King University

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King College Logo (Trademark of King College)
MottoEcclesiae et Litteris
(For the Church and For Learning)
TypePrivate
Established1867
Endowment$20.4 million[1]
PresidentDr. Richard A. Ray (interim)
Students2,381 (2012-13 Academic Year)
Location
Bristol
,
Tennessee
,
USA
CampusUrban
135 wooded acres (0.55 km²)
ColorsBlue and Gold   
NicknameThe Tornado
AffiliationsPresbyterian Church USA
MascotTwister the Lion
Websitewww.king.edu

King University (formerly King College) is a private, doctoral-level comprehensive university located in Bristol, Tennessee, offering more than 80 majors, minors, pre-professional degrees and concentrations in fields such as business, nursing, forensic science, education, and humanities. Graduate programs are offered in business administration, nursing, and education. A number of off-campus learning opportunities and travel destinations are also available.. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

Mission and Vision

University Mission: To build meaningful lives of achievement and cultural transformation in Christ.[2]

University Vision: To grow continually as a Christian comprehensive college, with pre-professional and professional schools, that builds lives for achievement & cultural transformation in Christ.[2]

History

In April 1866, the Holston Presbytery assembled at the old Pleasant Grove Church in Bristol, Tenn., establish a Christian college. The College was built on 25 acres (100,000 m2) of land in Bristol that had been donated by Reverend James King, in whose honor it is named.[3] The first classes were offered in August 1867.[4]

When the college outgrew its small campus, King's grandson Isaac Anderson donated land on a hillside east of Bristol and in 1917 the college moved to its present location.[4]

In January 2013, King College announced that the School would change its name to King University.[5] The name change reflects the master’s-level, comprehensive benchmark that King University has reached in recent years. Becoming a university is the natural unfolding of King’s strategic plan, unveiled in 1998, to create an even broader mix of programs based on a university model. On June 1, 2013, King College officially became King University.

In December 2013, King University was granted a Level V designation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), after a two-year application and review process. As a result, King University will offer doctoral programs beginning fall 2014. Two months later, faculty and alumni dissatisfaction with the university president came to light with a faculty vote of no confidence and an alumni effort to raise money that would only be released to the university if President Jordan's resignation or dismissal.[6]

Highlights Through the Years:

  • August 1867: King College opens its doors on College Avenue as an all-male school.
  • 1915: King College set to move to its current location; construction begins.
  • 1917: Bristol Hall, serving as a dormitory, office building, educational center, dining hall, and auditorium, is completed.
  • 1922: King dubbed Tornado after football team’s legendary 206-0 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne.
  • 1931: King becomes coeducational, accepting female students for the first time.
  • 1948: King gains accreditation from SACS.
  • 1950s: The campus sees a transformational change with the emergence of the Oval.
  • 1967: King celebrates its 100th birthday.
  • 2001: King’s center for Graduate and Professional Studies is established.
  • 2002: Student Center Complex opens.
  • 2010: King opens the Knoxville campus at Hardin Valley.
  • June 1, 2013: King College become King University.
  • Oct. 24, 2013: The Learning Commons at Nicewonder Hall opens.
  • Nov. 8, 2013: King University opens new Nashville campus.
  • Nov. 15, 2013: King established School for Behavioral and Health Sciences.

Campus

The King University campus is located on 135 acres approximately 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from downtown Bristol, Tennessee. All main buildings on campus are brick and of Georgian-style architecture.[4] King University also has three additional Tennessee campuses located in Kingsport, Knoxville, and Nashville. There are 10 additional instructional locations across Southwest Virginia and Tennessee.

View of King College campus from a nearby road
The new Student Center at King College

Accreditation and Memberships

King University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)[3].

King is a member of numerous associations, including the Appalachian College Association (ACA), the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)[4].

Academics

King University offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors and pre-professional programs.

The University offers several professional studies programs for working professionals: Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts in English, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Communication, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, Bachelor of Science in History, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing for Registered Nurses, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Programs are available in traditional and online formats.[7]

King also offers three graduate programs: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Master of Education (MEd). King will begin offering the Doctor of Nursing Practive (DNP) beginning fall 2014.

Schools

King University is organized on a small-university model with five schools:

  • King College of Arts and Sciences
  • King School of Applied Science and Technology
  • King School of Behavioral and Health Sciences
  • School of Business and Economics
  • Peeke School of Christian Mission
  • King School of Education
  • King School of Nursing

Libraries

E.W. King Library (main campus): The E.W. King library contains a collection of over 140,000 items and is located on the north side of the campus Oval.[8]

Kingsport Information Resource Center: This center serves the College’s students who attend classes in Kingsport, TN, and the surrounding area.[9]

Knoxville Learning Center: This center serves the College’s Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) students who attend classes in Knoxville, TN, and the surrounding area.[9]

Faculty

King employs more than 80 full-time faculty members and has a student:faculty ratio of 16:1.[10]

Curriculum

The Core Curriculum of King University was last revised by the faculty during Spring, 2009. The Core is composed of a Common Experience, four semester hours of courses that all graduates must take at the college, and General Education, thirty-six hours of courses that span the traditional liberal arts.[11]

Common Experience

  • KING 1000: First Year Seminar -or- KING 2000: Transfer Year Seminar (1 credit)
  • ENGL 3010: Research & Writing (2 credits)
  • KING 4000: Christian Faith & Social Responsibility (1 credit)
  • Cross-Cultural Experience (0 credits but a required experience)

General Education

  • RELG 1001: Christian Scriptures & Traditions (4 credits)
  • ENGL 1110: Composition & Speech (4 credits)
  • Laboratory Science - can choose among biology, chemistry, physics (4 credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning - can choose math fundamentals or calculus (4 credits)
  • History - U.S. or World History that must be taken concurrently with literature (4 credits)
  • Literature - American or World Literature that must be taken concurrently with history (4 credits)
  • Human Creative Products - can choose among music, art, theater (4 credits)
  • Human Culture - modern language or, if proficiency demonstrated, sociology or psychology (4 credits)
  • U.S. & Global Citizenship - political science or economics (4 credits)

Experience DC

As part of the college's First Year Experience Program, each year the entire freshman class travels to Washington, D.C. for an experiential learning trip known as Experience DC. During the trip, students visit offices of legislators, national museums, international organizations, art galleries and various public venues. Participants are challenged to explore their views on the arts, religion, varying cultures and issues facing humankind. The trip also helps students examine career options.[12]

Student life

Student government

Student governance and representation are vested in the Student Government Association (SGA). The Student Government Association is the most powerful student-ran organization at King University and oversees other student organizations. The SGA serves as the voice of the students to the board of trustees, administration, faculty, and staff.

Student organizations

Academic organizations include: Kappa Epsilon Honors Society, History & Political Science Society, Psy Chi Honors Society, and a collegiate chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery.

Performing arts-related organizations include: Collegium Musicum, Symphonic Choir, Men's Ensemble, Jazz/Gospel Choir, Symphonic Band, Pep Band, Chapel Band, and The King University Players (K.U.P.)

General interest organizations include: Alpha Phi Omega, the Newman Club, a collegiate chapter of the International Justice Mission, the International Student Organization, College Republicans, College Democrats, TISL, and a computer/video gaming club.

Student Ministry Teams include: The Refreshment Company (a music-based ministry), The Dawn Treaders (a theatrical ministry), and Corps for Christ (a dance ministry).

Student Publications

Students have the opportunity to work in journalism and publishing. The Kayseean is the student newspaper, published sixteen times per year. The school's yearbook is The Tornado.

Student activities

The Student Life Activities Committee at King (SLACK) is a student group (which branched from the SGA in the 2000-2001 academic year)responsible for organizing and executing student activities, at the direction of Emily London, Director of Student Life. Events in the past have included: concerts, dances, movies, outdoor adventures (canoeing, caving, ropes courses), overnight trips, International Fair, Oktoberfest, a late night exam breakfast, an end-of-the-year luau, Safe Spring Break promotion, and bingo nights.

A full program of intramural sports is offered to students. Typical sports include: indoor soccer, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball, bowling, and ultimate frisbee. In addition, intramural video game tournaments, Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, chess tournaments, and board game nights are also held throughout the year.

Residence Halls

King's campus offers separate men's and women's residence halls, including a women's honors dorm and a hall featuring townhouse-style rooms. High-speed internet and cable television are available in the residence halls.

Parks Hall

Parks Hall houses women and features a formal parlor, a casual lobby with big screen television as well as kitchenettes, laundry facilities, and a guest room. Parks is the only residence hall that does not have air conditioning.

Liston Hall

Liston Hall is a five story residence hall. The top three floors are generally referred to as Liston Hall. The first subfloor houses women and is referred to as Lower Liston Hall. The second subfloor houses men and is known as the Liston Honors Suites. Liston contains laundry facilities, a guest room, and a central lobby on the main floor. All rooms are air conditioned.

Lower Liston Hall

Lower Liston Hall houses women and is located on the first subfloor of Liston Hall. Lower Liston is separated from the men’s halls by a series of doors, which are closed at all times, and only accessible in case of emergency. Lower Liston Hall features laundry facilities, kitchen, and a television lounge. All rooms are air conditioned.

Liston Honors Suites

Liston Honors Suite houses men and is located on the lowest level of Liston Hall. Those living in Liston Honors Suite are selected based on GPA, class standing, and personal commitment to upholding college policies. Liston Honors Suites contains laundry facilities, a common area, and suite style-rooms with semi-private bathrooms. All rooms are air conditioned.

Mitchell Hall

Mitchell Hall is a townhouse-style residence hall for students located on the west part of campus. Each of the five units can house either men or women. Mitchell has generally housed women but one or more units housing men have been more common in recent years. Each Mitchell Hall unit has laundry facilities and a television lounge. All rooms are air conditioned.

Hyde Hall

Hyde Hall houses women and offers semi-private bathrooms shared by four suitemates. It contains laundry facilities, a television lounge, fully equipped kitchen, and a formal lobby. Those living in Hyde are selected based on GPA, class standing, and personal commitment to upholding college policies.

Athletics

Men's intercollegiate teams compete in baseball, basketball, cross-country, cycling, golf, soccer, track and field, swimming/diving, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.

Women's intercollegiate teams compete in basketball, cheerleading/dance, cross-country, cycling, golf, soccer, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.

The College is a member of NCAA-Division II and Conference Carolinas.[13] The College is also a member of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).

The College was previously a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference of the NAIA.

College Nickname

The college nickname, the Tornado, was adopted in 1922 following a 206-0 football win over North Carolina rival Lenoir College (now Lenoir-Rhyne).[14] The local newspaper covering the event wrote the headline "King College's Victory Was 'Tornado' Of Week's Games" and began referring to the football team as the "Tornado".[15] This is a record score which stands in the annals of collegiate football as one of the highest ever won on the gridiron.[16]

College Mascot

Twister, a lion, was unveiled as the college's new mascot on September 2, 2011. Twister is a fearless lion that represents the determination and courage reflected in King's adventure as a NCAA Division II institution. Equipped with his King colors of navy blue and scarlet red, Twister dons the number 11 on his back while rallying those in Tornado Athletics and the King College community.[17]

Spiritual Life

Students have many opportunities to explore Christian beliefs and spiritual traditions. Opportunities abound with chapel, the Buechner Institute, Christian ministry groups, and service projects. Each year, student teams also travel nationally and internationally for a range of missions and study trips.

All traditional King students are required to obtain fourteen chapel, convocation, or community service credit hours per semester.

Chapel

Chapel is held every Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. and led by the Chaplain.[18]

The Buechner Institute

Dedicated to the work and example of Frederick Buechner, the Institute is devoted to exploring the intersections and collisions of faith and culture that define our times.

The Buechner Institute sponsors convocations on most Mondays at 9:15 a.m. that feature speakers from a variety of backgrounds to examine the ways in which faith informs art and public life and cultivate conversation about what faith has to do with books, politics, social discourse, music, visual arts, and more.

Additionally, the Buechner Institute sponsors the Annual Buechner Lectureship. Previous lecturers include:

Ministry Groups

Ministry groups are student led and are supported by the administration. Groups include: Corps for Christ (dance ministry team), Refreshment Company (music ministry team), & Dawn Treaders (drama ministry).

Service Opportunities

(not an exhaustive list) Coats for Kids (winter coats collection), Dermid Home Team (group mentoring), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Friends for Life (mentor program for youth), Habitat for Humanity, Liston Devos (student-led worship meeting), The Lord’s Storehouse, Widow’s Mite, Young Life Leadership (ministry to local high school students), YWCA, Boys & Girls Club, Girls, Inc., River’s Way

Controversies

In the academic year 2013 - 2014 a rising number of current faculty,[19] staff, students, and alumni began expressing their displeasure with the current direction of the school and its leadership, particularly that of president Gregory D. Jordan. Concerns include (but are not limited to) loss of the school's Christian mission, lack of tolerance for dissent, unwarranted monitoring of dissenters' social media by University administrators,[20] firing of faculty without cause,[21] unsupported growth (e.g. the establishment of various "institutes") and neglect of the Bristol campus.[22]

In response to the above, Dr. Gregory D. Jordan eventually resigned as president of the university on February 14, 2014. Vice Chair of the Board Dr. Richard A. Ray was named as the interim president. [23]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ 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. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b King College > About Us > Mission and Vision
  3. ^ Page 242 in Higher education in Tennessee, by Lucius Salisbury Merriam, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1893.
  4. ^ a b c "King College: History of King College". About.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  5. ^ http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_1cfd6284-6597-11e2-a7c6-001a4bcf6878.html
  6. ^ Nathan Baker (February 13, 2014). "King University faculty speak publicly about president's leadership". Johnson City Press. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  7. ^ http://online.king.edu/online-degree-programs/
  8. ^ "Library: About the Library". Library.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  9. ^ a b "Library: Knoxville Library". Library.king.edu. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  10. ^ "King College: Fast Facts". Parents.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  11. ^ "King College: Core Curriculum". Academics.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  12. ^ "Discover King: Experience D.C". Discover.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  13. ^ King moves to NCAA Division II and Conference Carolinas | http://news.king.edu/index.php?id=47&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2613&cHash=c09b9b691922a6deb7be4d3e64d64b53
  14. ^ Bristol Herald Courier: Sunday, October 22, 1922
  15. ^ Bristol Herald Courier: Monday, October 23, 1922
  16. ^ Why Tornado
  17. ^ [1]
  18. ^ "Discover King: Chapel & Convocation". Discover.king.edu. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  19. ^ http://king1867.wordpress.com/
  20. ^ http://king1867.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/facebook/
  21. ^ http://www.wcyb.com/news/king-university-faculty-worried-about-job-security/-/14590844/24227238/-/hb3pg6/-/index.html
  22. ^ http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1080519
  23. ^ http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_9412d92e-95c2-11e3-926d-0017a43b2370.html
  24. ^ [2][dead link]
  25. ^ "Salem Press". Salem Press. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  26. ^ "Meet the N.A.I.A.'s - Mike Helton - NAIA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE". Naia.cstv.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  27. ^ "LAIRD, William Ramsey, III - Biographical Information". Bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  28. ^ "Representatives - TN General Assembly". Capitol.tn.gov. 1984-02-21. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  29. ^ Angled Vector. "Katherine Paterson - About the Author". Terabithia.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  30. ^ http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=39398&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=2&vUUR=1
  31. ^ http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/physics/winters.html

External links

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