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Coordinates: 39°11′23″N 94°40′49″W / 39.18986°N 94.68014°W / 39.18986; -94.68014
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==Athletics==
==Athletics==
Park University teams are known as the Pirates. The university competes in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) as a member of the [[American Midwest Conference]] (AMC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.
Park University teams are known as the Pirates. The university competes in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) as a member of the [[American Midwest Conference]] (AMC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

In the 1980s, the Park College athletics received some notoriety for its men's basketball team. In 1980, members of the team were arrested for the attempted burglary of the school's bookstore, then located on the first floor of the Thompson Commons.


In 2008-09, the Pirates had 24 student-athletes earn 25 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete distinctions, and six Park student-athletes were named to NAIA All-America teams, including Jon Meriweather, who was named to the NAIA All-America team to record his school-record fifth All-America distinction. In 2007-08, Meriweather was an NAIA All-American, Victory Sports Network All-American and a Basketball Times All-American. He was also named preseason All-America by Basketball Times prior to 2008-09.
In 2008-09, the Pirates had 24 student-athletes earn 25 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete distinctions, and six Park student-athletes were named to NAIA All-America teams, including Jon Meriweather, who was named to the NAIA All-America team to record his school-record fifth All-America distinction. In 2007-08, Meriweather was an NAIA All-American, Victory Sports Network All-American and a Basketball Times All-American. He was also named preseason All-America by Basketball Times prior to 2008-09.

Revision as of 21:54, 27 January 2014

Park University
File:Park University logo.png
MottoFides et Labor
Motto in English
Literally: “Faith and Work”
TypePrivate
EstablishedPark College 1875
Park University 2000
PresidentMichael Droge, Ph.D.
Vice-presidentJerry D. Jorgensen, Ph.D.
ProvostJerry D. Jorgensen, Ph.D.
Students25,500 overall enrollment [1] with 1,250 maximum in Parkville home[2]/
Address
8700 NW River Park Drive,
Parkville, MO 64152
,
Parkville, Missouri

39°11′23″N 94°40′49″W / 39.18986°N 94.68014°W / 39.18986; -94.68014
ColorsCanary and Wine (gold and burgundy)
AffiliationsNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
MascotPirates
Websitehttp://www.park.edu
Mackay Hall

Park University is an independent, non-profit private institution of higher education based in Parkville, Missouri and has 40 campus center locations in 21 states and online. Established in 1875 as a small religiously-affiliated college, it has now expanded into an comprehensive master level institution and one of the top providers of education courses for the U.S. military.

Park is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

Locations

The flagship campus of Park University is located in the city of Parkville, Missouri. The Park University Graduate School is located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. There are 40 campuses in 21 U.S. states[3] including three campuses in the Kansas City area (Downtown Kansas City, Independence and Parkville) and a campus center in Austin, Texas. Most of the satellite campuses are on or near United States Air Force bases and share quarters with other businesses/organizations.

The 800-acre (323.7 ha) home campus currently has an enrollment of 1,600 students representing 50 states and 106 international countries..[4] The entire extended system had an annual student enrollment of 23,000. [5]

History

The school which was originally called Park College was founded in 1875 by John A. McAfee on land donated by George S. Park with its initial structure being the stone hotel Park owned on the bluff above the Missouri River.

The original concept called for students to receive free tuition and board in exchange for working up to half day in the college’s farm, electrical shop or printing plant. According to the terms of the arrangement if the “Parkville Experiment” did not work out within five years, the college grounds were to revert to Park.[6]

There were 17 students in the first school year and in the first graduation class there were five women. McAfee led until his death in 1890. His son Lowell M. McAfee became the second president of Park until stepping down in 1913. The first international student at Park University arrived in 1880 from Japan.

The defining landmark of the campus is Mackay Hall, named after Carroll County, Illinois banker Duncan Mackay who donated $25,000 in materials for the structure shortly before his death.[7] The building was constructed using limestone mined on the campus grounds and built with the labor of students. Construction began in 1883 and was finished by 1893. Today the building is the main focal point of the campus and dominates the hillside, overlooking the town of Parkville. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

For many decades the school was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church but it no longer has that affiliation.[when?] The college has had a relationship with the military since 1889. However, the relationship was greatly expanded in 1972 with the Military Resident Center System.[8] Park’s total enrollment has grown from its small base since 1996 when it first began offering online courses.[9] In 2000 it was renamed Park University.

Athletics

Park University teams are known as the Pirates. The university competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

In 2008-09, the Pirates had 24 student-athletes earn 25 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete distinctions, and six Park student-athletes were named to NAIA All-America teams, including Jon Meriweather, who was named to the NAIA All-America team to record his school-record fifth All-America distinction. In 2007-08, Meriweather was an NAIA All-American, Victory Sports Network All-American and a Basketball Times All-American. He was also named preseason All-America by Basketball Times prior to 2008-09.

Park was represented in seven NAIA national championship events, including both the men’s and women’s soccer NAIA national championships, marking the seventh-straight appearance for the Park men’s soccer program, marking the second-longest active streak of tournament appearances.[citation needed]

Park also made its eighth women’s soccer appearance in the NAIA national tournament, while the men’s volleyball program hosted the NAIA National Invitational Tournament the past two seasons, winning the tournament championship in 2008.

Park’s softball program made its first NAIA national tournament appearance in 2009, one year after the women’s golf program made its first-ever national championship in the 2008 season.

The Department of Athletics at Park University is led by Claude English, Director of Athletics, who was also the Pirates’ men’s basketball coach from 1993 to 2005. From 1981 to 1984, English was the head men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island, and he played one season in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1970-71. Park University women’s basketball coach Joe C. Meriweather is also NBA veteran, playing 10 years for the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Jazz, New York Knicks and Kansas City Kings.

Recognition

  • Ranked 10th on Guide to Online School’s 2013 Online College Rankings.[10] [11]
  • Recognized as a College of Distinction for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years.[12]
  • Park University's online Master of Public Affairs degree program is ranked 10th nationally as a "best buy" in the "Best Online Masters in Public Administration" category by GetEducated.com. In addition, Park's online Master of Business Administration degree is ranked 25th in the "Best Online MBA Rankings Regional" category.[13]
  • Ranked 2nd among all private colleges and universities in the U.S. and ranked 3rd in the “online and nontraditional” category on the Military Times’ "Best for Vets: Colleges 2013" list.[14]
  • Selected as one of the top military-friendly colleges and universities in the country for five consecutive years by Military Advanced Education magazine.[15]
  • Ranked among the top 100 colleges and universities in the United States for conferring bachelor’s degrees to students of color by “Diverse Issues in Higher Education” magazine.[16]

Notable people

Faculty

References

  1. ^ http://www.park.edu/alumni/faq.asp
  2. ^ http://www.parkvideo.net/news/publish/mp/report050106.pdf - Park University 2006 Master Plan
  3. ^ http://www.park.edu/extended/
  4. ^ - Park University 2006 Master Plan
  5. ^ Park University Facts, Stats and Admissions Information, Yahoo.com
  6. ^ Centennial History of Missouri: (the Center State) One Hundred Years in the Union, 1820-1921 By Walter Barlow Stevens –1921 – S.J. Clarke Publishing – Page 41 (available on print.google.com)
  7. ^ Decatur Daily Dispatch - Among Our Neighbors - 1890-09-11
  8. ^ Park University: Downtown Kansas City Campus
  9. ^ Distance Learning Programs 2004 By Peterson's Guides Staff, Peterson's
  10. ^ "2013 Online College Rankings". Guide To Online Schools. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  11. ^ "Park University Ranked Among Nation's Best For Providing Online Education". Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Park University". Colleges of Distinction. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Best Affordable Online Masters in Public Administration". Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Best for Vets: Colleges 2013". Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  15. ^ "Park University Selected "Military-Friendly School" For Fifth Straight Year". Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  16. ^ "Park University receives national recognition". The Examiner. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  17. ^ Marsia Alexander-Clarke (2003). "Resume". Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  18. ^ "Bio information on Barnes, Graves". Fort Mill Times. September 30, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-17. [dead link]
  19. ^ "Mayor Kay Barnes to Join Park University, Lead New Center". Park University. April 4, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
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