Stetson University
Encyclopedia
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4
corridor in Central Florida
. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand
, Florida
, USA. In the 2012 U.S. News and World Report's guide to America's Best Colleges, Stetson ranks third in the category of Southern Masters-granting institutions.
Other recent recognitions include being ranked No. 23 nationally in Washington Monthly magazine’s “Top 50 Master’s Universities.” The School of Music was named to Parade Magazine’s national “College A-List” in the category highlighting Arts Programs and the School of Business Administration was named one of the nation's 300 best by Princeton Review. Stetson, the only university affiliated with the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation
in Florida, is also nationally recognized for its commitment to service and social justice-based community engagement and community-engaged learning.
According to Gilbert Lycan, a Stetson history professor who wrote the university's official centennial history in 1983, Stetson University is Florida's first university, public or private. Stetson University was founded in 1883 by Henry Addison DeLand
, a New York philanthropist, as DeLand Academy. In 1887, the Florida Legislature
enacted the Charter of DeLand University as an independent institution of higher learning. Rollins College
was founded and chartered in 1885, thus making it the oldest recognized college, public or private.
DeLand University's name was changed in 1889 to honor hat manufacturer John B. Stetson, a benefactor of the university, who served with town founder, Henry A. DeLand, and others as a founding trustee of the university.
Stetson University was affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention until the early 1990s, when the university and convention ended their relationship.
. More than 60 undergraduate majors and minors are offered.
Stetson's campus is just north of the downtown area of DeLand, roughly halfway between Orlando
and Daytona Beach, Florida
. The 175 acre (0.7082005 km²) campus is nationally designated by the National Register of Historic Places
as the Stetson University Campus Historic District
for Florida's oldest collection of education-related buildings. DeLand Hall, which houses the Office of the President and the offices of other administrators, was constructed in 1884 and is the oldest building in Florida in continuous use for higher education.
In 2003, the Lynn Business Center — housing much of the university's School of Business — was Florida's first green building
certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Elizabeth Hall, named after John B. Stetson's wife, houses a number of departments in the College of Arts & Sciences. The School of Music performs in Lee Chapel in the south of the building. The cupola
atop Elizabeth Hall — modeled after the one on Independence Hall
in Philadelphia — is used as the official symbol of the undergraduate campus.
In 2010, Stetson became a pet-friendly campus, and the university also invested $6.5 million to renew landscaping in the campus core, upgrade classrooms and add energy-saving lighting, all at the DeLand campus. Improvements included a new coffeehouse. In the past 3 years, over $17 million in new construction took place at the DeLand campus. Sage Hall, home of the departments of natural sciences, received an $8.5 million renovation, while the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, the Rinker Environmental Learning Center, and Mary B. McMahan Hall — rehearsal space for the School of Music — were new constructions. Along with student exhibitions, the university's extensive collection of paintings by American modernist Oscar Bluemner are housed in the Hand Art Center.
The university also includes the Stetson University College of Law, the first law school in Florida. It was relocated in 1954 from DeLand to Gulfport, Florida
, a suburb of St. Petersburg
.
There are also two satellite centers:
Stetson's campus has been used as a filming location for a number of films and television shows. These include the Adam Sandler film The Waterboy
, Ghost Story
, From Earth to the Moon, First of May, and Estás nominado: Cuando la realidad supera a la ficción.
Students may also reside at the University Village Apartments. In addition to the residence halls, a Foreign Language House and Greek Houses (both fraternity and sorority) provide student housing. The fraternity houses were renovated in 2009. The Wellness House serves as housing for students who wish to abstain from any substance use, including alcohol and tobacco. Nemec Hall is a pet-friendly residence hall. Smith, Gordis and Carson-Hollis halls are used primarily for first-year students. Conrad and Chaudoin Halls are all-female housing.
In fall 2010, there were 2,134 undergraduates and 485 graduate and post-Bacc students enrolled at Stetson's DeLand and Celebration campuses (not including the College of Law), from 36 states and 36 countries. 42.6% are male, 57.3% female. 72% of undergraduates live on campus (90% of first-year students).
Stetson’s peer schools include University of Richmond
, Furman University
, Washington and Lee University
, Trinity University
and Rollins College
.
The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Stetson has 195 full-time faculty teaching undergraduate courses, with 95% of those faculty holding Ph.D. or equivalent degrees. The student-faculty ratio is 11–1.
Additionally, all students in the College of Arts & Sciences are required to complete a "Senior capstone project," also known as "Senior research" or a "Senior thesis," before a degree can be awarded.
Music students can opt for the Bachelor of Music in Music Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts-Sound is also available. Through the collaboration of the music and business schools, students can earn an undergraduate music degree and a graduate business degree in five years.
The Sullivan Creative Writing Program is an undergraduate initiative for students with a passion for the English language.
Stetson University also offers special programs for students up through 9th grade. Working in collaboration with the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa, Stetson University sponsors the HATS (High Achieving Talented Students) Program. HATS serves K-9th grade students who participate in gifted programs or have scored at or above the 95th percentile on any subject area on the FCAT, ITBS, CTBS, or other standardized test. HATS offers Saturday and summer enrichment programs, scholarships, and above-level testing.
, author Elie Wiesel
, scientists E.O. Wilson and Jane Goodall
, journalists Bill Moyers
and William F. Buckley Jr., and playwright Eve Ensler
.
Other visitors have included Buckminster Fuller
, Stokely Carmichael
(Kwame Ture) and Robert Frost
.
; a philosophy club; Phi Alpha Delta
Pre-Law Professional Fraternity; Alpha Kappa Psi
Business Professional Fraternity; Omicron Delta Kappa
national leadership fraternity; Poetry at an Uncouth Hour (a poetry reading club); Hatter Harvest (organic community garden); Touchstone, the student literary magazine, and many others.
There are several religious organizations on campus as well, including the Cooperative Collegiate Ministry, the Lutheran Campus Ministries, the Catholic Campus Ministry, the Wesley House (Methodist Ministry), the Canterbury House (Episcopal
), the Muslim American Student Organization, and the Hillel/Jewish Student Organization.
There are also a number of multicultural and social justice organizations on campus, including the Black Student Association, the Hispanic Organization for Latin American Awareness (HOLA), Organization for Students Actively Pursuing Equality (OSAPE), STAND (the student-run branch of the Genocide Intervention Network), and Kaleidoscope (the LGBT
alliance on campus).
There is also an Army
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) unit that students can participate in on-campus through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
. Successful completion of the ROTC program allows University students to be commissioned in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant, and requires a service commitment.
There are five social sororities on campus: Alpha Chi Omega
, Alpha Xi Delta
, Delta Delta Delta
, Pi Beta Phi
, and Zeta Tau Alpha
, and six social fraternities: Delta Sigma Phi
, Phi Sigma Kappa
, Pi Kappa Alpha
, Pi Kappa Phi
, Sigma Nu
, and Sigma Phi Epsilon
.
Stetson is also home to chapters from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
, a music fraternity for men, and Sigma Alpha Iota
, a music fraternity for women.
Student governance at Stetson consists of two branches, an executive and a unicameral legislative branch. The executive branch consists of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, the Secretary of Communication, the Secretary of Finance, and the Secretary of Student Involvement. The Student Body President and Student Body Vice President are elected annually in the spring. After installment, the Student Body President appoints the Secretaries of Communication, Finance, and Student Involvement.
, and both men’s and women’s teams compete on a Division I level in the Atlantic Sun Conference
. The school's mascot is the Stetson Hatter. The basketball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, women’s golf, men's and women's soccer and softball teams have either earned conference championships or, gained national rankings or recognition. In 2011, football and women's lacrosse programs were added. Both will play their first games in 2013.
History
One of the high profile sports at Stetson is baseball. Since 1970 the baseball program has earned seven Atlantic Sun Conference championships and 16 trips to the NCAA Regionals. Stetson participated in football from 1901 until 1956 achieving an all-time record of 155–127–27 (.545). The football team earned its 100th victory in 1935. In 2010, university officials gathered information and evaluating the feasibility of starting a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) non-scholarship program. On March 14, 2011, SU President Wendy B. Libby announced the return of Hatter Football and the addition of women's lacrosse. Stetson will play in the Pioneer Football League
, with the first game in 2013. In July, 2011, Stetson named Roger A. Hughes as head coach. The first game in the NCAA Division I program in women's lacrosse also will be played in 2013.
Rivalries
Stetson's main rivals include the University of Central Florida
, Jacksonville University
, and Mercer University
.
, croquet
, equestrianism
, fishing
, Hatter table tennis
, Hatter tennis
, Lady Hatter women's lacrosse
, men's lacrosse
, mixed martial arts
(MMA), sand volleyball, shooting
, surfing
, Swimming
, ultimate Frisbee, and most recently skydiving. Students may apply to form new clubs.
, indoor volleyball, swimming
, bowling
, soccer, indoor soccer
, kickball
, ultimate Frisbee, dodge ball, sand volleyball, flag football
, softball
, golf
, wiffleball
.
to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction for exemplary service initiatives. Stetson also works with the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation on the CASE (Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur) program and other JRCPF initiatives, and partners with JRCPF and the W.K.Kellogg Foundation on a service-based scholarship program. In 2009, Stetson introduced a Certificate of Community Engagement program for undergraduates.
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
corridor in Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA. In the 2012 U.S. News and World Report's guide to America's Best Colleges, Stetson ranks third in the category of Southern Masters-granting institutions.
Other recent recognitions include being ranked No. 23 nationally in Washington Monthly magazine’s “Top 50 Master’s Universities.” The School of Music was named to Parade Magazine’s national “College A-List” in the category highlighting Arts Programs and the School of Business Administration was named one of the nation's 300 best by Princeton Review. Stetson, the only university affiliated with the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation
Bonner Foundation
In 1990 Corella and Bertram F. Bonner founded the Bonner Scholars Organization. The program provides financial support for those in high need at one of the member colleges in exchange for service. Currently the program supports some 1500 students at 27 campuses....
in Florida, is also nationally recognized for its commitment to service and social justice-based community engagement and community-engaged learning.
History
| The first charter stated that the objective of the university should be "to promote the general interests of education, and to qualify its students to engage in the learned professions or other employments of society, and to discharge honorably and usefully the various duties of life." |
Henry Addison DeLand
Henry Addison Deland was a baking soda manufacturer from Fairport, New York. The Henry DeLand House he built there is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, a New York philanthropist, as DeLand Academy. In 1887, the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
enacted the Charter of DeLand University as an independent institution of higher learning. Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
was founded and chartered in 1885, thus making it the oldest recognized college, public or private.
DeLand University's name was changed in 1889 to honor hat manufacturer John B. Stetson, a benefactor of the university, who served with town founder, Henry A. DeLand, and others as a founding trustee of the university.
Stetson University was affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention until the early 1990s, when the university and convention ended their relationship.
Campus
The university's College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration, School of Music, and most graduate programs are housed at the DeLand campus, located just north of the downtown area of DeLand, FloridaDeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
. More than 60 undergraduate majors and minors are offered.
Stetson's campus is just north of the downtown area of DeLand, roughly halfway between Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
. The 175 acre (0.7082005 km²) campus is nationally designated by 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 the Stetson University Campus Historic District
Stetson University Campus Historic District
The Stetson University Campus Historic District in DeLand, Florida was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 1991. The district is bounded by Michigan Avenue, North Florida Avenue, West University Avenue and a line South from North Hayden Avenue. It contains 10 historic...
for Florida's oldest collection of education-related buildings. DeLand Hall, which houses the Office of the President and the offices of other administrators, was constructed in 1884 and is the oldest building in Florida in continuous use for higher education.
In 2003, the Lynn Business Center — housing much of the university's School of Business — was Florida's first green building
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Elizabeth Hall, named after John B. Stetson's wife, houses a number of departments in the College of Arts & Sciences. The School of Music performs in Lee Chapel in the south of the building. The cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
atop Elizabeth Hall — modeled after the one on Independence Hall
Independence Hall
Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets...
in Philadelphia — is used as the official symbol of the undergraduate campus.
In 2010, Stetson became a pet-friendly campus, and the university also invested $6.5 million to renew landscaping in the campus core, upgrade classrooms and add energy-saving lighting, all at the DeLand campus. Improvements included a new coffeehouse. In the past 3 years, over $17 million in new construction took place at the DeLand campus. Sage Hall, home of the departments of natural sciences, received an $8.5 million renovation, while the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, the Rinker Environmental Learning Center, and Mary B. McMahan Hall — rehearsal space for the School of Music — were new constructions. Along with student exhibitions, the university's extensive collection of paintings by American modernist Oscar Bluemner are housed in the Hand Art Center.
The university also includes the Stetson University College of Law, the first law school in Florida. It was relocated in 1954 from DeLand to Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida and a suburb of St. Petersburg. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St...
, a suburb of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
.
There are also two satellite centers:
- The Stetson University Center at Celebration, FloridaCelebration, FloridaCelebration is a census-designated place and a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company...
, which opened in 2004. - The Tampa Law Center, which opened in 2004, in downtown Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
.
Stetson's campus has been used as a filming location for a number of films and television shows. These include the Adam Sandler film The Waterboy
The Waterboy
The Waterboy is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler alongside Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Paul Wight, and Rob Schneider have cameos...
, Ghost Story
Ghost Story (film)
Ghost Story is a 1981 American horror film directed by John Irvin and based on the book of the same name by Peter Straub. It stars Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman and Craig Wasson . It was the last film to feature Astaire, Fairbanks, and Douglas, and the first...
, From Earth to the Moon, First of May, and Estás nominado: Cuando la realidad supera a la ficción.
Residential life
There are nine residence halls at Stetson University. These include:- Carson-Hollis Hall
- Chaudoin Hall
- Conrad Hall
- Emily Hall
- Gordis Hall
- Nemec Hall
- Residence Hall A
- Smith Hall
Students may also reside at the University Village Apartments. In addition to the residence halls, a Foreign Language House and Greek Houses (both fraternity and sorority) provide student housing. The fraternity houses were renovated in 2009. The Wellness House serves as housing for students who wish to abstain from any substance use, including alcohol and tobacco. Nemec Hall is a pet-friendly residence hall. Smith, Gordis and Carson-Hollis halls are used primarily for first-year students. Conrad and Chaudoin Halls are all-female housing.
Admissions
Stetson University had an acceptance rate of 55.3% for the class of 2014. Ultimately 565 first-year students enrolled. Applicants’ mid-range SAT scores were 1000–1220.In fall 2010, there were 2,134 undergraduates and 485 graduate and post-Bacc students enrolled at Stetson's DeLand and Celebration campuses (not including the College of Law), from 36 states and 36 countries. 42.6% are male, 57.3% female. 72% of undergraduates live on campus (90% of first-year students).
Stetson’s peer schools include University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
, Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
, Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
, Trinity University
Trinity University
Trinity University may refer to:* Trinity University , San Antonio, Texas, US* Trinity University of Asia, formerly known as Trinity College of Quezon City, Quezon City, Philippines* Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois, US...
and Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
.
Academics
There are more than 60 majors and minors leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, or Bachelor of Business Administration degrees. Master's degrees are offered by the School of Business Administration in Accounting and Business Administration, and by the College of Arts & Sciences in Education, English and Counseling. The Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws in International Law and Business are offered by the Stetson College of Law, which guarantees admission to Stetson undergraduates who meet certain academic requirements.The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Stetson has 195 full-time faculty teaching undergraduate courses, with 95% of those faculty holding Ph.D. or equivalent degrees. The student-faculty ratio is 11–1.
College of Arts & Sciences
Since its founding in 1883, Stetson's College of Arts & Sciences has prepared students for informed, compassionate, and accomplished lives. A core curriculum in liberal studies develops breadth of understanding and serious engagement with principles of ethical decision-making.Additionally, all students in the College of Arts & Sciences are required to complete a "Senior capstone project," also known as "Senior research" or a "Senior thesis," before a degree can be awarded.
School of Music
The School of Music combines a music conservatory education with being part of a university grounded in the liberal arts tradition. The enrollment is 200 undergraduate music majors. There are 47 artist-faculty members. Performance opportunities for students include the symphony orchestra, band, choirs, opera, musical theater, jazz, chamber music, and solo recitals. The curriculum includes degree options in performance, education, theory, and composition. Music students may combine music study with business, pre-law, and many other fields. The School of Music has been an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1938.Music students can opt for the Bachelor of Music in Music Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts-Sound is also available. Through the collaboration of the music and business schools, students can earn an undergraduate music degree and a graduate business degree in five years.
School of Business Administration
The School of Business Administration features a range of traditional and non-traditional majors. Each major offers a customized field of study for a specific business discipline. Undergraduate majors include accounting, management, finance, international business, management information systems, marketing, family business, and general business. Masters programs include MBA, EMBA, and Macc. All programs are accredited by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.Special programs
A variety of special academic programs are available to students, such as the Roland George Investments Program, where business students manage a real portfolio of more than $2.8 million, the Honors Program, where students and faculty collaborate in an interdisciplinary community, the Nina B. Hollis Institute for Education Reform, which attempts to improve education from preschool through college, the Stetson Institute for Social Research, which provides services to outside agencies, and the Family Enterprise Center, offering a major in Family Business.The Sullivan Creative Writing Program is an undergraduate initiative for students with a passion for the English language.
Stetson University also offers special programs for students up through 9th grade. Working in collaboration with the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa, Stetson University sponsors the HATS (High Achieving Talented Students) Program. HATS serves K-9th grade students who participate in gifted programs or have scored at or above the 95th percentile on any subject area on the FCAT, ITBS, CTBS, or other standardized test. HATS offers Saturday and summer enrichment programs, scholarships, and above-level testing.
International education
Stetson University offers study abroad programs at a number of universities in Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, England, Scotland, Russia, Austria, and China, as well as an option for study in Washington, D.C.Undergraduate research
In addition to the completion of a "Senior thesis" project compulsory for graduation, students have the opportunity to develop their own research projects and be involved in faculty research. Two distinct programs foster undergraduate research: the SURE (Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience) Grant competition, which provides summer stipends and faculty mentors for selected student research projects; and SURCAS (Stetson Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium), a day-long event that encourages all undergraduates to share their research with the Stetson community.Guest lecturers
Stetson has hosted a number of notable lecturers, some through the Stetson Institute for Christian Ethics. Notable lecturers include Ralph Nader, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former United States President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, author Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
, scientists E.O. Wilson and Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
, journalists Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
and William F. Buckley Jr., and playwright Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
.
Other visitors have included Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
, Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael
Kwame Ture , also known as Stokely Carmichael, was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. He rose to prominence first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party...
(Kwame Ture) and Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
.
Continuing Education
The university has a department of continuing education that specializes in services to organizations outside of the Stetson community.- The ElderhostelElderhostelElderhostel is a not-for-profit organization established in 1975 that allows senior citizens to travel and take educational programs in the United States and around the world...
program — now known as Road Scholar — held primarily at the end of the fall semester into the beginning of the spring semester, as well as during the summer, allows individuals older than the traditional university age to attend classes on campus and in the region for a week, with specialized courses taught throughout the university's curriculum. - Each February, the departments of Continuing Education and Religious Studies co-host the Florida Winter Pastors’ School, which in 2010 celebrated its 25th anniversary.
- Each summer, week-long Destination Science camps are offered for youth ages 6–11, who attend sessions such as "Robots vs. Aliens" and "'G' Force Rockets and Moon Blasters."
Student life
Stetson has approximately 20 honorary academic and professional organizations and over 100 other student organizations on campus, including Phi Beta Kappa (first private university in Florida to be granted a chapter); the Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate program; The Reporter, Florida's oldest college newspaper; Model United NationsModel United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
; a philosophy club; Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta
ΦAΔ , or P.A.D., is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States of America. Phi Alpha Delta has members who are university students, law school students, lawyers, judges, senators, and even presidents. It was founded in 1902 and today has over 300,000 initiated members...
Pre-Law Professional Fraternity; Alpha Kappa Psi
Alpha Kappa Psi
ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905...
Business Professional Fraternity; Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
national leadership fraternity; Poetry at an Uncouth Hour (a poetry reading club); Hatter Harvest (organic community garden); Touchstone, the student literary magazine, and many others.
There are several religious organizations on campus as well, including the Cooperative Collegiate Ministry, the Lutheran Campus Ministries, the Catholic Campus Ministry, the Wesley House (Methodist Ministry), the Canterbury House (Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
), the Muslim American Student Organization, and the Hillel/Jewish Student Organization.
There are also a number of multicultural and social justice organizations on campus, including the Black Student Association, the Hispanic Organization for Latin American Awareness (HOLA), Organization for Students Actively Pursuing Equality (OSAPE), STAND (the student-run branch of the Genocide Intervention Network), and Kaleidoscope (the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
alliance on campus).
There is also an Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) unit that students can participate in on-campus through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to...
. Successful completion of the ROTC program allows University students to be commissioned in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant, and requires a service commitment.
There are five social sororities on campus: Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
, Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
, Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States and...
, and Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, and six social fraternities: Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Phi Sigma Kappa
Phi Sigma Kappa
-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
, Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
, Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, and Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
.
Stetson is also home to chapters from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
, a music fraternity for men, and Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
, a music fraternity for women.
Student Government
Established in 1908, the Stetson University Student Government Association is the representative and executive decision-making body for all undergraduate students in the Stetson community.Student governance at Stetson consists of two branches, an executive and a unicameral legislative branch. The executive branch consists of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, the Secretary of Communication, the Secretary of Finance, and the Secretary of Student Involvement. The Student Body President and Student Body Vice President are elected annually in the spring. After installment, the Student Body President appoints the Secretaries of Communication, Finance, and Student Involvement.
Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate
Stetson University hosts the nation's first and oldest college-level Model United States Senate program (established in 1970) every year in March. Each year, students from colleges and universities around the nation gather at Stetson for the three-day event. The Model Senate reproduces the actual procedures and activities of the U.S. Senate in an effort to provide experience and education for the student participants. Each student is assigned as a Senator in one of five legislative committees and is responsible for researching a variety of bills, and crafting appropriate amendments. In addition, the Model Senate attracts national speakers and lecturers, including former and sitting U.S. Senators.Athletics
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| Men’s Teams Baseball College baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily... Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... Crew Rowing (sport) Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water... Cross Country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... Golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... Soccer Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Women’s Teams Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... Crew Rowing (sport) Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water... Cross Country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... Golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... Soccer Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... |
Intercollegiate athletics
Stetson is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational 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...
, and both men’s and women’s teams compete on a Division I level in the Atlantic Sun Conference
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
. The school's mascot is the Stetson Hatter. The basketball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, women’s golf, men's and women's soccer and softball teams have either earned conference championships or, gained national rankings or recognition. In 2011, football and women's lacrosse programs were added. Both will play their first games in 2013.
History
One of the high profile sports at Stetson is baseball. Since 1970 the baseball program has earned seven Atlantic Sun Conference championships and 16 trips to the NCAA Regionals. Stetson participated in football from 1901 until 1956 achieving an all-time record of 155–127–27 (.545). The football team earned its 100th victory in 1935. In 2010, university officials gathered information and evaluating the feasibility of starting a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) non-scholarship program. On March 14, 2011, SU President Wendy B. Libby announced the return of Hatter Football and the addition of women's lacrosse. Stetson will play in the Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
, with the first game in 2013. In July, 2011, Stetson named Roger A. Hughes as head coach. The first game in the NCAA Division I program in women's lacrosse also will be played in 2013.
Rivalries
Stetson's main rivals include the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
, and Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
.
Club Sports
The Club Sports program was launched at Stetson in 2010. The competition level of club sports falls between intramural sports and intercollegiate athletic. There are 15 club sports available to men and women at Stetson: AikidoAikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
, croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
, equestrianism
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, Hatter table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, Hatter tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Lady Hatter women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse, sometimes shortened to wlax or lax, is a sport played with twelve players on each team. Originally played by the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the first tribe to play it was the Hauser tribe, of the Great Plains. The modern women's game was introduced in 1890 at the St...
, men's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA), sand volleyball, shooting
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, ultimate Frisbee, and most recently skydiving. Students may apply to form new clubs.
Intramural Program
The Intramural Program offers students the opportunity to manage, officiate, direct and participate in physical activities. The following sports are available to both men and women: basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, indoor volleyball, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, soccer, indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
, kickball
Kickball
Kickball is a playground game and competitive league game, similar to baseball, invented in the United States in the first half of the 20th Century. Kickball may also be known as kick baseball, base soccer, soccer-base, or soccer-baseball...
, ultimate Frisbee, dodge ball, sand volleyball, flag football
Flag football
Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, wiffleball
Wiffleball
Wiffle ball or wiffleball is a variation of the sport of baseball designed for indoor or outdoor play in confined areas. The game is played using a perforated, light-weight, rubbery plastic ball and a long, plastic bat.- History :...
.
Athletic facilities
- The J. Ollie Edmunds CenterEdmunds CenterEdmunds Center is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida that opened on Dec. 5, 1974. It is home to the Stetson Hatters basketball team. The arena is named after Dr. J. Ollie Edmunds, fourth president of Stetson University .It hosted the 1991 and 1996 Atlantic Sun...
– basketball and volleyball, 4,000-seat multipurpose arena, athletic offices, weight room - Patricia Wilson Softball Field, the 2009 Softball Field of the Year
- The Wilson Athletic Center – sport and exercise science department, fitness and activity rooms
- Mandy Stoll Tennis Center – next to the soccer field
- Melching Field at Conrad ParkMelching Field at Conrad ParkMelching Field at Conrad Park is a baseball stadium located in DeLand, Florida. The primary tenant of Melching Field is the Stetson University Hatters college baseball team, a Division I program playing in the Atlantic Sun Conference....
– baseball stadium (off campus) - Victoria Hills Golf Club (off campus)
- Soccer Field
- Hollis Center
- Spec Martin StadiumSpec Martin StadiumSpec Martin Stadium is a 6,000 seat football stadium located in Deland, Florida. Spec Martin Stadium currently hosts DeLand High School Bulldog football and soccer games....
--6,000 seat off campus stadium which is the former and future home of Stetson Hatters football.
Awards and Certifications
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching awarded its Community Engagement classification to Stetson in 2008. For the past three consecutive years, Stetson has been named by the Corporation for National and Community ServiceCorporation For National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and other national service initiatives...
to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction for exemplary service initiatives. Stetson also works with the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation on the CASE (Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur) program and other JRCPF initiatives, and partners with JRCPF and the W.K.Kellogg Foundation on a service-based scholarship program. In 2009, Stetson introduced a Certificate of Community Engagement program for undergraduates.
Notable alumni
See also
- Ghost StoryGhost Story (film)Ghost Story is a 1981 American horror film directed by John Irvin and based on the book of the same name by Peter Straub. It stars Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman and Craig Wasson . It was the last film to feature Astaire, Fairbanks, and Douglas, and the first...
, a feature film that was filmed on campus. - Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
- Stetson University College of Law