Christopher Newport University
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| Christopher Newport University | |
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| Established: | 1960 |
| Type: | Public university |
| President: | Paul S. Trible, Jr. |
| Faculty: | 218 |
| Students: | 4,793[1] |
| Undergraduates: | 4,623 |
| Postgraduates: | 170 |
| Location: | Newport News, Virginia, USA |
| Campus: | Suburban, 260 acres (1.1 km²) |
| Colors: | Royal Blue and Silver |
| Nickname: | Captains |
| Mascot: | Captain Chris |
| Athletics: | NCAA Division III, USA South Athletic Conference |
| Affiliations: | MAISA; AAU |
| Website: | www.cnu.edu |
Christopher Newport University, or CNU, is a liberal arts university located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1961 as a two-year school of the College of William and Mary. It became a four-year college in 1971, and a university in 1992. Former United States Senator Paul S. Trible, Jr., became President of CNU in 1996. In recent years, applications have gone up by more than 400 percent, and the students’ SAT average has increased by more than 200 points. Nearly 90 percent of CNU's faculty members hold the highest degree in their fields. The campus has been transformed by more than $400 million in capital construction.[1] The institution is named after Christopher Newport, the leader of the expedition that brought the first English settlers to Jamestown.
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[edit] History
In 1960 the city of Newport News joined together with the Commonwealth of Virginia to create Christopher Newport College, which opened it's doors in 1961[2] and at the time was located in the old John W. Daniel School building. The college was founded as an extension of the College of William & Mary and offered extension courses that had already been available in the area for some time. In 1964 the college was relocated to its current location, a 75-acre (300,000 m2) tract of land purchased and donated by the city. In this same year, the college's first permanent building was dedicated as Lews Arthur McMurran Jr. Hall, named after the assemblyman whose sponsored legislation led to the schools establishment.[3] In 1971, CNU became a 4 year college[3] however remained an extension of William & Mary until 1977 when it attained its independence.[4] Finally in 1992, the college received university status under the leadership of then president Anthony R. Santoro who oversaw the building of the first residence hall and the original Captain John Smith Library. Eventually former senator Paul S. Trible replaced Santoro as president of the university, after which the former senator announced his plans for the university's expansion.[5]
[edit] Academics
Christopher Newport University offers a variety of four year bachelors of sciences and bachelors of arts degrees. For a few of these degrees they offer a masters in 5 program which, with an additional year of study, will allow graduation with a masters of science or masters of arts in the selected field. Along with the choice of a major, many students will choose a minor with which to complement their education. They also offer several Pre-professional programs and Certificate programs. The campus academic programs are divided into the Joseph W. Luter III School of Business and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Each of these departments is broken down further into the academic programs that they offer.
[edit] Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership
The College of Business is located in the Business and Technology Center, locally abbreviated as The BTC Building. Here you will find administrative and faculty offices for the department, as well as classrooms and computer labs. In 2005 the school of business was renamed to the Joseph W. Luter III School of Business. The school was renamed after a 5 million dollar donation from the Smithfield Packing Company. Joseph W. Luter, III, the president and CEO of the company at the time said, "I have always felt strongly about the importance of contributing to the community and to the people with whom we come into contact every day. ..I have always encouraged Smithfield Foods, Inc. and its subsidiaries to focus on helping their local communities in a direct way."[2] in regards to the companies donation. In December the Leadership and American Studies Department merged with the School of Business to create the Joseph W Luter III College of Business and Leadership. The College of Business is accredited by the AACSB and offers bachelors degrees in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. Worldwide, only one in six business schools has AACSB international accreditation. [3]
[edit] College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
The college of Liberal Arts & Sciences is divided into academic departments. Each academic department is primarily associated with a building on campus. Most classes within a department will be located in the associated building as well as faculty offices and other learning resources. The department of Biology, Chemistry & Environmental Science, generally located in the Science Building, offers bachelors degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Ornamental Horticulture however the Ornamental Horticulture program was dropped in 2008. The Physics, Computer Science & Computer Engineering, or PCSE, department offers several bachelors degree as well as a master in 5 program. Undergraduate programs include degrees in Computer Engineering, Applied Physics, Computer Science and Information Science. The Information Science program offers several concentrations which include Networking & Communications, Information Systems, and Business Administration. With an extra year of study, a student can graduate with their bachelors in Computer Science or Physics as well as a masters in Applied Physics and Computer Science. Sharing Gosnold Hall with the PCSE Department is the Mathematics Department which offers a degree in Mathematics.
Shying away from Science and Technology and moving into the arts, the Department of Government is primarily located in Ratcliffe Hall. The department offers a Bachelors of Arts degrees in Political Science. The History department is primarily located in McMurran Hall; offering degrees in History. The English Department is also located in Ratcliff Hall. Offering a lone degree in English, the department offers several concentrations with which to complement your degree. These include Creative Writing, Journalism, Language Arts, Literature, Technical Writing and Writing. For languages other than English, the Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures department offers degrees in German, French and Spanish.
The department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, shares Wingfield Hall with the Psychology Department. A bachelors of Arts is Philosophy is all the department offers in the way of degrees, but offers several options for a concentration. These include Critical Thinking, General Philosophy, Indic Studies, Pre-Seminary Studies and Religious Studies. Between the Psychology and Sociology & Anthropology and Socialwork Departments, they offer degrees in Psychology, Social Work and Sociology. The sociology program also offers options for a concentration with include Criminology, Culture/Socialization/Society and General sociology studies. With the addition of the Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts, the schools Fine and Performing arts programs has been greatly enhanced.
[edit] The Department of Fine Art and Art History
The Fine Art Department, located in the back of the Ferguson Center, offers a degree in Fine Arts with concentrations in Art History and Studio Art. However, it should be known that by keeping the department "liberal", concentrations which are available at many other institutions, do not exist at CNU. For instance, as a Fine Arts major, one either chooses Studio Art or Art History. Under the Studio concentration, one will take courses ranging from 2-D and 3-D Design, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, photography, crafts, and/or computer art. There are no concentrations in any particular field which can create some difficulties when transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies. To make up for the lack of concentrations, students in their senior year are required to take the Senior Seminar course in which they create a large body of work in their own "specialty." The professors are all very approachable, readily available, and for the most part, strive to be a part of your creation process.[6]
[edit] The Department of Theatre & Dance
The department that, perhaps, gained the most value from the addition of the Ferguson center is the Theatre & Dance Department. The department offers a degree in Theater Arts with concentrations in Acting, Arts Administration, Design/Technology, Directing/Dramatic Literature and Music/Dance.
[edit] The Department of Music
If looking for something other than a science or arts degree, the school also offers a Bachelors of Music degree. This degree can be complemented with concentrations in Jazz Studies, History/Literature, Music Education both Instrumental and Choral, Performance and Theory/Composition
[edit] Student profile
- 44% male, 56% female [4]
- Students from every region in Virginia and 32 other states as well as several foreign countries. [5]
- Average High School GPA is a 3.8 [6]
- Average SAT 1165 [7]
- Minority Breakdown
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- 7% African American, 2% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 3% Hispanic American, 0.6% Native American
- International Population
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- 0.12% representing 30 other countries[8]
[edit] Athletics
- See also: Christopher Newport Captains football
CNU participates in the USA South Athletic Conference and fields a wide variety of college level teams on the Division III level.
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CNU sports club programs include ice hockey[7], equestrian, cycling, lacrosse, soccer, bowling, wrestling, rugby, disc golf, dance sport, fishing, ultimate frisbee, paintball, motorsports, and taekwondo.
[edit] Athletic Programs
Baseball The Captains baseball team made it to the NCAA World Series and finished 3rd and 2nd in 2002 and 2003 respectively under the coaching of John Harvell.[9] The CNU baseball team has fielded 6 All American Athletes.[10]
Basketball
The CNU Men's basketball team holds an impressive .697 percent victory percentage and 13 All-American Athlete honors over its almost 40 years of existence.[11]. CNU has also produced an NBA player in Lamont Strothers. The Women's basketball team, started in 1971 sports a slightly lower overall win percentage at .583 and has fielded 7 All-American Athlete honors.
Cross country The CNU Men's Cross Country team holds an impressive historical roster with over 110 first team All-Dixie/USA South Conference awards and 65 All Mason-Dixon Conference awards.[12] The CNU Women's Cross Country team holds over 50 First team All-Dixie/USA South Conference awards and 42 All Mason-Dixon Conference awards. The men's team has also produced 4 All-American athletes with 1 award each.
Football With most CNU sports having been established for 20 years or more, CNU Football is one of the newest sports. Started in 2001 with Matt Kelchner coaching, the team has made it to the NCAA play-offs 5 out of the last 6 years. The team recently won their NCAA Division III Conference Championship.
Track The CNU track has an impressive historical roster with 62 national championship titles held by 31 different athletes. Also, the track team has received a total of 451 All-American Athlete awards among 89 different athletes.[13]
Men's Tennis The CNU men's tennis team has recently come onto the Division III tennis scene after years in the shadows. The men won the USA South Conference title for the regular season and the Conference Tournament for the first times in almost a decade. The team players had several wins over Division I opponents and sophomore Eddie Glidewell finished in the Top 35 in the Nation. He joined five other players to reach this distinction - Holden Knight, Detlef Schultz, Jason Martin, and Hugh Spain. Coach Rush Cole has also recently set the program's record for most wins and is beginning to make the team a national powerhouse with the help of new assistant coach Worth Richardson.[14]
[edit] Other Sports Clubs
Ice Hockey
The CNU ice hockey team is a club sport at CNU and is a member of the ACHA and BRHC. The CNU Ice Hockey club was formed in the fall of 2004. The team just completed its fourth season of play, finishing with an overall record of 20-3. The team was ranked #3[15] in the ACHA Division III South Region at the end of the season.
CNU FC Soccer
CNU FC officially became a school-recognized club in 2005. The founding members decided to form the club after they had defeated the CNU Mens Varsity Team when competing in the Williamsburg Indoor Soccer League. It was started by Phill Condrey (President), Steven Mohn (Vice-President), Jason Semko (Secretary), Scott Siclari (Treasurer), and Senior Jeremey Wells. CNU FC
[edit] Sports buildings
The Freeman Center houses the basketball, volleyball, and indoor track teams, while the lacrosse, soccer, baseball, softball, and field hockey teams play at a complex called "Captain's Field." The football and outdoor track teams compete at POMOCO Stadium, named for a local car dealership chain.
[edit] Campus
[edit] Boundaries
The traditional boundaries of the Christopher Newport University campus have been Warwick Boulevard, Shoe Lane, and Prince Drew Road in Newport News. In recent years, however, the University has "jumped" Warwick Boulevard, buying and demolishing properties in the immediate area to expand. The part of campus that is east of Warwick Boulevard is referred to as "East Campus" and is primarily used to house upper-class students.
[edit] Residence halls
Residence halls on campus are generally segregated into the class of student living in them. In the recent years, new policies have been enacted that require all freshman and sophomore students to live in an on campus housing facility, unless they live in the commuting zone.
Freshman housing
The oldest housing facility on campus is Santoro Hall which opened in 1994 and was named after Carol and Anthony Santoro. This building is directly adjacent to one of the campus dining facilities, the Hiden-Hussey Commons. Santoro Hall, along with the newer York River Hall is primarily used for freshman housing. York River Hall was opened for occupancy in 2002. The name York River Hall can be deceiving as it is actually 2 separate buildings connected only by a decorative brick wall. These separate buildings are called York River East and York River West. On campus, they are referred to as York East and York West. The York River buildings are almost identical mirror images or each other with the major differences being differences in internal color schemes and numbering. The numbering scheme is often confusing with all of the rooms in York River West being odd numbers and all of the rooms in York River East being even numbers. Whether living in York River or Santoro, the rooms are all the same concept. Two rooms, each of which is designed to house two people, are connected by a shared bathroom.
Upperclassmen housing
The sophomore and upperclassmen housing includes James River Hall, Potomac River Hall, The CNU Apartments, The CNU Village, The Barclay Apartments and Warwick River. James River Hall is the second oldest residence hall on campus and sports a variety of different room types from apartments with two bedrooms each designed to house 2 people with a shared living room and bathroom to 4 bedroom apartments with three people in a single rooms and two people sharing a room while they all share a bathroom, kitchen and living room. Potomac River, opened in 2004 is usually used to house sophomore but other class levels have been placed there has well. Potomac River is designed similarly to York River with the two sides mirroring each other but the middle is left open making each side a completely separate building. These sides are named Potomac River North and Potomac River south, for their orientation on the campus. Potomac River and James River are the only two upperclassman resident halls that exist on the main campus. A majority of upperclassman make the move across Warwick Boulevard to what is viewed as more elite housing. The newer buildings such as the CNU Apartments and the CNU village feature apartments with anywhere from 2 to 4 single bedrooms connected by a common living area with full kitchen, washer and dryer. Again, the term CNU Apartments can be deceiving as it is not actually a building but 5 completely separate buildings surrounding a grassy common area known as the presidents courtyard. The buildings that make up the CNU Apartments are Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Harrison and Monroe, all named after United States Presidents who were born in Virginia. On August 4, 2006 at about 4:50 pm, a lightning bolt struck the roof of Madison hall, sparking a fire that spread through the top floor. That damage along with water damage from extinguishing efforts has caused the relocation to temporary housing of all residents of the hall. Volunteers sifted through the remains the next day to salvage student belongings. Students were provided with alternate housing for the remainder of the school year. The building re-opened for occupation at the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year. In 2005 the new building dubbed the, "CNU Village" was opened. The "Village" runs parallel to Warwick Boulevard and the first floor is used restaurant and retail spaces while the other floors are for student housing. Among the restaurants situated on the first floor of the village is a bar/restaurant named Schooners that was opened by three local restaurateurs who wanted to fill a void in the lack of a social outlet on campus. While much of the east campus sports newer housing, there are still less modern buildings in use. These are the Barclay Apartments and Warwick River(an old hotel that the school purchased and refitted for overflow of students).
[edit] Dining facilities
The campus has 2 major dining facilities.
Hiden-Hussey Commons
The first dining facility on campus was originally named Harbour Lights. This all you can eat cafeteria style facility is decorated internally with nautical memorbalia to go along with its name. In 2005 Harbour Lights was renamed to the Hiden Hussey Commons. Newer students just refer to it as "The Commons." Even with its new name, some students still refer to it as "Harbour."
Regattas
Regattas Restaurant is the newest addition to the CNU dining facilities. Opened in 2002, it shares a similar format to the Hiden Hussey Commons with the all-you-can-eat cafeteria style but sports a more up-tempo environment with newer chairs and tables and often featuring hand made waffle cones for ice cream and custom made omelettes. It has recently been moved into the new multi-million dollar Student Union.
[edit] The David Student Union
The David Student Union, or the DSU as it is sometimes called, is a new, $36 million, 116,000 sq ft (10,800 m2). facility whose construction began in 2003 and opened September 9, 2006. Constructed in a "Neo-Georgian" architectural style, the first floor, the campus Bookstore and Convenience Store parallel the DSU dining facilities: The Discovery Bistro, Sweet Street, Chick-fil-A, Stone Willy's Pizza, and Regatta's. Additionally, Captain's Cards can be received at the Information Desk. All on-campus students receive a mailbox and access to a full-service Post Office located on the second floor of the DSU. Four large conference rooms named for past U.S. Presidents are located around a central lobby area at the top of the steps. The Ballroom is also located on the second floor. The building provides offices for Student Life, The Captain's Log, Multicultural Student Affairs, Career Development, International Studies, Academic Advising, and others. Private desks with computers are provided for students as well as quiet study sections and recreational areas. The building was named in honor of William R. and Goldie R. David.
[edit] Academic buildings
The oldest building on campus - McMurran Hall - dates to 1964. The majority of the buildings on campus are of much more recent construction. Most of the buildings are known for their associated departments. Gosnold hall is often referred to as the computer science building even though it is also used for math, physics and other various classes. Ratcliffe hall is used as the English and Government building. Ratcliffe used to be the schools gymnasium but was converted for classroom space. Even through the conversion Ratcliffe kept part of its sporty spirit by housing the sports departments, sports locker rooms, training rooms and weight rooms in the back part of the building. Other academic buildings include the science building and McMurran Hall. The recent addition of the Ferguson Center hold classrooms for the Theatre, Music, and Art departments. The only classroom building not directly on the campus is the SunTrust Business and Techonology Center, also known as BTC. The BTC building is a short distance away across Prince Drew Lane and is used by the Joseph W. Luter III School of business for faculty offices and classrooms. The first story of the four story building contains a Suntrust bank and some administrative offices for the school. The upper 3 floors are used primarily for the business school.
[edit] The Paul and Rosemary Trible Library
The library, renamed for Rosemary and Paul S. Trible, Jr., had a multi-million dollar addition completed in early 2008. The new 110,00sq.ft. facility houses most of the collection in the original section, but has not acquired new volumes for the new section. The new library opened at the start of the Spring 2008 semester, and boasts a new Einstein's Cafe. The library is topped by a 14-story cupola, which is inaccessible. The interior of the cupola is also not visible, as there is a three story dome roof inside the building blocking the view. The building was dedicated on January 24, 2008.
[edit] Future Construction
Recently, the President's Office released a statement unveiling plans for future construction on the campus. Construction of the Lewis Archer McMurran, Jr. Hall has begun with the demolition of the old student center. The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the opening of the fall 2009 semester. This new academic building will house the departments of English, History, Communications, Sociology, Modern and Classical Languages, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Government, the offices for the Masters of Arts in Teaching program and the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In all, the building will add approximately 82,000 square feet (7,600 m2) of new teaching and learning space to the campus to include 30 state-of-the-art classrooms/seminar rooms and 120 faculty offices.
Design work on the science building is underway. This project consists of 114,000 square feet (10,600 m2) of new construction and 46,000 square feet (4,300 m2) of renovation to the existing science building. We are hopeful that construction will begin fall 2009 and the new building will be completed spring 2011 and the renovation of the existing science building will be completed spring 2012. These buildings will house our programs in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Psychology and will add approximately 60 faculty offices, 10 classrooms, and about 70 new teaching labs and faculty/student research spaces. This 21st century integrated science center will be located on the Great Lawn, opposite the David Student Union. One million dollars in state funding has allowed our faculty, led by Faculty Senate President Dr. Gary Whiting, to work with the administration and our architectural and engineering team to design an $81 million facility. Governor Kaine has included funding for this significant project in his proposed General Obligation Bond for higher education.
The expansion of the Robert L. Freeman Sports and Convocation Center is also being designed. It is estimated that this building will include 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) of new construction to include doubling the size of the Trieshmann Health and Fitness Pavilion, providing offices for the Department of Counseling Services and University Health Services, adding an auxiliary gymnasium and constructing a replacement to Gaines Theater with a new, 400 seat auditorium and an array of meeting rooms for student activities. Construction will begin in the next academic year and will be completed summer 2010.
Several years ago, the former Rector of CNU, Dr. Chip Trieshmann, committed $100,000 toward the establishment of a university chapel. The construction of a chapel is several years away and private funds must be raised to build this facility.
A new residential village is also in the very early stages of design. It is envisioned to include a series of houses joined by a colonnade and should accommodate approximately 200 students. The location for this project will be adjacent to the Freeman Center and the Administration Building next to Wise Woods. It is hoped that this new complex can be completed by fall 2010.
[edit] Student life
[edit] Greek life
Greek life at Christopher Newport has grown in the recent years to include 6 North-American Interfraternity Conference listed fraternities, 5 National Panhellenic Conference listed sororities and 3 NPHC listed Greek organizations.
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NIC fraternities |
NPC sororities |
NPHC listed
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[edit] Notable alumni
- William Lamont Strothers (BA, '91); NBA player, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks
- Jeion A. Ward (BA, '95); Virginia House of Delegates.
- Melanie L. Rapp (BA, '90); Virginia House of Delegates.
- Andrew M. Heatwole; UFC Contender
- Shirley F. Cooper; Virginia House of Delegates
- Douglas Duncan; CEO of FedEx Freight
- Randall Munroe; creator of xkcd.
- Chris Richardson; American Idol finalist
- Michael S. Jesse, judge, Benton County, Minnesota
[edit] The Captain's Log
- The Captain's Log is the official student newspaper of Christopher Newport University.
[edit] Campus ministries
The campus has several religious organizations. These include B'nai B'rith, Intervarsity Fellowship, Young Life, Because Christ Matters, the Baptist Student Union, Catholic Campus Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lutheran Student Association, and The Hampton Roads Church Student Fellowship.
[edit] WCNU
WCNU is an online radio network supported by Christopher Newport University.[8]
[edit] Sources
- Quarstein, John, V; Rouse, Parke S. Jr. (1996) [1996]. Finneran, Elisa F.. ed. Newport News - A Centennial History. Conner, Edward A. (1st ed.). Newport News, Virginia: City of Newport News. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 96-71877.
[edit] References
- ^ Fall Headcount Enrollment
- ^ http://about.cnu.edu/history.cfm
- ^ a b (Quarstein 179)
- ^ (Quarstein 209)
- ^ (Quarstein 236)
- ^ Department of Fine Arts | Christopher Newport University
- ^ CNU Ice Hockey - Home
- ^ "WCNU Radio official website". http://www.wcnu.cnublogs.info/.
[edit] External links
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