McKendree University
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| McKendree University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1828 |
| Type | Private, Methodist |
| Endowment | $20.7 million[1] |
| President | James M. Dennis |
| Faculty | 60 |
| Staff | 150 |
| Undergraduates | 2,000 |
| Location | Lebanon, IL, USA |
| Campus | Rural |
| Mascot | Bearcat (Bogey) |
| Website | mckendree.edu |
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McKendree University, formerly known as McKendree College, is a private liberal arts college located in Lebanon, Illinois. The area is a part of the Metro-East region of Greater St. Louis. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college in Illinois. McKendree enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates and nearly 1000 graduate students and remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The school changed its name to McKendree University beginning with the 2007-08 academic year. The school also announced that it would unveil a new logo in July 2007.[dated info] McKendree University comprises McKendree College, a School of Business, a School of Health Professions and a School of Education.[2]
Since 1994 and the installation of its current President, Dr. James M. Dennis, the College has significantly increased its enrollment. In recent years, a different enrollment management strategy has yielded larger numbers of high quality students,[citation needed] built substantial graduate enrollments and strongly diversified the student body.[citation needed] McKendree's strategy for the recruitment of students of color is now recognized as a national model for enrollment professionals.[citation needed]
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[edit] Curriculum
McKendree University offers 6 bachelor degree programs in 40 major areas of study and several master degree programs. More than 50% of the classes have fewer than 15 students. McKendree's student-to-faculty ratio is 15 to 1.[citation needed]
McKendree University also offers masters degrees in five areas: business administration, education, nursing, human resource management and professional counseling.
[edit] History
Established by pioneer Methodists, McKendree is the oldest university in the state and continues to have ties to the United Methodist Church.
First called Lebanon Seminary, the school opened in two rented sheds for 72 students in 1828 under Edward Raymond Ames. In 1830, Bishop William McKendree, the first American-born bishop of the Methodist church, permitted the Board of Trustees to change the institution's name to McKendree College. Later Bishop McKendree deeded 480 acres (1.9 km²) of land in Shiloh Valley, Illinois to endow the college.
Reverend Peter Akers, in 1833, was the first president of the newly named college. He was president of McKendree College three times and received its first degree, an honorary Doctorate of Divinity.
In 1835, the College received one of the first charters granted to independent church colleges by the Illinois legislature. The institution still operates under the provisions of a second, more liberal charter obtained in 1839.
McKendree has struggled throughout its history to be financially viable and only since the late 90s has it achieved a measure of economic stability.
In 2001, the College embarked on a highly successful capital campaign which raised more than $20 million for the campus including the creation of a Performing Arts Center.
[edit] Annual all-Campus events
- April: Spring Fling
- September: Tailgate party — picnic, fest, and game kicks off the football season
- October: Homecoming — parade, fest, and football game
- December: Christmas tree lighting — eggnog, Christmas carols, and Christmas tree illumination
[edit] Facilities
McKendree University's first campus is located on 100 acres (0.4 km²) in Lebanon, Illinois, about 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Several of its 28 buildings have been cited by the National Register for Historical Buildings.[citation needed]
McKendree University also has campuses in Louisville and Radcliff, Kentucky, classes at Scott Air Force Base, and a nursing program at several locations in Southern Illinois.
[edit] Athletics
McKendree University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Its teams are called the Bearcats. In football, which returned to the campus in 1996, the Bearcats play in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association, an NAIA affiliate.
McKendree University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1912 to 1938.
In other sports, the Bearcats are members of the American Midwest Conference. The Bearcats participate at the intercollegiate level in 11 men's sports and 9 women's sports:
[edit] Women's sports
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McKendree's men's basketball coach, Harry Statham, currently holds the all-time record for wins at a four year institution. McKendree's 27 victories in the 2007–2008 season gives Statham 965 victories.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
- ^ "McKendree plans university evolution". St. Louis Business Journal. 2007-02-12. http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/02/12/daily3.html. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
- ^ "McKendree's (Ill.) Harry Statham Wins Career No. 950". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. 2008-01-12. http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/011308aab.html. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
[edit] Lacking citation
- Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1967.
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: McKendree College |
- McKendree University — official website
- McKendree University Athletics — official website
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