Randolph College

Randolph College
Former names
 Randolph-Macon Woman's College (1891–2007)
Motto Vita Abundantior
Motto in English
 Life More Abundant
Type Private liberal arts college
Established 1891
Affiliation United Methodist Church
Endowment US $136.1 million<[1]
President Bradley W. Bateman
Academic staff
 72
Undergraduates 517
Postgraduates 7
Location Lynchburg, VA, USA
37°26′12″N 79°10′18″W / 37.4368°N 79.1718°W / 37.4368; -79.1718Coordinates: 37°26′12″N 79°10′18″W / 37.4368°N 79.1718°W / 37.4368; -79.1718
Campus Suburban, Historic; 100 acres
Colors Black and Yellow          
Athletics NCAA Division III – ODAC
Nickname WildCats
Mascot Wanda the WildCat
Affiliations IAMSCU
Annapolis Group
CIC
Website www.randolphcollege.edu

Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.

The college offers 30 majors, 44 minors, pre-professional programs in law, medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, and teaching, and dual degree programs in engineering and nursing. Bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and bachelor of fine arts degrees are offered. Randolph offers master of arts in teaching and master of education degrees.

The College, which has always been known for preparing its alumnae and alumni to succeed in a global environment with study abroad programs, recently announced Bridges Not Walls, a Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) required by its regional accrediting agency (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Bridges Not Walls, approved by the College's faculty during 2010, is designed to enhance students' intercultural competence.

Randolph operates a study abroad program, Randolph College Abroad: The World in Britain at the University of Reading, England.

Randolph is an NCAA Division III school competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The college fields varsity teams in six men's and eight women's sports. The coed riding team competes in both the ODAC and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association.

Notable alumni include author Pearl S. Buck, who won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize, former U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, and CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.

Randolph is a member of The Annapolis Group of colleges in the United States, the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, and the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.

History

The college was founded by William Waugh Smith, then-president of Randolph-Macon College, under Randolph-Macon's charter after he failed to convince R-MC to become co-educational. Randolph-Macon Woman's College has historic ties to the United Methodist Church. After many attempts to find a location for Randolph-Macon Woman's College, the city of Lynchburg donated 50 acres[2] for the purpose of establishing a women's college. In 1916, it became the first women's college in the South to earn a Phi Beta Kappa charter.[3] Beginning in 1953, the two colleges were governed by separate boards of trustees.

Main Hall, built in 1891, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[4]

In August 2006, only a few weeks into the academic year, Randolph-Macon Woman's College announced that it would adopt coeducation and change its name. Former Interim president Ginger H. Worden argued (in a September 17, 2006 editorial for The Washington Post) that,

"today, the college is embarking on a new future, one that will include men. Yet that original mission, that dedication to women's values and education, remains. The fact of the marketplace is that only 3 percent of college-age women say they will consider a women's college. The majority of our own students say they weren't looking for a single-sex college specifically. Most come despite the fact that we are a single-sex college. Our enrollment problems are not going away, and we compete with both coed and single-sex schools. Of the top 10 colleges to which our applicants also apply, seven are coed. Virtually all who transfer from R-MWC do so to a coed school. These market factors affect our financial realities."[5]

The decision to go co-ed was not welcomed by everyone. Alumnae and students organized protests which were covered by local and national media.[6] Many students accused the school of having recruited them under false pretenses, as the administration did not warn new or current students that they were considering admitting men.[7] Lawsuits were filed against the school by both students and alumnae.

It was renamed Randolph College on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational. The last class to have the option to receive diplomas from Randolph Macon Woman's College graduated on May 16, 2010. Randolph College is named after John Randolph of Roanoke, Virginia. Randolph (1773-1833) was an eccentric planter and politician who, in his will, released hundreds of slaves after his death and once fought a duel with Henry Clay.[8]

Presidents

Notable faculty

Notable alumnae

Name Known for Relationship to college
Pearl S. Buck First woman from the United States to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938 for "the body of her work". Her most famous work, The Good Earth won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize. class of 1914
Iris Kelso Influential newspaper journalist and television commentator in New Orleans, Louisiana; won a Peabody Award for her television reports class of 1948
Odilia Dank Republican member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1994 to 2006; first woman to chair the House Education Committee; school counselor by occupation; native of Cleveland, Ohio[12][13] class of 1960
Emily Squires One of the twelve directors of Sesame Street. She won 6 Daytime Emmys. class of 1961
Candy Crowley CNN senior political correspondent whose career includes two awards for outstanding journalism, from the National Press Foundation and the Associated Press. class of 1970
Frank M. Hull Current judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. class of 1970
Susan Webber Wright US district court judge in Little Rock, Arkansas. She presided over Paula Jones's sexual harassment lawsuit against former President Bill Clinton. She was also involved with the investigation of the Whitewater Scandal with Kenneth Starr. class of 1970
Sara Driver Independent filmmaker, director of You Are Not I (1981), Sleepwalk (1986), and When Pigs Fly (1993); producer of two early Jim Jarmusch films, Permanent Vacation and Stranger Than Paradise. class of 1977
Blanche Lincoln Democratic U.S. Senator from Arkansas from 1999 to 2011. She has previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas' 1st congressional district. At the age of 38, Lincoln was the youngest woman to be elected to the Senate, in 1998. class of 1982
Missy Irvin Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate from Mountain View since 2011 class of 1993
Kakenya Ntaiya Founder of Kakenya Center for Excellence, a school for girls in Kenya, and women's education and health activist. class of 2004
Anne Wilkes Tucker Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; photography curator; (named "America's Best Curator" by Time, in 2001)
Suzanne Patrick US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Industrial Policy
Daisy Hurst Floyd Dean of the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University, 2004 until 2010 attended 1973 until 1975
Helen Claire Actress on Broadway and in old-time radio[14]

Traditions

One of the college's oldest traditions is the Even/Odd rivalry. The year the student graduates denotes whether they are an Even or an Odd. The two staircases in Main Hall lobby are known as the "Even Stairs" on the left and "Odd Stairs" on the right. According to superstition, a student who uses the wrong set of stairs will not graduate. The class of 1903 unofficially established the Odd/Even tradition by adopting the class of 1905 as "little sisters."

The campus symbol of the Odd classes is the "Odd Tree", located on the college's front lawn. Legend has it that the original Odd Tree was burned down by Evens. A large cement replica of the trunk now stands on the site of the original tree. The Odd symbols are the witch and the devil. Their colors are red, grey and blue. Their spirit organization is the Gamma 13 founded by the class of 1913.

The "Even Post" in front of Main Hall serves as a symbol of the Even classes. William Waugh Smith tied his horse, Mr. Buttons, to this hitching post every day. The Evens also adopted Smith's dog, Mr. Bones, as a mascot. Symbols of the Even classes are buttons (after the horse) and bones (after the dog). Their colors are green, white and tan. Their spirit organization is called the Etas.

Members of the Odd and Even classes attempt to keep their respective tree and post clean and white, while striving to spraypaint or otherwise deface the symbol of their rival class.

Throughout the semester Skeller Sings are held between the Odd and Even classes. The senior spirit group stands on the stage in the Student Center to lead their sister class with class songs. The junior spirit group is sent to the stairs to lead their class respectively. At the end of the Skeller Sing, both the Etas and the Gammas come together to sing the Song of Syncopation and the school song.

Even or Odd Day is celebrated during the spring term. Members of First Year Board secretly decorate the campus the night of Even/Odd Day to surprise their sister class. The Evens and the Odds then face off at dinner time with a water balloon fight.

"Bury the Hatchet" is celebrated at the end of the spring semester before graduation. A senior presents a hatchet to the most spirited junior to symbolize the Odds and Evens coming together in friendship at the end of the academic year.

Ring Week

Ring Week, held in November, is celebrated by juniors and their sister class, the first-years. The week begins with junior draw, when the juniors are picked by members of the first-year class. Throughout the week, the first-year will leave the junior gifts anonymously, and decorate their door. At the end of the week the juniors have a class dinner before taking part in a campus-wide scavenger hunt created by their first-years. The juniors are then presented with their class ring. Sometimes the first-year will have the junior complete a final task before receiving her ring such as breaking open a piñata, digging through Jell-O, or dancing outrageously.

Pumpkin Parade

Pumpkin Parade is celebrated by seniors and sophomores in October. Sophomores select a senior to secretly leave presents for during the week leading up to Pumpkin Parade. At the end of the week, the sophomore presents a carved pumpkin to their senior. The seniors, dressed in their graduation robes, carry their lighted pumpkins on a parade along the Crush Path across front campus. The parade ends on the steps of Moore Hall. There the senior and sophomore classes serenade one another with class and school songs.

Other traditions

Never Ending Weekend is celebrated during the fall semester. The weekend begins on Friday with Tacky Party, a dance party where the attendants aspire to dress in the tackiest outfits possible. The Fall Formal dance follows on Saturday night. Holiday dinner is celebrated during the last week of the fall semester. Sister classes dine together in dining hall, which is decorated for the occasion. At the end of the meal, students stand on their chairs and sing holiday songs. The evening is closed with the singing of the school song.

The Greek Play has been a college tradition since 1909. Every other year a traditional Greek play is performed in the outdoor Mabel K. Whiteside Greek Theatre, called The Dell. The Greek play is unique to Randolph College and is run by Amy R. Cohen of the Classics department.[15]

In addition to the traditions described above the college is host to many others including: Senior Dinner Dance, Founder’s Day, and Christmas Vespers.

Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College

Randolph College’s Maier Museum of Art[16] features works by outstanding American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The College has been collecting American art since 1920 and the Maier now houses a collection of several thousand paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs in the College's permanent collection.

The Maier hosts an active schedule of special exhibitions and education programs throughout the year. Through its programs, internships, museum studies practicums, and class visits, the Maier Museum of Art provides valuable learning opportunities for Randolph students and the community at large.

Art controversies

In 2007, Randolph College announced that it would sell four paintings from its collection.[17] The announcement resulted in an injunction filed to stop the sales as well as protests from art associations, including the Virginia Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors and the College Art Association.[18] The lawsuit was dropped.[19]

In 2008, the college sold Rufino Tamayo's Trovador for a record-breaking $7.2 million.[20] In 2013, Randolph College entered into an agreement with the National Gallery, London for the purchase of George Wesley Bellows' Men of the Docks, for $25.5 million and established an academic partnership between the two institutions.[21] The other paintings slated for sale at a later date are Edward Hicks' Peaceable Kingdom, and Ernest Hennings' Through the Arroyo.

In the spring of 2011, Randolph College was censured[22] by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), of which Randolph College is not nor has ever been a member, for its proposed deaccessioning of four centerpieces within its collection. The college responded by asserting that its art collection is a college asset held for the purpose of enhancing student learning. In 2014, the AAMD issued sanctions forbidding its member institutions from loaning artwork to or otherwise collaborating with the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College.[23] The censure has sparked discussion over the differences between standalone museums and collections held by private non-profit entities like colleges and universities.[24]

Special programs

Randolph College Abroad: The World in Britain

Since 1968, the college has hosted a study abroad program at the University of Reading, England. Each year as many as 35 students are selected for the program. Commonly taken during the junior year, students may choose to enroll for the full academic year or for the fall or spring semester only. Students live in one of three Randolph-owned houses across the street from the University of Reading campus.[25]

The American Culture program

A minor in American Culture offers Randolph College students the opportunity to study American society and culture by drawing upon resources, techniques, and approaches from a variety of disciplines. The American Culture program also accepts visiting students from other American colleges and universities for a one-semester intensive study of a particular theme or region, including literature, art, history, and travel components.

3/2 nursing program

Randolph College has an agreement with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Students stay at Randolph for their first three years, then transfer to Vanderbilt for another two years. Students receive a B.A. in Health Services from Randolph College and an M.S.N. from Vanderbilt.

References

  1. ↑ As of February 14, 2014. "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). 2013 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Randolph-Macon Woman's College". The Independent. Jul 6, 1914. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Randolph College History and Legacy".
  4. ↑ Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  5. ↑ Worden, Virginia (2006-09-17). "Why We Had No Choice but to Go Coed". washingtonpost.edu. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  6. ↑ "Women's colleges", New York Times, 21 September 2006
  7. ↑ "Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  8. ↑ http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/who-was-john-randolph/
  9. ↑ "Dr. Bradley W. Bateman Announced as Randolph’s 10th President". Randolph College. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  10. ↑ Archived May 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20110720034048/http://web.randolphcollege.edu/president/past_presidents.asp. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2008. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ "Odilia Dank". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Odilia Dank". votesmart.org. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Helen Claire Back North". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 19, 1939. p. 31. Retrieved February 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "The Randolph College Greek Play". Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  16. ↑ "Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College". Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "Randolph College to Auction Four Paintings". Randolph College. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  18. ↑ Lindsey, Sue (24 October 2007). "Foes of Randolph College Art Sale Go to Court". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  19. ↑ Desrets, Christa. "Opponents of Randolph College art sale drop lawsuit". Lynchburg News & Advance.
  20. ↑ Desrets, Christa. "Randolph College painting fetches $7.2 million at auction". Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  21. ↑ "Randolph College Sells George Bellows Painting Men of the Docks to National Gallery, London". Randolph College. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  22. ↑ Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  23. ↑ Ng, David (13 March 2014). "Randolph College responds to sanctions imposed by museum group". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ↑ "Bateman: Maier Museum an Integral Part of Randolph College". Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  25. ↑ "Randolph College". Randolph College Abroad: The World in Britain. Retrieved 20 December 2014.

External links

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