Greenville College
Encyclopedia
Greenville College is located in Greenville, Illinois
, a small (population 6,955) Illinois
city, located 45 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri
on Interstate 70
. The college
is a liberal arts
four-year school that is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church
, a church with an evangelical
foundation.
school, Almira College, which was begun by the Rev. John Brown White. White named the school after his friend Stephen Morse's wife, Almira Blanchard Morse, who donated the initial $6,000 that allowed the school to open. GC history professor Donald Jordahl has written that Almira College was "one of the earliest extensions westward of an eastern idea favorable toward female education, an early step in the women's suffrage
and liberation movement."
The school was acquired by the Central Illinois Conference of the Free Methodist Church in 1892 after Almira College faced financial struggles and was forced to close for a short period of time. It was at this time the school gained the name Greenville College, with one of the main differences being that it became co-educational at this point. Throughout much of the school's history, the main areas for study were in primary and secondary education
, with a strong secondary area in preparing students for careers in the fields of medicine
and the science
s.
The current student body contains over 1,000 students; most are from various Christian
denominations. The college currently offers undergraduate degrees in over 50 different programs of study and graduate degrees in education.
In 1992, Greenville College celebrated its 100th anniversary
and was featured on NBC
's Today Show. In 2006, the college was again featured prominently in a Today Show story about the rapid growth of Christian colleges and universities. In 2007, GC had a record enrollment of an estimated 1,100 traditional students. Enrollment topped 1,000 students for the first time in the college's history in 2006.
Greenville College is a member of the Christian College Consortium
and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
.
The College's original mascot was the Gremlins but changed in the early 20th century to the Panthers. Greenville's colors are orange and black, a recent decision based upon a student body vote. Previous, the college had used four colors rather than two, with orange and black representing the athletic programs and forest green and gold representing many non-athletic parts of the college. All of its athletics teams compete in the NCAA
's Division III St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
.
Greenville College was the first campus in America to go completely wireless with its Internet
. Greenville's network spans the entire campus, making internet access available from any point on campus.
Students are not required to sign a statement of faith, but are required sign the "Lifestyle Statement" referred to above. Additionally they must fulfill at least 36 chapel credits each semester. Some of those credits can be filled by attending dorm bible studies, providing community service work or attending other activities approved by the chaplain. Certain students who are unable to attend chapel due to work or family life may apply for a chapel exemption.
The college is home to the only museum dedicated to the works of the sculptor Richard Bock
, an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright
. The first classes of Almira College in the 1850s were held in John Brown White's home, which is called the Almira College House and houses Bock's sculptures.
rooms, provided offices for the faculty and a few small classrooms. Informal conversation between faculty and students frequently took place in these offices. An open "bridge" at the third floor level led to the third floor of LaDue Auditorium and Marston Hall, which serves as the main classroom building. This building was part of the National Register of Historic Places
.
As students returned for fall classes in August 2007, college officials became aware of structural problems within Hogue Hall that led to a remodeling project in the building. In the summer of 2008, remodeling work on the lower floor found significant cracks in the timber holding up the masonry wall. When it became aware of the situation, the college stopped the remodeling and consulted with a structural engineer
and architectural
experts on old buildings for advice. These experts' initial inspection uncovered major structural concerns in the East Wing of the historic building. Classes were moved from the four classrooms on the third floor of the building, and faculty with offices located in the East Wing were relocated to the classrooms. Hogue Hall was torn down in the summer of 2008, despite objections from Illinois' state preservation agency. The site of Hogue Hall is now a grassy area that has been appreciated by students and faculty; while original plans were to rebuild a new Hogue Hall in the same location, the college board of trustees is deciding whether to rebuild it in another location.
!Bands
|- colspan="2"
!People
candidate for President
, Enoch A. Holtwick
, was a professor of history and government at Greenville College and is honored at GC through the Enoch A. Holtwick Literary Award and Enoch A. Holtwick Hall, a residence building.
GC professor Dr. Richard Huston became a Fulbright scholar for the third time in July 2007. He spent a year lecturing at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua in Leon, Nicaragua
, beginning in February 2008.
Professor Larry Sayler earned the top score of the Global Certified Managerial Accounting test in 2009, beating over 4000 contestants worldwide.
Greenville College depends heavily on full-time faculty as the foundation for its educational program, particularly in the four-year traditional undergraduate programs. In the spring of 2009, 69 full-time faculty were employed at the school. According to Dr. Randy Bergen, the Vice President for Academic Affairs from 2005–present, in the fall of 2009, nearly 75% of the undergraduate courseload was taught by full-time faculty. The faculty whom the college hires are committed to teaching and mentoring students. The typical teaching load for faculty is four courses in the fall and four in the spring.
One of the hallmarks of the faculty is their faith. They are hired only if they have a strong statement of Christian faith. All faculty members are expected to be able to explain how to approach their disciplines from a Christian perspective. This faith/learning integration
is an essential part of education at the College and is consonant with the school's mission to, "Transform students for a life of character and service through a Christ-centered education in the liberating arts and sciences."
Because of faculty commitment to teaching and because of their faith, they are typically very involved in advising and mentoring students. All full-time faculty serve as academic advisers after their first year of employment. They also serve as sponsors for the various classes (freshmen, sophomore, etc.), club sponsors, and coaches of athletic teams.
According to the Faculty Handbook, full-time faculty are reviewed regularly. They are reviewed in their second, fourth, and sixth years of employment. For those faculty on the tenure track, the sixth year review is usually a tenure review. Post-tenure reviews occur every seven years. In each review, teaching and professional growth are evaluated. Faculty are also evaluated in at least one other area: scholarship, service, and/or governance. Greenville College says the review process is based on its published standards and what it calls its commitment to excellence in teaching.
Greenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
, a small (population 6,955) Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
city, located 45 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
on Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
. The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
is a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
four-year school that is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church
Free Methodist Church
The Free Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement. It is evangelical in nature and has its roots in the Arminian-Wesleyan tradition....
, a church with an evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
foundation.
History
Greenville College was founded in 1855 as an all-female BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
school, Almira College, which was begun by the Rev. John Brown White. White named the school after his friend Stephen Morse's wife, Almira Blanchard Morse, who donated the initial $6,000 that allowed the school to open. GC history professor Donald Jordahl has written that Almira College was "one of the earliest extensions westward of an eastern idea favorable toward female education, an early step in the women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
and liberation movement."
The school was acquired by the Central Illinois Conference of the Free Methodist Church in 1892 after Almira College faced financial struggles and was forced to close for a short period of time. It was at this time the school gained the name Greenville College, with one of the main differences being that it became co-educational at this point. Throughout much of the school's history, the main areas for study were in primary and secondary education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, with a strong secondary area in preparing students for careers in the fields of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s.
The current student body contains over 1,000 students; most are from various Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
denominations. The college currently offers undergraduate degrees in over 50 different programs of study and graduate degrees in education.
In 1992, Greenville College celebrated its 100th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
and was featured on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today Show. In 2006, the college was again featured prominently in a Today Show story about the rapid growth of Christian colleges and universities. In 2007, GC had a record enrollment of an estimated 1,100 traditional students. Enrollment topped 1,000 students for the first time in the college's history in 2006.
Greenville College is a member of the Christian College Consortium
Christian College Consortium
The Christian College Consortium is an affiliation of Christian colleges and universities.-Member schools:Founded in 1971, the Consortium currently includes 13 member institutions located throughout the United States:*Asbury University*Bethel University...
and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
.
The College's original mascot was the Gremlins but changed in the early 20th century to the Panthers. Greenville's colors are orange and black, a recent decision based upon a student body vote. Previous, the college had used four colors rather than two, with orange and black representing the athletic programs and forest green and gold representing many non-athletic parts of the college. All of its athletics teams compete in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division III St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is a college-level athletic conference. The UMAC is a member-conference of the NCAA Division III. The UMAC was formerly affiliated with the NAIA. Corey Borchardt is the current commissioner of the UMAC, and was appointed to the position in 2008...
.
Greenville College was the first campus in America to go completely wireless with its Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Greenville's network spans the entire campus, making internet access available from any point on campus.
Code of conduct
Students attending Greenville College are expected to adhere to a lifestyle that is codified and asks that the student agree to certain principles that the school calls "Christ-honoring." Students are not allowed to drink alcohol, use tobacco products or illegal drugs, or engage in sexual activity outside of marriage. These principles are highlighted in a document known as the Lifestyle Statement which all students must sign in order to attend the college.Students are not required to sign a statement of faith, but are required sign the "Lifestyle Statement" referred to above. Additionally they must fulfill at least 36 chapel credits each semester. Some of those credits can be filled by attending dorm bible studies, providing community service work or attending other activities approved by the chaplain. Certain students who are unable to attend chapel due to work or family life may apply for a chapel exemption.
Campus
Nearly 800 students live on campus in a variety of residence halls including Walter Joy Hall, Janssen Hall, Burritt Hall, Holtwick Hall, Blakenship Apartments, Tenney Hall, Kinney Hall, and Ellen J. Mannoia Hall (formerly known as College Avenue Hall). An additional 101-bed dormitory, called West Oak Hall, opened Fall of 2007. Students also live in a number of college-owned houses. In the summer of 2007, Janssen Hall (originally constructed in 1959) was gutted and completely updated and remodeled. Joy Hall is currently under renovation to bring it up to modern safety code.The college is home to the only museum dedicated to the works of the sculptor Richard Bock
Richard Bock
Richard W. Bock was an American sculptor and associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials, along with the work he conducted alongside Wright....
, an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
. The first classes of Almira College in the 1850s were held in John Brown White's home, which is called the Almira College House and houses Bock's sculptures.
Hogue Hall
The previous oldest building on campus, Wilson T. Hogue Hall, originally housed Almira College. Bricks for the building were made on the front campus in 1855, and the building was erected between 1856 and 1864 and given the name "Old Main." Hogue Hall contained the data processing center and administrative offices of the college on the lower two floors. The upper two floors, originally dormitoryDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
rooms, provided offices for the faculty and a few small classrooms. Informal conversation between faculty and students frequently took place in these offices. An open "bridge" at the third floor level led to the third floor of LaDue Auditorium and Marston Hall, which serves as the main classroom building. This building was part of the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
As students returned for fall classes in August 2007, college officials became aware of structural problems within Hogue Hall that led to a remodeling project in the building. In the summer of 2008, remodeling work on the lower floor found significant cracks in the timber holding up the masonry wall. When it became aware of the situation, the college stopped the remodeling and consulted with a structural engineer
Structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants...
and architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
experts on old buildings for advice. These experts' initial inspection uncovered major structural concerns in the East Wing of the historic building. Classes were moved from the four classrooms on the third floor of the building, and faculty with offices located in the East Wing were relocated to the classrooms. Hogue Hall was torn down in the summer of 2008, despite objections from Illinois' state preservation agency. The site of Hogue Hall is now a grassy area that has been appreciated by students and faculty; while original plans were to rebuild a new Hogue Hall in the same location, the college board of trustees is deciding whether to rebuild it in another location.
Notable alumni
|- colspan="2"!Bands
|- colspan="2"
!People
Faculty
1956 Prohibition PartyProhibition Party
The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
candidate for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Enoch A. Holtwick
Enoch A. Holtwick
Enoch Arden Holtwick, was an American educator with a long record of actively supporting the temperance movement. He was the Prohibition Party candidate for Illinois State Treasurer in 1936; its candidate for U.S...
, was a professor of history and government at Greenville College and is honored at GC through the Enoch A. Holtwick Literary Award and Enoch A. Holtwick Hall, a residence building.
GC professor Dr. Richard Huston became a Fulbright scholar for the third time in July 2007. He spent a year lecturing at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua in Leon, Nicaragua
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
, beginning in February 2008.
Professor Larry Sayler earned the top score of the Global Certified Managerial Accounting test in 2009, beating over 4000 contestants worldwide.
Greenville College depends heavily on full-time faculty as the foundation for its educational program, particularly in the four-year traditional undergraduate programs. In the spring of 2009, 69 full-time faculty were employed at the school. According to Dr. Randy Bergen, the Vice President for Academic Affairs from 2005–present, in the fall of 2009, nearly 75% of the undergraduate courseload was taught by full-time faculty. The faculty whom the college hires are committed to teaching and mentoring students. The typical teaching load for faculty is four courses in the fall and four in the spring.
One of the hallmarks of the faculty is their faith. They are hired only if they have a strong statement of Christian faith. All faculty members are expected to be able to explain how to approach their disciplines from a Christian perspective. This faith/learning integration
Integration of faith and learning
The integration of faith and learning is a focus of many religious institutions of higher education. The broad concept encompasses the idea that the worldview and faith of the student should be deeply connected to the learning experience...
is an essential part of education at the College and is consonant with the school's mission to, "Transform students for a life of character and service through a Christ-centered education in the liberating arts and sciences."
Because of faculty commitment to teaching and because of their faith, they are typically very involved in advising and mentoring students. All full-time faculty serve as academic advisers after their first year of employment. They also serve as sponsors for the various classes (freshmen, sophomore, etc.), club sponsors, and coaches of athletic teams.
According to the Faculty Handbook, full-time faculty are reviewed regularly. They are reviewed in their second, fourth, and sixth years of employment. For those faculty on the tenure track, the sixth year review is usually a tenure review. Post-tenure reviews occur every seven years. In each review, teaching and professional growth are evaluated. Faculty are also evaluated in at least one other area: scholarship, service, and/or governance. Greenville College says the review process is based on its published standards and what it calls its commitment to excellence in teaching.
Further reading
- Still Abides the Memory by Mary A. Tenney. Student and faculty member writes about the history and her experience of Greenville College
- Man Proposes, But God Disposes: A Biography of John Brown White, Lawyer, Minister, Educator, and Founding President of Almira College by Dr. Donald Jordahl, Emeritus Professor of History at Greenville College