- Randolph College
-
Randolph College 
Motto Vita Abundantior Motto in English Life More Abundant Established 1891 Type Private liberal arts college President John E. Klein Academic staff 72 Undergraduates 517 Postgraduates 7 Location Lynchburg, VA, USA
Coordinates: 37°26′12″N 79°10′18″W / 37.4368°N 79.1718°WCampus Suburban, Historic; 100 acres Former names Randolph-Macon Woman's College (1891–2007) Endowment $135.2 million[1] Colors Black and Yellow Athletics NCAA Division III, ODAC Nickname WildCats Mascot Wanda the WildCat Website randolphcollege.edu Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.
The college offers 29 majors, 30 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 is one of only 240 colleges and universities in the United States with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
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.
Contents
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 the property 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.[2] 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.[3]
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 17 September 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."[4]
The decision to go co-ed was not welcomed by everyone. Alumnae and students organized protests which were covered by local and national media.[5] 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.[6] Lawsuits were filed against the school by both students and alumnae.
It was re-named 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 16 May 2010.
Presidents
- John Klein 2007-Present
- Ginger H. Worden '69 (Interim President), 2006–2007
- Kathleen Gill Bowman, 1994–2006
- Lambuth M. Clarke, 1993–1994
- Linda Koch Lorimer, 1987–1993
- Robert A. Spivey, 1978–1987
- William F. Quillian, Jr., 1952–1978[1]
- Theodore H. Jack, 1933–1952
- N.A. Pattillo, 1931–1933
- Dice Robins Anderson, 1920–1931
- William A. Webb, 1913–1919
- William Waugh Smith, 1891–1912 [2]
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", notably her novel The Good Earth, which was chosen for its "rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces." In addition Buck's The Good Earth won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel in 1932. class of 1914 Emily Squires One of the twelve directors of Sesame Street. She has won 6 Daytime Emmy's since 1985. 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 Star. class of 1970 Blanche Lincoln Democratic U.S. Senator from Arkansas from 1999–2011. She has previously served in the House of Representatives from Arkansas' 1st district. At the age of 38, Lincoln was the youngest woman to be elected to the Senate in 1998. class of 1982 Rachel A. Dean U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, killed in September 2006 while on duty in Kazakhstan. class of 2003 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 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 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. Dr. William Waugh Smith tied his horse, Mr. Buttons, to this hitching post every day. The Evens also adopted Dr. 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 her 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 Dr. Amy R. Cohen of the Classics department.[7]
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
Randolph College’s nationally recognized Maier Museum of Art [3] features works by outstanding American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The College has been collecting American art since 1920 and now holds a collection of several thousand paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs in the Maier’s permanent collection.
The Museum 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 the spring of 2011, Randolph College was censured by the Association of Art Museum Directors for its proposed deaccessioning of four centerpieces within its collection. The college, which had already sold Rufino Tamayo's Trovador for a record-breaking $7.2 million, responded by claiming that the Maier's collection is a college asset held for the purpose of enhancing student learning and that the collection was not, in fact, part of a museum. The four other paintings slated for sale at a later date are George Wesley Bellows' Men of the Docks, Edward Hicks' Peaceable Kingdom, and Ernest Hennings' Through the Arroyo. [8] Student protests ensued in conjunction with the censure given by the Association of Art Museum Directors. [9]
The original announcement of the sale of the artwork resulted in injunctions filed to stop the sales as well as numerous protests from art associations, including the Virginia Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors and the College Art Association.[10]
Special programs
(The Experiential Learning Center is a go-to place for organizing study abroad options, internships, and research opportunities. ELC website)
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 approximately 30 to 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. [4]
American Culture
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 agreements with Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. The student will stay at Randolph for their first three years, then transfer to either Vanderbilt or Johns Hopkins for another two years. The student will receive a B.S. in Health Services from Randolph College and either a B.S.N. from the Johns Hopkins or a M.S.N. from Vanderbilt.
References
- ^ As of June 30, 2010. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2010 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2009 to FY 2010" (PDF). 2010 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2010NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values_Final.pdf. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- ^ "Randolph College", Official Website
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ Worden, Virginia (2006-09-17). "Why We Had No Choice but to Go Coed". washingtonpost.edu. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/15/AR2006091500939_pf.html. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
- ^ "Women's colleges", New York Times, 21 September 2006
- ^ "Randolph College"
- ^ "The Randolph College Greek Play". http://www.randolphcollege.edu/greekplay. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ Barry, Liz. "Art association censures Randolph over decision to sell paintings". Lynchburg News and Advance. http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2011/jun/29/art-association-censures-randolphs-decision-sell-p-ar-1142234/. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- ^ Barry, Liz. "Randolph students renew protests over art sale". Richmond Times-Dispatch. http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2011/apr/22/tdmet05-randolph-students-renew-protests-over-art--ar-988752/. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- ^ Lindsey, Sue. "Foes of Randolph College Art Sale Go to Court". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/23/AR2007102302756.html. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
External links
American women's colleges that became coeducational Became coeducational Adelphi University • Albertus Magnus College • Andrew College • Anna Maria College • Barber-Scotia College • Beaver College • Bennington College • Carlow University • Cazenovia College • Chestnut Hill College • Chowan College • Columbia College • Connecticut College • Drexel University College of Medicine • Elms College • Elmira College • Emmanuel College • Georgia College & State University • Goucher College • Greensboro College • Hood College • Hunter College • Huston-Tillotson University • Immaculata University • James Madison University • Keuka College • LaGrange College • Lake Erie College • Lasell College • Lesley College • Longwood University • MacMurray College • Mississippi University for Women • Marymount Manhattan College • University of Montevallo • Moravian College • Notre Dame College • Ohio Dominican University • Queens University of Charlotte • Radford University • Randolph College • Regis College • Rivier College • Sarah Lawrence College • Salve Regina University • Seton Hill University • Shorter University • Silver Lake College • Skidmore College • Stevenson University • Texas Woman's University • Trocaire College • University of Mary Hardin-Baylor • University of Mary Washington • University of North Carolina at Greensboro • Vassar College • Virginia Union University • Viterbo University • Washington College of Law • Webster University • Wells College • Wheaton College • Winthrop UniversityCoordinate colleges Douglass (merged with Rutgers University) • Evelyn College for Women (with Princeton University; closed) • Georgia State College for Women (with Georgia School of Technology to form Georgia College & State University) • H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College (merged with Tulane University) • Margaret Morrison Carnegie College (merged with Carnegie Mellon University) • Pembroke (merged with Brown University) • Radcliffe College (merged with Harvard University) • University of Mary Washington (with University of Virginia)International Association of Methodist-related Schools, Colleges, and Universities Adrian • Alaska Pacific • Albion • Albright • Allegheny • American • Andrew • Baker • Baldwin-Wallace • Bennett • Bethune-Cookman • Birmingham-Southern • Boston University • Brevard • Centenary (Louisiana) • Centenary (New Jersey) • Central Methodist • Claflin • Clark Atlanta • Columbia College (South Carolina) • Cornell College • Dakota Wesleyan • Denver • DePauw • Dickinson College • Dillard • Drew • Duke • Emory • Emory & Henry • Evansville • Ferrum • Florida Southern • Green Mountain • Greensboro • Hamline • Hendrix • High Point • Hiwassee • Huntingdon • Huston-Tillotson • Illinois Wesleyan • Indianapolis • Iowa Wesleyan • Kansas Wesleyan • Kendall • Kentucky Wesleyan • LaGrange • Lambuth • Lebanon Valley • Lindsey Wilson • Lon Morris • Louisburg • Lycoming • MacMurray • Martin Methodist • McKendree • McMurry • Meharry Medical • Methodist • Millsaps • Morningside • Mount Union • Nebraska Methodist • Nebraska Wesleyan • North Carolina Wesleyan • North Central • Northwestern University • Ohio Northern • Ohio Wesleyan • Oklahoma City • Otterbein • Oxford of Emory • Pacific • Paine • Pfeiffer • Puget Sound • Philander Smith • Randolph • Randolph-Macon • Reinhardt • Rocky Mountain • Rust • Shenandoah • Simpson College • Southern Methodist • Southwestern College (Kansas) • Southwestern University • Spartanburg Methodist • Syracuse • Tennessee Wesleyan • Texas Wesleyan • Union (Kentucky) • Virginia Wesleyan • Wesley College (Delaware) • Wesleyan College • West Virginia Wesleyan • Wiley • Willamette • Wofford • Young Harris
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Bridgewater • Catholic† • Eastern Mennonite‡ • Emory & Henry • Guilford • Hampden–Sydney • Hollins‡ • Lynchburg‡ • Randolph‡ • Randolph–Macon • Roanoke‡ • Sweet Briar‡ • Virginia Wesleyan‡ • Washington & Lee
† football-only member ‡ no-football memberColleges and universities in Virginia Private Appalachian College of Pharmacy · Appalachian School of Law · Art Institute of Virginia Beach · Art Institute of Washington · Atlantic University · Averett University · Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond · Bluefield College · Bridgewater College · Christendom College · Cordoba University · DeVry University · Eastern Mennonite University · ECPI University · Emory and Henry College · Ferrum College · George Washington University Virginia Campus · Gibbs College · Hampden–Sydney College · Hampton University · Hartland College · Hollins University · Jefferson College of Health Sciences · John Leland Center for Theological Studies · Joint Forces Staff College · Liberty University · Lynchburg College · Marine Corps University · Mary Baldwin College · Marymount University · Patrick Henry College · Potomac College · Randolph College · Randolph–Macon College · Regent University · Roanoke College · Saint Paul's College · Shenandoah University · Southern Virginia University · Stratford University · Sweet Briar College · Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education · University of Management and Technology · University of Northern Virginia · University of Richmond · Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine · Virginia Intermont College · Virginia International University · Virginia Theological Seminary · Virginia Union University · Virginia University of Lynchburg · Virginia Wesleyan College · Washington and Lee University · Westwood CollegePublic Christopher Newport University · College of William and Mary · Eastern Virginia Medical School · George Mason University · James Madison University · Longwood University · Norfolk State University · Old Dominion University · Radford University · Richard Bland College · University of Mary Washington · University of Virginia · University of Virginia's College at Wise · Virginia Commonwealth University · Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry · Virginia Community College System · Virginia Military Institute · Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Virginia State University · Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary MedicineDefunct Categories:- Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church
- Former women's universities and colleges in the United States
- Education in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Universities and colleges in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
- Educational institutions established in 1891
- Council of Independent Colleges
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Visitor attractions in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Members of the Annapolis Group
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
