Palm Beach Atlantic University
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| Palm Beach Atlantic University | |
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| The fountain near the entrance to Palm Beach Atlantic University. | |
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| Motto: | Enlightening Minds, Enriching Souls, Extending Hands |
| Established: | 1968 |
| Religious affiliation: | Christian Nondenominational[1] |
| Endowment: | $62.9 million |
| President: | Lu Hardin[1] |
| Undergraduates: | 2,409[2] |
| Postgraduates: | 499[2] |
| Location: | West Palm Beach, Florida, USA |
| Mascot: | Sailfish |
| Website: | http://www.pba.edu |
Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) is a comprehensive nondenominational (26 denominations represented in the student body) faith-based university with a core emphasis on character formation by integrating a Christian worldview with the liberal arts and selected professional studies. It is located one mile (1.6 km) from the Atlantic Ocean on the Intracoastal Waterway. Its purpose is to offer a curriculum of rigorous studies and a program of student activities dedicated to the development of lifetime learning, leadership and service to mankind. The mean SAT is 1090. The student to faculty ratio is 15:1 with 161 faculty and 134 adjunct faculty. Dr. David W. Clark has served as president since 2003.
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[edit] History
Palm Beach Atlantic University was the vision of and was founded by Dr. Jess C. Moody in 1968 while he was the pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. He served until the first class graduated in 1972 and resigned from the presidency to focus on his duties at First Baptist Church. Two laymen of the church, Dr. Donald Warren and Riley Sims became involved as trustees before the university began and continued to contribute time and support for many years. Dr. Warren served as chairman of the trustees for 38 years until 2007
In July 1972, Dr. Warner E. Fusselle, previously President of Truett-McConnell College, became the second President of the university and led the accreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools which was achieved in December 1972.
Dr. George Borders, Vice President of Student Affairs at Stetson University, became the third President of Palm Beach Atlantic University in 1978. He was popular with students and the Florida Baptist Convention. After his resignation in 1981 to become the President of the Florida Baptist Foundation, Dr. Claude H. Rhea became president.
Rhea's leadership saw the development of the Rinker campus and expansion of academic programs. On a business trip to Paris, Dr. Rhea collapsed and died in the Paris-Orly Airport.
Dr. Paul R. Corts, previously president of Wingate College, became the fifth President of Palm Beach Atlantic. He presided over the addition of two graduate programs, from 1991 until 2002. He resigned in 2002 to accept a position as Assistant Attorney General for Administration with the Department of Justice for the United States of America.
Dr. David W. Clark, sixth President of FamilyNet, and founding provost of Regent University became President in 2003. During his presidency enrollment has grown from 2600 to 3291. Five new buildings have been completed including the magnificent Warren Library, a mini campus in Wellington and 96 acres for a new athletic campus. The university budget has grown from $43 million to $73 million. Over 4,600 or 40 percent of all degrees have been awarded during his tenure. President Clark has announced his retirement after the 2008-9 academic year.
On June 30, 2009, Lu Hardin was announced as the seventh president of Palm Beach Atlantic University with an effective date of July 1, 2009, after a unanimous vote of the University's board of trustees. An educator who became a state senator, Hardin, 57, is the former president of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). During his six-year tenure, enrollment at UCA increased from 8,000 to 13,000 and the average incoming student ACT score rose from 22.1 to 23.5. Graduation rates increased from 47 to 55.4 percent. President Hardin championed the UCA athletic program’s successful bid to obtain National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I status. Additional information about his hiring can be found at: www.pba.edu/presidential-search
[edit] Campus
PBA's campus is located in West Palm Beach on the Lake Worth. The first structure built specifically for PBA, the W.G. Lassiter Jr. Student Center, was completed in 1982. This was followed by Johnson Hall and Sachs Hall in 1989.
Residence halls include Rinker Hall, Baxter Hall, Johnson Hall, Pembroke Hall, Weyenberg Hall, Flagler Towers, Lakeview Apartments, and Mango Apartments.
Classroom buildings include the Vera Lea Rinker School of Music and Fine Arts, the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy, Borbe Hall, MacArthur Hall, Rinker Hall, and the Okeechobee Building.
A continuous building program has characterized the last decade of growth at Palm Beach Atlantic University. In January 2007 the first phase of the state-of-the-art 62,000 sq ft (5,800 m2). Warren Library was dedicated. Construction continues on phase two, and the 86.000 sq ft (7.9897 m2). building will be completed in 2009. The building is named after Dr. Donald Warren, who served as the first chairman of the Board of Trustees for 38 years. The university has extension campuses in Orlando and Wellington offering adult and graduate degrees.
A new campus with outdoor athletic fields and a new athletic exercise and administration building is under construction. Located at the former historic Hillcrest neighborhood less than two miles (3 km) from campus, the 90-acre (360,000 m2) campus will be completed in 2010.
[edit] National Rankings
- Palm Beach Atlantic achieved the status of 43rd in the Tier One Top 60 category of "Universities-Master's (South)" by US News & World Report[3]
- The Princeton Review ranked PBAU One of the Best Southeast Colleges in 2008.
- Listed in "100 Best Buy Colleges" in the United States for 2007. One of only 4 in Florida.
- Listed by the Templeton Foundation as a College That Encourages Character.
[edit] Available Degrees
The University offers more than 60 majors but is best known for producing outstanding graduates in business, education, media communication, theater, music, ministry and counseling.
PBA also is renowned for its required community service program, "Workship" (a portmanteau of Work and Worship). Since the school was founded in 1968, 1.8 million hours of student community service have been given by the students and faculty.
The Gregory School of Pharmacy offers the Pharm.D. in pharmacy. It is one of five pharmacy schools in Florida. The University is organized into nine academic schools: Arts & Sciences, Communication & Media, Education & Behavioral Studies, Gregory School of Pharmacy, MacArthur School of Leadership, Ministry, Music & Fine Arts, Nursing, and Rinker School of Business. A new campus was established in Orlando in 2002 and in Wellington in 2007.
[edit] Accreditation & Memberships
Palm Beach Atlantic University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
Membership is maintained in many organizations including:
- Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida
- The Florida Council for Teacher Education
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- The National Association of College Admissions Personnel
- Council of Independent Colleges
- Association on Higher Education and Disability
- Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
[edit] Notable alumni
- Susan Sherouse - American violinist
- Priscilla Taylor - Current member of the Florida House of Representatives
- Freddie Cox Daughtridge '77
- Patti Johnson Hovey '87
- Michael S. Reiter ’96 HRD
- Angela M. Price '93
- Michelle Rigby Assad, ’95
- Joseph Assad, ’94
- Richard A. Grimm, ’83
- Richard G. Barnes, ’98 MBA
[edit] Athletics
PBA is a member of the NCAA Division II and a member of the NCCAA. Presently, the "Sailfish" compete in eleven intercollegiate sports including women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's cross country. School colors are navy blue and white. A new athletic campus will have soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, basketball, volleyball and running trails as well as a new state of the art weight and training room. A new 34,000 sq ft (3,200 m2) building will be constructed along with various other buildings.
[edit] Men's athletic teams
- Baseball
- Basketball [1]
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Lacrosse
[edit] Women's athletic teams
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2009/06/30/0630pbapresident.html
- ^ a b http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=531&profileId=0
- ^ USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2009: Universities-Master's (South): Tier 1
[edit] Bibliography
- Paul W. Beasley. Guided By God's Hand: PBA's First 35 Years. (Atlanta: Crux Communication, 2003).
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Athletics website
- Catalogs
- Faculty
- Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy
- School of Nursing
- Warren Library
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