Lee University

infobox University
name = Lee University


logo=
motto =
established = 1918
type = Private
endowment = US $7.8 million
president = Dr. Charles Paul Conn
faculty = 236
students = 4,147 (Fall 2008)
city = flagicon|Tennessee Cleveland
state = Tennessee
country = U.S.
campus = Suburban, 115 acres (0.465 km²)
athletics = NAIA Division I-AA
affiliations = Church of God
mascot = Flames
website = [http://www.leeuniversity.edu/ www.leeuniversity.edu]

Lee University is a private, coeducational university located in Cleveland, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Church of God, which has its headquarters in the same town. The university has its roots in a staunch conservative Bible training academy founded by that denomination in 1918 and still maintains a strong Christian identity.

History

The institution has seen its strongest growth since the 1980s, during which time enrollment has tripled and full university status attained. The student body has just passed 4,000. Besides religious education, pre-medicine, business, elementary education, and music are considered among its strongest specialties, and it is consistently ranked by "US News and World Report" among the top Southern liberal arts colleges.

On December 13^th 2007, Dr. Conn announced that Lee University has entered the field of academic publishing with the creation of the Lee University Press. The small operation will mainly serve students, alumni and others affiliated with Lee University. [http://www.leeuniversity.edu/info/news/news-article.asp?newsid=12671]

Community covenant

Lee University, like many faith-based colleges and universities, encourages a Judeo-Christian philosophy of student behavior. All students are asked to sign a "Community Covenant" which lists several restrictions on behaviors and social interaction according to the school's institutional and religious policy. Most notable are a substance policy barring alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. Premarital sexual intercourse is prohibited regardless of sexual preference, as is homosexual behavior in general. Immodesty and "occult practices" are also forbidden. [http://www.leeuniversity.edu/pdf/newstudents/gateway-portfolio/014-community-covenant.pdf]

Publications

*The "Vindagua" is Lee University's award-winning yearbook.
*"The Torch" is Lee University's quarterly magazine highlighting current events at Lee as well as faculty members, students and alumni.
*The "Lee Clarion" is the campus newspaper. [http://www.leeuniversity.edu/publications/]

Greek organizations

Like many colleges and universities in the United States, Lee University students have the opportunity to participate in Greek organizations for the purpose of building social and professional relationships. Unlike chapters of most "Greek" fraternities and sororities, the primary Greek organizations on Lee University's campus are neither national nor recognized as fraternities or sororities and are instead colloquially referred to as "Greek clubs." [http://students.leeuniversity.edu/info/student-life/clubs/greek.asp] As of the Fall of 2008, these Greek clubs include male clubs Upsilon Xi, Alpha Gamma Chi, Theta Delta Kappa, and Tau Kappa Omega, and female clubs Delta Zeta Tau, Sigma Nu Sigma, Epsilon Lambda Phi, Omega Alpha Phi, and the new female club, Zeta Chi Lambda.The only national Greek fraternities at Lee University are Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Sigma Alpha Iota, but they are officially regarded as academic organizations because of the administration's current policy against admitting national Greek fraternities and sororities onto its campus. As of the fall of 2008, the nationally recognized academic organization Phi Eta Sigma was chartered. [http://students.leeuniversity.edu/info/student-life/clubs/academic.asp]

Notable alumni

*Charles Paul Conn - current president of Lee University credited with being the driving force behind the institutions continuing success over the last two decades as well as a free lance non-fiction writer with four of his works previously on the "New York Times" bestseller list including the #7 best seller in non-fiction in 1977 with his book "The Possible Dream". Dr. Conn is now serving his twentieth year of Lee presidency.
*Charles W. Conn - former Lee president and president emeritus as well as the author of "Like a Mighty Army, Moves the Church of God", the official history of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) denomination. He also served as Editor-in-chief of Pathway Press and General Overseer of the Church of God.
*Donald Bowdle - distinguished professor of theology, and a master of the Koine Greek text, has published over two hundred articles and essays on religious subjects, a previous fellow at Yale University and University of Edinburgh
*Four Voices - 2002 world champion Barbershop Quartet.
*Jason Warner - a member of the openly gay, inspirational/spiritual pop music duo Jason and deMarco.
*Jay DeMarcus - a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist in the contemporary country band Rascal Flatts.
*Jeremi Richardson - a vocalist in the contemporary Christian music group Avalon (group) former member of Lee University Campus Choir.
*Jimi Westbrook - songwriter, vocalist, musician and founding member of the contemporary country music band, Little Big Town.
*Kevin Brooks - a current state representative for Tennessee district 24 as of 2007. [http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/house/members/h24.htm]
*Melissa Greene - a vocalist in the contemporary Christian music group Avalon (group).
*Phil Stacey - Top 12 finalist during the sixth season of American Idol, the karaoke style talent show produced by Fox Television that aired in the Spring of 2007. On May 2, 2007, Phil Stacey tied for fifth place when he was voted off the show along with another contestant in a double elimination. [http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season6/phil_stacey/]
*Stephanie Culberson - Miss Tennessee 2001, Miss Tennessee USA 2004. [http://www.misstennessee.org/Titleholders.htm]
*Tony Deaton - accomplished opera singer, performances include Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, International Festival of the Arts in New York, and Knoxville Opera Company in Knoxville, Tennessee.

External links

* [http://www.leeuniversity.edu/ Official website]
* [http://www.leeclarion.com/ Lee Clarion website]

References

*cite web | title=Creed-Behind the Music | work=Passion Breeds Followers - The Scott Stapp Fan Site | url=http://passionbreedsfollowers.com/media/print/transcripts/btm.shtml | accessmonthday=March 5 | accessyear=2005