1974, the Tennessee Board of Regents authorized the Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Education Specialist degrees. In 1979, the Bachelor of Business Administration degree was approved as a replacement for traditional B.A. and B.S. degrees in various fields of business. In 1979, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was approved. In 1983, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the Master of Music degree. In 2001, the Tennessee Board of Regents authorized the Bachelor of Professional Studies.

The university began to experience rapid growth in 2000, eventually leading to an increase of 52.4 percent from 2001 to 2010, making it the fastest growing state university in Tennessee. In Fall 2009, enrollment reached a record 10,188, surpassing the 10,000-student mark for the first time. In Fall 2010 enrollment continued to grow, reaching 10,723 students. The university opened its newest facility in Fall 2010, the Hemlock Semiconductor Building, offering the university's first degree in chemical engineering technology, a two-year associate degree program. The University has continued to expand its presence in its service region, offering a degree program on-site at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tenn. and future plans to offer similar programs in Springfield, Tenn.

Tornado damage

In the early morning hours of January 22, 1999, an F-4 tornado struck downtown Clarksville and the APSU campus. No one was killed, but the Clement, Harned, Harvill and Archwood Buildings were severely damaged, while many others suffered broken windows and roof damage. Some 130 shattered trees littered the campus and added to the gloomy sight of shattered buildings. Administrators announced plans to resume classes within one week, and the university ultimately opened just three days later. Many of the heavily damaged buildings were reopened within one year.

Organization

Academics at Austin Peay are organized into six colleges, two schools, and 28 subordinate departments and offices:

College of Arts and Letters

College of Behavioral and Health Sciences

College of Business

Martha Dickerson Eriksson College of Education

College of Science and Mathematics

School of Technology and Public Management @ Fort Campbell

Athletics

Austin Peay State athletics logo

The school's athletic teams, most of which compete in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), are known as the "Governors" in honor of the school's namesake. The school's popular cheer is, "Let's go, Peay!"

The football team had participated in the Pioneer Football League, but on April 8, 2005 announced that it was leaving the Pioneer League at the conclusion of the 2005 season and that the football program would rejoin the Ohio Valley Conference in 2007.

The basketball Govs and Lady Govs have a long tradition of excellence in the OVC. Coach Dave Loos has led Austin Peay to three NCAA tournament berths, on the way to becoming one of the most respected coaches in the conference, as well as its winningest coach. Notable players such as Trenton Hassell and Bubba Wells continue to emerge from the program. In 1987, Austin Peay stunned Illinois in the first round 68-67, becoming just the third 14th-seeded team to knock off a No. 3 seed.

In July–August 2006, the Tennessee Titans had their first training camp on the campus.

Buildings on campus

Educational or Administration

  • Trahern Building
  • Browning Building
  • Claxton Building
  • Clement Building
  • Dunn Center
  • Ellington Building
  • Felix G. Woodward Library
  • Foy Fitness and Recreational Center
  • Harned Hall
  • Hemlock Semiconductor Building
  • Kimbrough Building
  • Marks Building
  • McCord Building
  • Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building
  • McReynolds Building
  • Memorial Health Building ("The Red Barn")
  • Music/Mass Communication Building
  • Pace Alumni Center at Emerald Hills
  • Sundquist Science Complex
  • Trahern Building
  • Joe C. Morgan University Center
  • Honors Commons

Residence halls

  • Sevier Hall (Female)
  • Beatrice Hand Village (Co-ed)
  • Emerald Hills (Family Housing)
  • Blount Hall (Co-ed, Freshmen)
  • Harvill Hall (Co-ed, Honors housing)
  • Meacham Apartments (Co-ed)
  • Castle Heights (Freshmen)
  • Two Rivers Apartments (Co-ed, Honors housing)
  • Governor's Terrace North (Co-ed)
  • Governor's Terrace South (Co-ed)
  • Martha Dickerson Eriksson Hall (Co-ed, Freshmen)

Notable alumni

Presidents

References

  1. ↑ "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2013 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2012 to FY 2013" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. June 30, 2011.
  2. ↑ As of Fall 2009 semester. "Faculty By Gender, Tenure Status, and Ethnicity" (PDF). 2009 Faculty Data. Austin Peay State University Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. ↑ As of Fall 2009 semester. "Total Employees By Employment Status, Gender, and Ethnicity" (PDF). 2009 Employees Data. Austin Peay State University Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  4. ↑ Green, Tavia. "Austin Peay State University continues growth, Nashville State opens doors". The Leaf Chronicle. Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. ↑ http://wkms.org/post/apsus-tim-hall-accepts-presidency-mercy-college

External links

Coordinates: 36°31′56″N 87°21′16″W / 36.53230°N 87.35457°W / 36.53230; -87.35457

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