Grand View College

Infobox_University
name = Grand View College
native_name =
latin_name =


motto =
established = 1896
type = Private University
endowment =
staff =
faculty = 90
president = Kent Henning
provost = Dr. Mary Elizabeth Stivers
principal =
rector =
chancellor =
vice_chancellor =
dean =
head_label =
head =
students = 1,900
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =
profess =
city = Des Moines
state = Iowa
country = USA
campus = Urban
free_label =
free =
colors = Red and White
colours =
mascot = Viking
fightsong =
nickname = Vikings
affiliations = Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
footnotes =
website = [http://www.gvc.edu www.gvc.edu]
address = 1200 Grandview Ave.
publictransit = Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART)
telephone = [phone]
coor =

Grand View College is a four-year, liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Founded in 1896, the college is located in Des Moines, Iowa. As of 2008, it offers 36 majors, 7 certificate programs, 2 post-baccalaureate certificates and 5 pre-professional preparation programs and hosts 1,900 undergraduate students.

Mission statement

Grand View College engages, equips, and empowers students to fulfill their ambitions and to serve society. Believing that each person possesses natural strengths and developing abilities which can lead to a full and satisfying life, Grand View College admits and educates students who represent a wide range of ages, achievements, and expectations. Committed to the development of the whole person – mind, body and spirit – and to preparing students for responsible citizenship in their communities and in a diverse and changing world, Grand View:
*Believes that learning is a collaborative process where friendly interaction is the norm.
*Offers quality programs which expect intellectual growth of students.
*Integrates liberal arts education with career preparation in an urban learning environment.
*Affirms Christian faith and ethics as a vision for life, a vision that enhances the respect that its graduates have for the diversity and dignity of all people, for relating to others and for continuing the pursuit of lifelong learning.Informed by its Danish Lutheran heritage, Grand View is a School for Life.

Campus traditions

"Bud the Bird"

What used to be the symbolic entrance into White Eagle gas stations is now something Grand View College students have long called “Bud the Bird.”

One of the statues that stood guard at a local White Eagle gas station was stolen by students in the college's early history. Bud, as the students affectionately called him, was passed from group to group on campus and with each new group, a new hiding place was to be found to keep the statue. Verbal rules stated that the group in possession of Bud was to move him to each campus event, making him blend in with the students.

Over time, Bud has been replaced by clones. The first Bud was a casualty of the World War II effort when college president Alfred C. Nielsen donated the bird to the war effort for scrap metal in the early 1940s. The first Bud was replaced by Bud II, a 33-inch 200-pound replica. Sometime in the late 1940s, Bud II was buried on the west end of campus, not to be unearthed again until over 50 years later in 1994 when maintenance crews were digging for fiber optic cables. Bud II is now permanently perched in "Bud's Place," a recently-renovated recreation space in the basement of the residence hall Nielsen Hall.

While Bud II was hidden, students created Bud III in the 1950s and 60's. In this time period, as many as ten replicas are believed to have been created. These replicas were made out of wood, metal, or glass, but all of the replicas carried on the trait of being large and heavy. In the 1950s, it also became a tradition to give Bud a funeral ceremony, including a casket and pallbearers. The students would carry the "deceased" to Birdland Marina, a small, city-owned marina located near campus that dumps into the Des Moines River. Students would pretend to throw the casket over a bridge and into the water below.

The competition over Bud became so intense in the 1960s, a brawl broke out between nursing students, on-campus residents, and commuter students.

Bud III reappeared during the 2005-06 school year after being found at a Grand View-owned house near campus.

Interesting places Bud has been hidden:
*Former president Alfred Nielsen’s closet
*Underneath coal in the basement of Old Main
*Above a basketball hoop in the old gymnasium
*On stage for a theater production
*In a water drainage sewer
*In the trunk of a professor’s car

"The Rock"

“The Rock,” located in front of the Humphrey Center is one of the most prominent traditions of Grand View. When re-sodding the lawn of what was then Old Main (now Humphrey Center), students in the 1900s placed the rock on the lawn directly in front of Old Main's entrance. The only significant change made to the landmark was in 1915 when it was moved to make room for a new sidewalk to the entrance.

Students traditionally paint the rock in the darkness of the night whenever students feel the urge to express themselves. "In times of celebration, sorrow, or protest, The Rock is deemed a medium of the students," the Grand View student handbook states.

The rock is sometimes used to announce campus events, and on at least one occasion, has been used to propose marriage.

Athletics

Grand View is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference and competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, plays in the Mid-States Football Association, fielding 17 varsity teams in 11 sports. Grand View joined the NAIA after it moved from junior college status in 1979.

The Vikings often find success in conference and national tournaments. In 2006, the men's soccer team made its fourth consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Men's Soccer Tournament and appeared in the semifinal round, only to lose to in-state rival and eventual national champions Graceland University. In 2006, the women's softball team made it to the national tournament. The baseball and basketball teams have also qualified for their respective national tournaments in the past.

Clubs and organizations

Costs and financial aid

For 2008-09, the estimated cost for freshmen on campus is $24,768, which includes tuition, an activity fee, a technology fee, and room and board. Health services and Internet access were also included in the comprehensive fee.

For the 2007-2008 academic year more than 98% of full-time day students received financial assistance totaling nearly $23 million. The average financial assistance package for new first year students exceeded $21,000 with nearly $11,000 in grants and scholarships and the remainder in loans and workstudy.

Degrees and certifications

Grand View College grants the Bachelor of Arts degree and offers 35 majors in accounting, art education, biology, broadcast, business administration, computer science, criminal justice, elementary education, English, graphic design, graphic journalism, health promotion, history, human services, information and technology management, journalism, liberal arts, management information systems, mass communication, math, music, music education, organizational studies, paralegal, physical science, political studies, psychology, religion, secondary education, service management, sociology – liberal arts, Spanish for careers and professionals, theatre arts, and visual arts. Grand View also offers a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, as well as an RN to BSN program. In addition, the College offers certificate programs in art therapy, entrepreneurship, human resource management, in house communication, real estate, Spanish, and sport management and post baccalaureate certificates in accounting and management in accounting.

College for Professional and Adult Learning

Grand View's College for Professional and Adult Learning (CPAL) is targeted towards working adults who wish to earn a degree, taking course work to enhance their personal or professional lives or for corporations to provide training for employees. Eleven degrees are offered. Classes are offered at the main campus in Des Moines, or at the Iowa National Guard base at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, a western suburb of Des Moines.

CPAL classes are offered during the day, evenings, or alternate Saturdays and are often accelerated classes, using half the number of weeks to cover the same amount of material than a typical Grand View class.

Buildings

Residence halls

*Apartments - Located at 1505 Hull Avenue, the three-floor student apartment complex houses 111 students and opened in the fall of 2003. Preference is given to upper class students and those who already have lived in Grand View residence halls. Each apartment unit holds anywhere from four to six students. Each furnished apartment has two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living room/dining room and an individual bedroom for each resident.
*Jensen Hall - The four-floor (including ground floor) building located at 1101 Grandview Avenue opened to students in fall 2004. The top three floors house students, with two of those floors having one classroom each. The ground floor contains a dining hall that serves the western end of campus and faculty offices. The building was previously a senior living facility that was built by the college's founders.
*Knudsen Hall - Located at 1500 Morton Avenue, three-floor, co-ed residence hall was renovated in 2005 and houses 130 freshmen students living in single or double dorm rooms. Mailboxes and a dining hall is located in the building and serves the eastern part of campus. The Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center is adjoined to Knudsen Hall.
*Nielsen Hall - Located at 1500 Morton Avenue, three-floor, co-ed residence hall houses 120 lower-classman students living in single or double dorm rooms. Nielsen is named after former college president Ernest Nielsen and his wife, Frances. In fall 2005, the basement of Nielsen Hall was renovated into a recreational space dubbed "Bud's Place." Pool tables, electronic shuffleboard, big screen TV's and vending machines occupy Bud's Place. Many local bands often play free concerts in the space.
*Suites - Located northeast of the Student Center and directly west of the apartment complex, the three-story convert|32000|sqft|m2|sing=on residence hall opened in fall 2007 and has 40 suites and 154 beds Each suite has two bedrooms, with two people per bedroom, as well as a living area and a bathroom. The residence hall is targeted towards sophomores.

Academic buildings

*Cowles Communication Center - Located at 1331 Grandview Avenue, Cowles is the home of several classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, photography studio, television studio and radio broadcasting booths. Award-winning campus newspaper, The Grand Views, is headquartered in the building as well as the campus TV station, GVTV, and radio stations KGVC-LP 94.1 and KDPS-FM 88.1.
*Elings Science Hall - Located at the corner of East Ninth Street and Grandview Avenue, Elings Hall is a two-story classroom building that houses general purpose classrooms, science laboratories, faculty offices, a greenhouse and two of the three large lecture halls on campus. One part of the building was completed in 1957 and an addition was connected to the first wing in 1968. A renovation of the 1968 wing was made possible in 2005 from a donation from alumnus Virgil Elings.
*Humphrey Center - Formerly called Old Main, the Humphrey Center is the oldest building on campus, built in 1896. The offices of Academic Advising and Retention, Admissions, Business, Financial Aid, Registrar, President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Vice President for Advancement are all housed in the building. Humphrey was put on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was built in three different phases, in 1895, 1898 and 1904. A fourth section was added in 1904. The facility underwent a complete renovation in 1998 and named in recognition of alumnus Alice (Olson) Humphrey. The college's maintenance division is based out of a garage directly north of the building.
*Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center - Located at 1500 Morton Avenue, opened in 2002 and is the largest building on campus as of summer 2007. The convert|80000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility houses the division of nursing, health and physical education department, recreational and athletic facilities, a community clinic, classrooms and faculty offices. The women's volleyball team plays home games in the fieldhouse, and the men's and women's basketball teams play home games in Sisam Arena, along with the wrestling squad, attached to the wellness center on the south side. The fieldhouse contains weight lifting equipment, a 1/10th mile track, and a double basketball court. Sisam Arena was renovated in 2002 while the wellness center was being built and received new bleachers, backboards, wall padding and a small media platform. The lobby of the arena contains trophy cases which make up the Grand View Athletic Hall of Fame. Sisam Arena was named after David Sisam, longtime coach and athletic director. In 2008, a new two-level addition was added on the southeast corner to provide a new weightroom, a wrestling room and athletics staff offices.
*Krumm Business Center - Located at 1309 Grandview Avenue, the Krumm Business Center houses general-purpose classrooms, a large lecture hall, computer lab, and faculty offices. The college's information services department is also based out of Krumm. The building is named after college benefactor and former Maytag CEO Daniel J. Krumm.
*Library - Located at the corner of Grandview Avenue and East 14th Street (U.S. Route 69), the two-story library was completed in 1968 with an addition being built in 1992. The first floor of the Library contains a teaching classroom/lab of 30 computers. Also on the first floor are the reference collection, current periodicals and journals, the children’s and young adult collection, private study rooms, study tables, DVD and video viewing rooms, the information desk and the bank of research computers. The second floor houses the Library’s collection of books and journals as well as study tables. The Danish Immigrant Archives are housed on the second floor.
*Rasmussen Center - Groundbreaking for the Rasmussen Center for Community Advancement Professions was held April 27, 2007. The convert|42851|sqft|m2|sing=on, $8.5 million building is located at the corner of Grandview Avenue and East 14th Street (U.S. Route 69), located directly north of the library. The building opened in fall 2008 and houses the departments of art, education, history, criminal justice, political studies, psychology and sociology, as well as general-purpose classrooms, art studios, computer labs, a writing center, faculty offices and various student amenities. The building is named after Jim and Sandra Rasmussen, longtime supporters of the college. The Rasmussens contributed $3 million to the building campaign.
*Student Center - Located at the corner of Grandview Avenue and East 14th Street (U.S. Route 69), the one-story building was completed in 1981 with an addition built in 1986. The building houses academic and career success centers, recreation area, deli, bookstore, the Viking Theatre, student services, music and art classrooms.

External links

* [http://www.gvc.edu Grand View College website]
* [http://www.gvvikings.com Grand View College athletics website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/GVCProf Viking Theatre]

References