Piedmont College

This article is about Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. For other colleges known as Piedmont College, see Piedmont College (disambiguation).

Piedmont College
Motto	Two campuses. One tradition of excellence.
Established	September 1, 1897[1]
Type	Private College
Religious affiliation	National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and United Church of Christ
Endowment	$50,198,112 [2]
President	Dr. Danny Hollingsworth [3]
Academic staff	175[4]
Students	2,640 [5]
Undergraduates	1,056 [6]
Postgraduates	1,227 [6]
Location	Demorest & Athens, Georgia, USA 34°33′58″N 83°32′31″W / 34.566°N 83.542°W / 34.566; -83.542Coordinates: 34°33′58″N 83°32′31″W / 34.566°N 83.542°W / 34.566; -83.542
Campus	Rural 300 acres (121.4 ha) [2]
Former names	J.S. Green Collegiate Institute (1897-1899), J.S. Green College (1899-1902)
Tuition	$23,988 [7]
Colors	Dark Green and Gold [8]
Athletics	NCAA Division III; Great South Athletic Conference.[9] http://www.piedmontlions.com
Nickname	Lions
Mascot	Lion,
Website	http://www.piedmont.edu

Piedmont College is a private liberal arts institution founded in 1897 to serve residents of the Appalachian area of northeast Georgia, USA. When the college was first founded, it was established as the J.S. Green Collegiate Institute named after a local banker. In 1899, the name was shortened to the J.S. Green College. By 1902, the college was formally renamed Piedmont College.^[10]

Today, with campuses located in Demorest and Athens, the college provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs for about 2,000 students from across Georgia and around the world. While many students come from across the world, 10% of Piedmont's students come from the Habersham County area ^[11] through Piedmont's Neighborhood Grant Program.

Piedmont maintains religious affiliation with two bodies: the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and the United Church of Christ.^[12] Congregationalists took over the school from the Methodists in the early 20th century.^[13]

Academics

Piedmont's campus from the quad.

The student/faculty ratio is 14 to 1 and most professors hold a doctorate or the terminal degree in their field. Piedmont is known for the individual attention and one-on-one instruction provided by professors whose first commitment is to your education. Piedmont is accredited by the following boards: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS);^[14] National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC); and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Piedmont currently offers 38 undergraduate degree programs and graduate programs in education and business. Beginning in fall 2009, Piedmont started a education doctorate (Ed.D) within the School of Education.^[15]

Schools

Piedmont College offers four schools for education, including the School of Arts and Sciences, the Walker School of Business, School of Education and the Daniel School of Nursing.^[16]

School of Arts and Sciences

Students can take courses in 10 departments that comprise the School of Arts and Sciences. These departments include: Fine Arts, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mass Communications, Math/Physics, Music, Philosophy/Religion, Science, Social Science and Theatre. Through these departments, students can earn the following degrees, B.F.A, B.A., B.S., Master of Arts in Teaching, M.A., and a M.F.A

Walker School of Business

The Walker School of Business received national accreditation in November 2007 from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) for the undergraduate and graduate business programs at both Piedmont’s Demorest and Athens Campuses.^[17] Through the School of Business, students can earn a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration or a M.B.A.

School of Education

The school of education offers Bachelors degree programs in many fields of education. Some of the fields that Piedmont offers degrees to are: Early Childhood Education and Middle Grades Education. Students can also get a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree with concentrations like Secondary Education, Special Education General Curriculum, Art Education and Music Education. The school of education also offers an Education Doctorate in Teaching and Learning.^[18][19]

Students from Piedmont College's Nursing Department participate in an annual disaster drill to test their skills.

Daniel School of Nursing

The School of Nursing offers the B.S.N. degree for students preparing for initial licensure and for Registered Nurses with either an Associate’s degree in nursing or a diploma in nursing who wish to complete the B.S.N. The program will prepare students in both the art and the science of nursing. Students can begin the nursing program at Piedmont during the summer after completion of their sophomore year.^[20] Students begin with research-based lecture and lab classes and then move to practicals where they spend time in local hospitals and medical centers. Every spring semester, the nursing department conducts a disaster drill where the senior nursing majors have to diagnose a large group of patients. Past themes for the drill have including a boiler explosion,^[21] a car accident at an outdoor concert^[20] and a small plane crash.^[22]

Campuses

Piedmont has two campuses, the original one in Demorest and the newer expansion in Athens. Piedmont's Demorest campus is located on roughly 300 acres (121.4 ha) in Habersham County. The Athens campus is located on Prince Avenue near downtown Athens, on the site of the original Prince Avenue Baptist Church.

Demorest

Stewart Hall is where the majority of science courses and labs are held.

The Demorest campus is the main campus of Piedmont, and is primarily a residence campus. There are 8 dormitories, including Geman-Babcock Hall,^[23] Purcell Hall, Wallace Hall, Swanson Hall, Johnson Hall, Mayflower Hall, the recently completed New Bedord Hall and Plymouth Hall which is scheduled to be completed by August 2010. There are many academic buildings strewn across campus including Daniel Hall which houses the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing, the humanities department, and the administration. There is also Stewart Hall, which houses the science and math departments. The School of Education resides on the bottom floor of the Arrendale Library and makes use of classes in the Martens Botanical Center. The Walker School of Business is located in Camp Hall, which is next to the president's residence. The music department is located in the Center for Worship and Music, which is commonly known as the Chapel. Currently the art department is located in two buildings, the Art Annex and the Art Gallery. The Art Gallery features both work created by Piedmont Students as well as artists from the community and nation. The mass communications and theater departments are located in the Swanson Center for Performing Arts and Communication, a $14-million building^[24] located next to the Arrendale Amphitheater, a 500-seat outdoor venue.^[25] WPPR, the local Georgia Public Broadcasting radio station is housed in the Swanson Center next to the student run radio station.

In addition to the academic buildings and dormitories, there are currently three fields on the campus: the Loudermilk Field for baseball, the softball field and the soccer/lacrosse field. Piedmont has a multipurpose gymnasium located in the Johnny Mize Athletic Center, which was named for famous baseball player Johnny Mize. In addition to the gym, which hosts basketball and volleyball, the Mize Center has a museum dedicated to the baseball legend and a fitness center.

The new pedestrian footbridge has a ramp on one side and an elevator and stairs on the other.

There are also a few general purpose buildings. The Lane Student Center, which faces the quad, is the remodeled old gym. There is also the Neilson Dining Hall where the cafeteria is located.^[26] Piedmont also operates a restaurant called the Grill on Georgia Street. There is also the President's House, the Admissions building and the pedestrian bridge which crosses Historic U.S. 441.^[27] The new bridge was assembled off-site and lowered into place by crane.^[28] The bridge was modeled after the Vanderbilt University 21st Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The installation of the bridge was a joint project of the Georgia Department of Transportation, Piedmont College and the city of Demorest.

Much of Piedmont's Demorest property is now wetlands. The wetlands area was once the site of Lake Demorest from 1890-2008.^[29] The Lake was drained do to an irreparable dam, and the property was turned into a wetlands for students and faculty to use in their studies.

Athens

The Athens campus is the newer of the two campuses and is split between two locations less than a block away from each other.^[30] The original piece of the Athens campus is Lane Hall which is located on North Milledge Ave.^[31] Lane Hall houses the Piedmont Athens library, graphic design labs and a few classrooms.

The other portion of campus is the former property of Prince Avenue Baptist church and is located on Prince Avenue.^[32] There are 5 main buildings, on this section of campus. Ellard Hall houses the administration and admissions department for the campus. The main building on campus is divided into two wings, east and west, and contains classrooms and faculty offices and also has an area referred to as the meeting house. The bookstore has a separate building, as does the recreation complex which houses the campus safety department. The last building is Rogers Hall and houses more offices.

Mission statement

“	Piedmont College educates students to become successful and responsible citizens through rigorous academic instruction in the liberal arts and professional disciplines. Learning opportunities are provided through undergraduate and graduate programs offered at various locations. The institution emphasizes high ethical standards and respect for diversity.	”
—Piedmont College's Mission Statement[33]

Publications

Lane Student Center

At Piedmont, there are three main student publications: the magazine, the yearbook and the newspaper.^[34]

Magazine

The first publication for the college was The Mountain Lantern, which was named for a common firefly in the surrounding area. The Lantern started out as a monthly magazine in 1912. In 1913, The Lantern became the college's yearbook. There would not be a magazine again until spring semester of 2006, when a mass communications major published PC Magazine as her senior capstone project. In fall of 2007, the magazine was renamed Pause, and now comes out twice each semester; two print and two online. "Pause" is no longer in production, however.

Yearbook

The Mountain Lantern lasted for only a short period until 1915. A yearbook was again issued in 1920, and the name was changed to the Yonahian. The odd-sounding name was derived from nearby Mount Yonah. Since 1920, the Yonahian has been published every year and provides a general record of students and faculty over the years.

Newspaper

The first newspaper of Piedmont was The Hustler, which lasted from 1908 to 1909. There was no newspaper until 1917, when a bi-weekly newspaper named The Padded Hammer appeared in September. Later in 1917, after a vote on the name of the paper, it was changed to The Piedmont Owl. The name "Piedmont Owl" was chosen as a reference to the concept of wisdom. This name became the name of Piedmont's athletic teams as well, until 1921, when the Student Association adopted the name Mountain Lions, later shortened to Lions.^[35]

The Piedmont Owl lasted for 67 years until the name was changed to match Piedmont's newer mascot. The paper became The Lion's Roar for 21 years until 2005, when it was changed to The Navigator. The name is a reference to the Mayflower ship of the Pilgrims, honoring Piedmont's relationship to American Congregationalism.

History of Piedmont College

Main article: History of Piedmont College

Piedmont has a history of more than 111 years of providing education to people from across the world. There have been eleven different presidents of the college who have each helped Piedmont get to where it is now.

Notable people

Alumni

• Johnny "Big Cat" Mize,^[36][37] baseball Hall of Famer. Played for Piedmont in 1930s and now the athletic center and museum on Piedmont's campus are named for him.^[38]
• Jonathan Clark Rogers (Class of 1906) President of the University of Georgia from 1949-1950.^[39]
• Diana Palmer (Class of 1995) Author of many novels including Diamond Girl, which was made into a movie in 1998.^[40]
• Lillian Smith studied at Piedmont from 1915-1916. She authored Strange Fruit.^[41]
• Soong May-ling went to Piedmont for 8th grade in 1908. She was the wife of President Chiang Kai-shek; she played a prominent role in the politics of the Republic of China.^[42]
• Phillip M. Landrum (Class of 1938) U.S. Congressman.^[43]
• Marvin Hudson (Class of 1986) Baseball umpire of the 2004 All-Star Game and the 2005 National League Division Series.^[44]
• Jason Smith Soccer coach of the Atlanta Silverbacks.^[45]

Professors & staff

• Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor, chair of religion and philosophy, noted author of 12 books on religion and spirituality.^[46][47][48]
• Dr. Rick Austin, professor of biology, Georgia State Representative for District 10 and Piedmont alumnus.^[49]
• John C. Campbell was the second president of Piedmont College from 1904–1907,^[12][50] and was a educator and reformer noted for his survey of social conditions in the southern Appalachian region of the United States. The John C. Campbell Folk School was established by his wife and named in his honor.
• Richard Jewell, former campus police officer who became known in connection with the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Jewell later sued Piedmont College for defamation.^[51]

References

1. ^ Lovett, Warren Pound (1943). History of Piedmont College. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia (Master's Thesis). 
2. ^ ^{a b} "America's Best Colleges 2008: Piedmont College". U.S. News & World Report (U.S.News & World Report, L.P.). 2008. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/1588/@@Academics_overview.html. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
3. ^ "Hollingsworth takes reins as Piedmont's new president". Piedmont College. 1 July 2011. http://www.piedmont.edu/pc/index.php/component/content/article/63-piedmont-news/539-hollingsworth-takes-reings-as-new-president. Retrieved 7 July 2011. 
4. ^ "College Closeup: Piedmont College". Peterson's (NelNet, Inc.). http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/IDD.asp?orderLineNum=949071-1&reprjid=12&inunId=8143&typeVC=InstVc&sponsor=1. Retrieved 2008-06-30. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Piedmont College reports record enrollment". The Toccoa Record. 2008-09-11. http://www.thetoccoarecord.com/articles/2008/09/11/news/education/education1.txt. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Piedmont College At a Glance". College Board. http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=522&profileId=31. Retrieved 2008-06-14. 
7. ^ "Piedmont College: Financial Aid and Tuition for In-State and Out-of-State Students". College Toolkit (LunchMoney.com Inc.). http://www.collegetoolkit.com/Colleges/Tuition-Financial-Aid/Piedmont_College/140818.aspx. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 
8. ^ "Piedmont College". Piedmont Athletics Department. http://www.piedmontlions.com/index.aspx. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 
9. ^ "GSAC Members". http://www.greatsouth.org/Sports/gen/2009/3309_GSAC_history.asp?nl=4&tab=gsac. 
10. ^ Suda, Tim (2008-03-17). "J.S. Green: the College and the man". The Navigator. http://www.piedmontnavigator.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=bf65c584-f102-4483-a9e0-e8d5168144ec. Retrieved 2008-05-08. 
11. ^ "Habersham students receive Piedmont Degrees". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc.). 2008-06-24. http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/education/04education.txt. Retrieved 2008-07-04. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Lane, Mary Charlotte Ed.D (1997). Centennial History of Piedmont College: 1897-1997. Demorest, Ga.: Piedmont College. pp. 1–228. 
13. ^ Lane, Mary Charlotte Ed.D (1993). Piedmont College History 1897-1990. Demorest, Ga.: Piedmont College. 
14. ^ Piedmont College Catalog 2006-2007. Demorest, Ga.: Piedmont College. 2006. p. 7. 
15. ^ Cassamajor, Louis (22 March 2010). "SACS gives doctorate program thumbs up". Piedmont. http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2010/03/22/News/Sacs-Gives.Doctorate.Program.Thumbs.Up-3896571.shtml. Retrieved 18 June 2010. 
16. ^ Piedmont College. "Academics". http://www.piedmont.edu/index.php?id=ACADEMICS/academics. 
17. ^ Piedmont College. "School of Business". http://www.piedmont.edu/index.php?id=ACADEMICS/DEPT/school_business_index. 
18. ^ "Education Doctorate in Teaching and Learning". Piedmont College Journal. Piedmont College. 2009-02-27. http://www.piedmont.edu/DEFAULT/ADMISSIONS/GRAD/FAQ.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-29. 
19. ^ "Piedmont College to offer education doctorate program". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc.). 2009-03-26. http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2009/03/26/news/education/03education.txt. Retrieved 2009-07-30. 
20. ^ ^{a b} Brown, Kimberly (19 March 2009). "Piedmont nurses prepare for the worst". Community Newspapers Inc. http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2009/03/19/news/top_stories/02topstory.txt. Retrieved 18 June 2010. 
21. ^ "Drilling for disaster". Community Newspapers Inc. 22 April 2008. http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/04/22/news/top_stories/01topstory.txt. Retrieved 18 June 2010. 
22. ^ Sridej, Nic (19 April 2010). "Disaster Drill hits Piedmont". Piedmont. pp. 1–2. 
23. ^ "Piedmont plans 'Haunted Hotel'". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc). 21-10-2008. http://thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/10/21/news/education/03education.txt. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 
24. ^ "Business resource seminar set Nov. 5 at Piedmont College". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers INC). 29-10-2009. http://thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2009/10/30/news/business/01business.txt. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 
25. ^ Brown, Kimberly (24-03-2009). "Progressing Toward Premier". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc). http://thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2009/03/24/news/top_stories/04topstory.txt. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 
26. ^ "Piedmont cafeteria raises funds for Haiti". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc). 29-01-2010. http://thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2010/01/30/news/education/01education.txt. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 
27. ^ Moore, Rob (2008-08-04). "Pedestrian Bridge Installation Rescheduled". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers, Inc.). http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/08/04/news/breaking_news/08breakingnews.txt. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
28. ^ "Demorest Bridge Installation Delayed". Access North Georgia (Jacobs Media). 2008-07-30. http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=211932&c=1. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
29. ^ Moore, Rob (19-08-2008). "Demorest lake drained for wetlands". The Northeast Georgian (Community Newspapers Inc). http://thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2008/08/19/news/top_stories/04topstory.txt. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 
30. ^ Quigley, Rebecca (22 February 2007). "Piedmont College begins push to lure its first freshman class". Athens Banner Herald (Online Athens). http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/022207/news_20070222076.shtml. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
31. ^ "Atlanta Legal Nurse Consultant Attends 2nd Annual "Illicit Drug" Conference". Webwire. 09-06-2010. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=118350. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
32. ^ Quigley, Rebecca (12 September 2007). "College-bound teens scout options". Athens Banner Herald (Online Athens). http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/091307/news_20070913041.shtml. Retrieved 15 June 2010. 
33. ^ "Our Mission". http://www.piedmont.edu/index.php?id=ABOUT/mission. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
34. ^ Suda, Tim (2008-01-14). "Publishing Piedmont". The Navigator. http://www.piedmontnavigator.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=40defd1c-fc56-43a3-88f1-efa74fc97ff2. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
35. ^ Rountree, George Wilburn (1965). Piedmont College: its history, resources, and programs. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia (Doctrinal Dissertation. 
36. ^ Phelps, Myron (2008-02-11). "Johnny Mize Collection". The Navigator. http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2008/02/11/Features/Johnny.Mize.Collection-3202076.shtml. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
37. ^ Suda, Tim (2008-01-28). "History of Sports". The Navigator. http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2008/01/28/Features/Living.At.The.mont-3172172.shtml. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
38. ^ "Johnny Mize Athetic Center and Museum". Georgia Tourism. Web.Georgia.Org. 2007-09-24. http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Listing/Overview/22475/Johnny-Mize-Athletic-Center-and-Museum. Retrieved 2009-07-28. 
39. ^ Wilkes, Angela; Brandy Savarese, Andrew Lemons, and Gilbert Head (2005-07-07). "Jonathon Clark Rogers Papers". Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Libraries). http://www.libs.uga.edu/hargrett/archives/uga97-099.html. Retrieved 2009-03-18. 
40. ^ "Diana Palmer — Biography". dianapalmer.com. http://www.dianapalmer.com/bio.html. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
41. ^ "Lillian Smith (1897-1966)". The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press. 2008-09-02. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-463. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
42. ^ Vardeman, Johnny (2009-02-08). "How Madame Chiang Kai-chek landed at Piedmont College". Gainesville Times (The Times). http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/14537/. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
43. ^ Cook, Joan (1990-11-22). "Phil Landrum, 83, Former Lawmaker From Georgia, Dies". New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/22/obituaries/phil-landrum-83-former-lawmaker-from-georgia-dies.html. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
44. ^ "Marvin Hudson 51". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/bio.jsp?id=2571. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
45. ^ "Atlanta Silverbacks Men Coaching Staff". atlantasilverbacks.com. http://www.atlantasilverbacks.com/pro/coaches.php. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
46. ^ Cheesman, Heather (2009-02-23). "Know your neighbor conference: Teaching tolerance and interfaith in today's diverse community". The Navigator (Piedmont College). http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2009/02/23/Athens/Know-Your.Neighbor.Conference-3643754.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-22. 
47. ^ Lumpkin, Elise (2008-02-25). "Faculty uncovers 'Christ-haunted' South". The Navigator (Piedmont College). http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2008/02/25/News/Faculty.Uncovers.christHaunted.South-3326050.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-22. 
48. ^ "Piedmont Professors' book signings". The Navigator (Piedmont College). 2005-03-21. http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2005/03/21/Entertainment/Piedmont.Professors.Book.Signings-900207.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-22. 
49. ^ Suda, Tim; Rebekah Scruggs (2008-11-03). "Piedmont staff on the ballot". The Navigator (`). http://media.www.piedmontnavigator.com/media/storage/paper524/news/2008/11/03/Connections/Piedmont.Staff.On.The.Ballot-3521357-page2.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-21. 
50. ^ Davis, David J. (April 1928). "Professor Campbell". Mountain Life and Work 4 (1). 
51. ^ "Ex-Suspect in Bombing Sues Newspapers, College; Jewell's Libel Claim Seeks Unspecified Damages". Washington Post. 1997-01-29. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-712062.html. Retrieved 2008-07-16. 

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website
• New Georgia Online Encyclopedia, Piedmont College
• The Navigator, official newspaper of Piedmont College