Southern Virginia University

Southern Virginia University


Former names
 Bowling Green Female Seminary (1867–1920)
Southern Seminary (1920–1992)
Southern Virginia College (1992–2000)
Motto Learn that Life is Service
Type Private
Established 1867
Endowment US $1.1 Million (2016)[1]
President Reed N. Wilcox
Academic staff
 88[2]
Students 804[3]
Location Buena Vista, Virginia, U.S.
Campus National Historic Landmark, Rural, 155 acres (0.63 km2)
Colors Green, White and Black
              
Athletics NCAA Division III (provisional),[4] 15 varsity teams
Nickname Knights
Website www.svu.edu

Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia. The school, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1867 as a school for girls, and is now a private four-year coeducational institution.

While the majority of students are members of the LDS Church, students of all faiths are welcome on campus and are encouraged to be active in their own faith.[5] The university is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; prior to receiving regional accreditation the school was nationally accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education.[6][7][8] The campus consists of more than 155 acres (0.242 sq mi; 0.63 km2).

History

The school was founded as a for-profit institution in 1867 during Virginia's post-Civil War era when Alice Scott Chandler established the Home School for Girls in Bowling Green, Virginia,[9] later renamed the Bowling Green Female Seminary.[10] In 1883, Edgar H. Rowe purchased the school and operated it with Mrs. Chandler as principal. Dr. Rowe moved the school to Buena Vista in 1900, and changed its name to Southern Seminary. It was located in the splendid Buena Vista Hotel, which had been built 10 years earlier to accommodate the large numbers of land speculators investigating the town's iron ore deposits. The iron boom was short-lived, however, and Rowe purchased the hotel. The original hotel still serves as Main Hall, the university's principal building, and holds a place of distinction on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as the Southern Seminary Main Building.[10]

In 1919, Robert Lee Durham, former dean of Martha Washington College, bought a half-interest in Southern Seminary and became the resident head of the school. An educator, lawyer, engineer, author and inventor, Durham strengthened the school's academic program. In 1922, Durham's daughter, Margaret, married H. Russell Robey, who purchased Rowe's remaining interest in the school and became its business manager and treasurer. Durham and Robey added college-level courses to the school's curriculum, and the first class of the new junior college program graduated in 1925. The period of greatest physical growth of the school, by then called Southern Seminary and Junior College, occurred during the presidency of Margaret Durham Robey, who succeeded her father upon his retirement in 1942. Facilities for art, early childhood education and home economics were added.[10]

In 1959, the Robeys turned over the ownership of the college to a Board of Trustees, and the institution changed from proprietary to nonprofit status. In 1961, the school ceased offering high school courses, and the name of the institution was changed to Southern Seminary Junior College. The academic program was expanded to allow students to begin careers after their two years at the school or to transfer to four-year colleges. "Sem" became a nationally recognized competitor in intercollegiate riding, winning numerous state, regional and national equestrian competitions. By the early 1990s it had been generally forgotten that a seminary was anything but a school preparing one for the ministry. To avoid confusion, the name was again changed to Southern Virginia College for Women, which was shortened in 1994 to Southern Virginia College, when male students were admitted.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s enrollment began to slip and the college became financially unstable, which led to a loss of regional accreditation in 1996.

In the spring of that year, Southern Virginia College's board of trustees transferred the school's assets and liabilities to a new board, many of whom were members of the LDS Church. The main figure in this reorganization was Glade Knight. In 2000 the school was accepted into pre-accreditation status by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE), which is separate from regional accreditation bodies and was renamed Southern Virginia University. In 2003 it was granted full accreditation by the AALE.[10] In June 2010 the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools awarded initial candidacy to SVU.[11] Two years later, in June 2012, the university received full regional accreditation.

Campus

Main Hall
Durham Hall

The university's campus consists of twelve major buildings, including Main Hall (the most visible building at SVU, serving as administrative offices and as a residence hall), the Kimball Student Center, the Knight Sports Arena, the Stoddard Center, the Von Canon Library, Landrum Hall, Craton Hall and Robey Hall (men's residence halls), The Lofts (women's residence hall), Walnut Avenue Apartments (men's and women's residence), Durham Hall (the main academic building), and Chandler Hall (theatre and music). The campus area also includes several homes that are used for additional student housing and office space. There is also a LDS Church building where the Institute of Religion classes are held and where church meetings are attended on Sundays. The university owns approximately 155 acres (0.63 km2), most of which is slated for future development.

SVU is located in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a scenic area of Virginia. The Knight Statue, placed in front of Main Hall, was a gift to the university from Glade Knight, chairman of the board of trustees. On March 6, 2008, members of the Buena Vista City Council and administrators from the university met to discuss a ten-year master plan.[12] A study[12] conducted in 2007 denoted that SVU had a $17 million impact in Buena Vista and the surrounding community.

Academics

SVU offers sixteen different majors: Art, Biology, Business Management and Leadership, Computer Science, English, Family and Child Development, History, Liberal Arts, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Spanish, Theatre, Biochemistry, Math, and Psychology.[13][14] There are also three minors at SVU: Athletic Training, Chemistry, Creative Writing, and Mathematics. Other programs include Health Pre-Professionals, Pre-Law, ROTC and Teaching Licensure.[15]

Incoming students have averaged a 3.34 high school GPA with ACT and SAT test scores averaging about 23 and 1050, respectively. Tuition for the 2014–2015 academic year is $7,300 per semester.[16] The retention rate at Southern Virginia is around 71% (after freshman year), with a significant number of students leaving to serve as Mormon missionaries, and the graduation rate is 31%.[17]

Student life

Religious activity

LDS Church principles and activities are fully integrated into life and education at Southern Virginia. An LDS Church Institute of Religion is operated on campus. Once each semester the university cancels classes for a service day. On service day, the local LDS stake regularly organizes an optional trip to the Washington D.C. Temple, during which students perform service on the temple grounds and participate in temple ordinances.[18] Students are not required to enroll in religious classes.[19]

Code of Honor

Southern Virginia has a code of honor,[20] intended to help students live by the university's core values, which includes the following guidelines, among others:

  • Honesty in academic and personal behavior
  • Living a chaste and virtuous lifestyle
  • Abstinence from alcohol and tobacco
  • Respect for the rights and property of others
  • Obedience to law and university policies
  • Observation of university dress and grooming standards

An ecclesiastical endorsement to live the code of honor is part of the application process. This consists of students signing a compact in conjunction with their respective ecclesiastical leader.[21]

Performing arts

SVU offers several performing arts sections to its students, including Concert Chorale, a women's choir (Bella Voce), opera workshop, and a contemporary a cappella group (The Fading Point). There is also a university Dance Company, which performs many different styles of dance at different functions throughout the year, including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, Irish and other ethnic styles. Music programs consist of an orchestra and flute choir. The theatre program has performed The Diary of Anne Frank, The Sound of Music, The Importance of Being Earnest, Seeking Higher Ground, and Beauty and the Beast, among many others. Another option for participation in theatre is the Shenanigans Comedy Troupe, an improv comedy group.[22]

Athletics

The school's teams are known athletically as the Knights. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling and tennis; women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The 2012–13 school year was SVU's first as a provisional NCAA Division III member; it joined the Capital Athletic Conference in July 2013, and will become eligible for conference championships in 2014–15.[23]

People

Faculty

Alumni

References

  1. ↑ "In College Endowment Returns, Davids Beat the Goliaths". New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Faculty & Staff Directory". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Record Enrollment Exceeds 800 Students". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  4. ↑ Pendleton, Chris (July 25, 2012), "NCAA Division III Awards Southern Virginia University Provisional Membership", SVU Athletics: News, Athletics.SVU.edu from Southern Virginia University
  5. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  6. ↑ "Regional Accreditor Awards Candidacy Status to Southern Virginia". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  7. ↑ "Southern Virginia University earns prestigious college accreditation". Deseret News. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  8. ↑ "Actions taken by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees June 21, 2012" (PDF). Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  9. ↑ Southern Virginia University. General Books. 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Our History". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  11. ↑ "Regional Accreditor Awards Candidacy Status to Southern Virginia". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  12. 1 2 "SVU Announces 10-Year Master Plan" (Press release). Southern Virginia University. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  13. ↑ http://svu.edu/news/2016/three-new-majors/
  14. ↑ SVU Catalog – Graduation Requirements
  15. ↑ Majors and Minors
  16. ↑ Southern Virginia University Lowers Tuition by 23 Percent. svu.edu. Retrieved on 2015-01-22.
  17. ↑ Southern Virginia University Review from American School Search
  18. ↑ SVU students serve — inside and out — at the Washington D.C. Temple. Mormon Times. Retrieved on 2011-01-04.
  19. ↑ SVU website. Retrieved on 2012-07-17
  20. ↑ "Code of Honor". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved April 13, 2012. See (PDF) for full text of the pledge.
  21. ↑ Student Pledge & Ecclesiastical Endorsement, Southern Virginia University form
  22. ↑ Overview of Fine and Performing Arts at Southern Virginia Southern Virginia University. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Capital Athletic Conference Adds Penn State-Harrisburg; The Lions Join CNU & SVU As New Full Members in 2013–14" (Press release). Capital Athletic Conference. July 26, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Elizabeth Madden (’84) Sets Sight on Fourth Olympic Medal". Southern Virginia University. Retrieved 2012-05-16.

Further reading

External links

Coordinates: 37°44′27″N 79°21′01″W / 37.740771°N 79.350343°W / 37.740771; -79.350343

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