University of the Cumberlands
Encyclopedia
- For other institutions called "Cumberland College," see Cumberland CollegeCumberland CollegeCumberland College may refer to:*Cumberland College, Otago, a residential college for the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand*Cumberland College a defunct institution in Princeton, Kentucky...
.
University of the Cumberlands is a private, liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
located in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile . There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students. The school, known as Cumberland College until January 7, 2005, is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention
Kentucky Baptist Convention
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is the State Convention of Southern Baptists in the state of Kentucky. Headquartered in Louisville, it is made up of over 2,400 churches and 71 local associations. Membership in its churches totals more than 780,000 people...
, the Kentucky affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
.
History
University of the Cumberlands, first called Williamsburg Institute, was founded on January 7, 1889. At the 1887 annual meeting of the Mount Zion Association, representatives from 18 eastern Kentucky 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...
churches discussed plans to provide higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the Kentucky mountains. The college was incorporated by the Kentucky state legislature
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
on April 6, 1888. In 1907 the school bought the three buildings of Highland College, and in 1913, Williamsburg Institute's name was changed to Cumberland College. In 1959 Cumberland College began offering bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s again, having previously awarded the degree until 1913. Cumberland College changed its name to University of the Cumberlands on January 7, 2005.
Nine presidents have led the college including William James Johnson; E. E. Wood; John Newton Prestridge; Gorman Jones, acting president; A. R. Evans, acting president; Charles William Elsey; James Lloyd Creech; J. M. Boswell; and James H. Taylor.
Notable alumni include two governors, five military generals, and five college and university presidents.
Campus
University of the Cumberlands's campus is in the southeastern part of Kentucky, just off Interstate 75Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
, 190 miles (305.8 km) south of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and 70 miles (112.7 km) north of Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. The campus spans approximately 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) and includes 32 buildings and 2 sports field complexes.
Notable Buildings
- Roburn Hall: The first building on the campus, Roburn Hall has been used as a classroom building and a women's residence hall. It is now a men's residence hall.
- Gillespie Hall: Originally called Johnson Hall, the women's residence was the second building built by Williamsburg Institute.
- Mahan Hall: Built in 1907 as Felix Hall, Mahan was the first men's residence.
- Clyde V. and Patricia Bennett Building: Formerly known as the Gray Brick Building, the Bennett Building was built in 1906 by Highland College. Highland and Cumberland merged in 1907.
- Ruby Gatliff Archer President's Home: Built in 1905 as a replica of the "Kentucky Home" at the 1904 World's FairLouisiana Purchase ExpositionThe Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
in St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. 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...
. It is the residence of the president of the university, Dr. James H. Taylor. - Edward L. Hutton School of Business: Built in 2004 as a replica of Independence Hall.
- Ward and Regina Correll Science Complex: Addition built in 2008 as a replica of MonticelloMonticelloMonticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
. - Cumberland Inn and Conference Center: Hotel and conference center run by the school. Primarily employs UC students.
- Athenaeum Restaurant: Highly rated restaurant inside the Cumberland Inn. Reviewed in Eating Your Way Across Kentucky: 101 Must Places To Eat (2006).
- The Cumberland Inn MuseumCumberland Inn MuseumCumberland Inn Museum is a museum in Williamsburg, Kentucky operated by University of the Cumberlands. Besides the Henkelmann Life Science Collection, it contains archives, several stamp, coin, arrowhead, and nutcracker collections....
is operated by the school, located in the Cumberland Inn. It includes the Henkelmann Life Science Collection, the Carl Williams Cross Museum (one of the world's largest collections of crosses) and the University of the Cumberlands ArchiveArchiveAn archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s.
- Ward and Regina Correll Science Complex: In May 2007, $1 million expansion of the Science Complex was started. The new addition will be a replica of Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's MonticelloMonticelloMonticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
mansion. Classes began in the Correll Science Complex in January 2009.http://ucumberlands.edu/media/release.php?rk=352 - Lenora Fuson Harth Hall: New women's residence in the former location of Boswell Park, adjacent to Gillespie Hall. Construction began in August 2007. The hall opened in spring 2009.http://ucumberlands.edu/media/release.php?rk=338
Plans are also underway for an addition to the Boswell Campus Center and remodeling the current structure. These plans include a student recreation center complete with a rock wall, along with adding a thatched roof in order to blend in with the other buildings on campus. Phase 1 began in May, 2010.
Academics
The university is divided into four colleges: Cumberland College (the university's undergraduate school), the Hutton School of Business/Management, the Hutton Center for Leadership Studies, and the Graduate/Professional Education program.University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Inquiries concerning the accreditation status of the university may be directed to the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or by calling 404-676-4500.
Undergraduate programs
Cumberlands offers approximately 45 major programs of study, as well as a variety of minor programs. UC recently began offering majors in Journalism and Public Relations, Criminal Justice, and Spanish.Cumberlands offers 12 academic national honor societies for students in several majors.
Graduate programs
The university offers several Masters degrees in Education (MAEd), Psychology (MAPC), Business Administration (MBA), Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA), and Christian Studies (MACS), as well as an Educational Specialist program and a Doctoral program in Education (Ed.D.).The Doctor of Education
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
program was set up with two initial tracks. The track for Secondary Education Administration is designed for preparing and educating those in positions as principals and superintendents of local school systems. The Higher Education Administration track is designed for those looking to enter the collegiate world as professors and administrators of institutions of higher education. Both tracks are intended to prepare candidates for academic administration and focus on aspects and issues in education leadership.
Recent graduate and professional programs timeline
In August 2008, the university began offering a Doctor of EducationDoctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
(Ed.D.), Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in education leadership and higher education administration, and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) graduate degree.
In January 2009, the university announced that it had been approved by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to begin a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Professional Counseling. The degree requires 60 credit hours, completed in a cohort, 8 week, bi-term model. Upon completion of the MAPC and passing of the national exam, the student will be qualified to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC). UC has since announced the program has been divided into two tracks, with one as an advanced, accelerated track for those with clinical psychology experience.
Cumberlands began a Masters degree program in School Counseling in the summer of 2009.
In the spring semester of 2010, University of the Cumberlands began their Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program with their first cohort of physician assistant students.
In March of 2010, UC received accreditation for a Master of Arts in Christian Studies, to be offered within the Department of Religion. The program is 30 credit hours and is offered with three areas of concentration in Biblical Studies, Christian Education and Church Planting. The program will be delivered in an online format and was expected to begin in the fall of 2010.
Cumberlands is planning a Doctor of Physical Therapy program to begin in the very near future.
Campus programs
The Robert L. Palmer Memorial Lecture Series brings a writer of national reputation to the campus annually. The series, established in 1992, has hosted novelists, essayists, and poets including Lee SmithLee Smith (author)
Lee Smith is an American fiction author who typically incorporates much of her home roots in the Southeastern United States in her works of literature. She has received many writing awards, such as the O. Henry Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction, and the North...
, Jim Wayne Miller, Willie Morris
Willie Morris
William Weaks "Willie" Morris , was an American writer and editor born in Jackson, Mississippi, though his family later moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, which he immortalized in his works of prose. Morris' trademark was his lyrical prose style and reflections on the American South, particularly...
, Scott Sanders, Billy Collins, and Catherine Landis. Additionally, the Thomas S. Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Series features religious scholars.
The university has in recent years, through its Forcht Group of Kentucky
Forcht Group of Kentucky
Forcht Group of Kentucky is a group of companies principally owned by Terry E. Forcht, with corporate headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky and Corbin, Kentucky...
Center for Excellence in Leadership, brought several notable guests to speak on campus. In the spring of 2006, in a "Moral Leadership" program, Roy Moore, the so-called "Ten Commandments judge" spoke at the school. In March 2007, in a "Patriotic Leadership" program, the university hosted Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
, former governor of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and United States senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. The April 2008 program featured bestselling author Stephen Covey
Stephen Covey
Stephen Richards Covey is the author of the best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Other books he has written include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. In 2004, Covey released The 8th Habit...
in a "Principle Centered Leadership" program, while the April 2009 program featured Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
in a "21st Century Leadership" program.
On April 6, 2010, University of the Cumberlands was set to have former Bush advisor Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
for the Patriotic Leadership Program. Mike Huckabee was the speaker for the April 2011 program along with singer Lee Greenwood.
Athletics
The university sponsors intercollegiate sports teams which participate in the NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
and the Mid-South Conference
Mid-South Conference
The Mid-South Conference is an athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky....
. The university's athletic mascot is the "Patriots." Intercollegiate programs for men include 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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....
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, 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...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, 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...
and cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
. Women Patriot teams compete in basketball, tennis, volleyball, soccer, cross country, 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...
, swimming, golf, track, wrestling and cheerleading.
Student life
The university also has a low-power radio station, WCCR-LPWCCR-LP
WCCR-LP is a low power college radio station owned and operated by University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Founded in 2004, it is a 24-hours a day student-run radio station.- Overview :...
, a campus newspaper, The Patriot, and a local cable television station, UCTV channel 19.
In addition to the physical activities, the university has a forensics
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
(debate) team and an academic
Quizbowl
Quiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
team. The debate team is nationally known having won the Christian National Debate competition (Novice Division).
For students interested in music, the university has several vocal and instrumental ensembles.
UC offers a degree in theatre and communication arts. The university has typically two productions a year, one play (commonly in the spring, though reversed for the 2008 semesters) and one musical (currently in the spring, previously in the fall). The Kohn Theatre is not restricted to the theatre department and is used by other theatrical groups in the area and by the school. UC has two professors of theatre: technical director Carl Walling (as of fall 2010) and stage director Dr. Kim Miller (as of fall 2008).
The university has other extracurricular student activities, including Campus Activity Board (CAB), chapters of College Republicans
College Republicans
The College Republican National Committee is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States...
and College Democrats
College Democrats
The College Democrats of America is the official youth outreach arm of the Democratic Party. It consists of over 100,000 college and university students from across the United States. The organization has served as a way for college students to connect with the Democratic Party and Democratic...
, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
(FCA), Residence Hall Councils, Student Government Association, Baptist Campus Ministries, and many other clubs and organizations.
UC has 12 chapters of national honor societies in fields such as Biology (Beta Beta Beta), First Year Students (Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
) Theology and Religion (Theta Alpha Kappa
Theta Alpha Kappa
Theta Alpha Kappa is the national honor society for Religious Studies and Theology. It was founded in 1976 at Manhattan College in Riverdale , New York for the purpose of recognizing the academic achievements of religion and theology students...
), Business (Sigma Beta Delta and Phi Beta Lambda), and other academic fields.
University of the Cumberlands provides opportunities for campus ministry through Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM), Appalachian Ministries, Mountain Outreach, and Campus Family and Life groups.
The university commits itself to and recognizes the value of community service through its Hutton Center for Leadership Studies. 100% of undergraduate students participate in community service before they graduate, developing a 40-hour community service project through their "Lead 101" class. UC provides recognition for those students willing to go the extra mile in service. Those who accumulate 200 or more hours of community service during their time at UC are designated "Hutton Scholars" and presented with certificates. Such students are recognized at their commencement ceremonies and are provided the privilege of requesting a "leadership transcript" from the university when applying for career positions and graduate schools. Many campus organizations provide opportunities for community service, including Student Government Association, the Academic Resource Center (ARC), Campus Activity Board, The Pariot Campus newspaper, and Resident Assistant
Resident assistant
A resident assistant , commonly shortened to RA is a trained peer leader who supervises those living in a residence hall or group housing facility...
positions.
Since the college is in Williamsburg, it is 18 miles (29 km) away Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is a park located just southwest of Corbin, Kentucky and is contained entirely within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The park encompasses and is named for its major feature, tall Cumberland Falls...
in the Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest
Daniel Boone National Forest is the only national forest completely within the boundary of Kentucky. Established in 1937, it was originally named the Cumberland National Forest, after the core region called the Cumberland Purchase Unit...
. The park is the home of Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a large waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky...
, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South or the Great Falls and is the only venue in the Western Hemisphere where a moonbow
Moonbow
A moonbow is a rainbow produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon rather than from direct sunlight. Moonbows are relatively faint, due to the smaller amount of light reflected from the surface of the moon...
or lunar rainbow is regularly visible on a clear night with a full moon. Because of how close the falls are, many students go there to hike in the surrounding area and to see the moonbow.
Notable alumni
- Dr. Ergun CanerErgun CanerErgun Michael Caner , also known as Ergun Mehmet Caner, is an evangelical minister. He was born in Sweden to a Muslim Turkish immigrant and a Swedish mother,and claimed to have been raised as a Sunni Muslim. He immigrated with his family to the United States as a toddler...
, former president of Liberty Theological Seminary, part of Liberty UniversityLiberty UniversityLiberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online... - Dustin CenterDustin CenterDustin Center is an Australian-American professional mixed martial artist and 4x All American wrestler from Cincinnati, Ohio.-Background:Center is well rounded fighter with a variegated MMA background including extensive time spent in Wrestling, BJJ, and Muay Thai – where he trained as a...
, professional MMA Fighter and 4x All American Wrestler. - Bert T. CombsBert T. CombsBertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
, former Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once... - Mike DuncanMike DuncanRobert M. "Mike" Duncan was the 60th Chairman of the Republican National Committee. He was elected in January 2007, replacing Ken Mehlman, and served until January 30, 2009, when he withdrew from renomination to the chairmanship...
, former chairman of the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is... - Edwin P. MorrowEdwin P. MorrowEdwin Porch Morrow was an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Kentucky from 1919 to 1923. He was the only Republican elected to this office between 1907 and 1927. He championed the typical Republican causes of his day, namely equal rights for African-Americans and the use of...
, former Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once... - Rick Nelson, member of Kentucky General AssemblyKentucky General AssemblyThe Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
(DDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-87) (2000-present) representing BellBell County, KentuckyBell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and augmented from Knox County in 1872. As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville...
and HarlanHarlan County, KentuckyHarlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
counties; class of 1976 - Jean RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
, folk musician, singer, and songwriter who plays the Appalachian dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States... - Betty L. SiegelBetty L. SiegelBetty L. Siegel is an author and the former president of Kennesaw State University. She was the first female president of the University System of Georgia...
, former president of Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State University, also referred to as KSU, Kennesaw, or Kennesaw State, is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university that is part of the University System of Georgia. The university's main campus is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, approximately north of Atlanta...
and one of the longest-serving female university presidents in American history - Dick Tunney, GrammyGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
- and Dove Award-winning Christian music artist - Sean GraySean GraySean Gray is a British comedy writer and director. He is a member of the writing team of the Armando Iannucci-created television series The Thick Of It and Time Trumpet and the radio series Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive. He is also creator of 'iGod' - an apocalyptic Radio 4 comedy series...
, Football player, Head Coach, Southeast High School "Wall of Honor"
Jason Johnson
Jason Johnson of Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
was forced to withdraw from the university on April 8, 2006, after he revealed that he is gay on the social networking site MySpace.com
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. The sophomore theatre arts major was told by officials that they don't approve of his "gay lifestyle" and, although he was a dean's list student, his grades were all downgraded to "F". University president, Dr. James H. Taylor said in a written statement, "At University of the Cumberlands, we hold students to a higher standard than does society in general...University of the Cumberlands isn't for everyone. We tell prospective students about our high standards before they come." The student handbook, as revised in 2005, states that students can be removed from campus for participating in pre-marital sex or promoting homosexuality — a policy which Johnson's attorney alleges was added after Johnson decided to go to school at UC.
The legality of such a policy is doubtful as the university receives funds from the Kentucky state government
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. According to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruling in Bob Jones University v. United States
Bob Jones University v. United States
Bob Jones University v. United States, , was a decision by the United States Supreme Court that held that the Internal Revenue Service could, without the approval of the United States Congress, revoke the tax exempt status of organizations that are contrary to established public...
, any university receiving public monies may not discriminate, so any court challenge will likely center on this. In Judge Crittenden's decision denying public funding to UC's pharmacy school, he declined to decide this question, stating that the proposed spending violated portions of the Kentucky Constitution that guarantee religious freedom and that public money for education should not be spent on any "church, sectarian or denominational school."
On April 19, 2006, Johnson's attorney and the university reached a settlement allowing Johnson to complete his coursework for the semester and restoring his previous grades. The university agreed to not report to other universities that Johnson was expelled. In addition, Johnson waived his right to sue the university, although he may still file a grievance with the Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
or the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools.
Soulforce
On March 28, 2007, the pro-Gay and Lesbian rightsLGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
group Soulforce
Soulforce (organization)
Soulforce is an American social justice and civil rights organization that supports acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people through dialogue and creative forms of nonviolent direct action...
brought its 2007 Equality Ride to Cumberlands' campus. According to the group's website, "through dialogue with administrators, faculty and students, the young activists of the 2007 Equality Ride will make clear the harmful effects of the false notion that homosexuality is a 'sickness and a sin.' To make public their case for equality, the young activists on the Equality Ride will hold vigils, Bible studies, class discussions, community forums, and press conferences."
According to the university, an offer was extended to the group to be located in the middle level of the Boswell Campus Center, but Soulforce rejected those terms. However, according to Soulforce, an offer from the university was quickly withdrawn because of a miscommunication and the university later refused to agree to terms in writing.
Two University of the Cumberlands students were arrested on a charge of failure to disperse, along with a member of the Soulforce group, for trespassing and failure to disperse when they stopped on the sidewalk of Main Street, which runs through the campus. According to Williamsburg police chief Denny Shelley, police did not try to harass or discourage the group's members but told them they needed to keep moving so they wouldn't block the sidewalk, which would be a safety issue.
Robert Day
In 2003, the American Association of University ProfessorsAmerican Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
(AAUP) found that President Taylor coerced Professor Robert Day into resigning because he had opposed Taylor's proposed staff layoffs on an off-campus website. The AAUP concluded that "The policies of Cumberland College, including the grievance procedure, do not provide for faculty hearings of any kind. College policies and practices preclude any effective faculty role in academic governance and contribute to an atmosphere that stifles the freedom of faculty to question and criticize administrative decisions and actions." The AAUP noted that current and former faculty members "do not feel free to address topics of college concern in any forum" and "described a climate of fear about what faculty members may say and do, a fear based on what they know or have been told has happened to others." Those interviewed "expressed a particular fear that criticizing the administration and its operation of the college could place a faculty member's appointment in jeopardy."
Pharmacy school
The Kentucky state budget, passed by the 2006 Kentucky legislature, includes $10 million of state debt to construct a pharmacy building on the school's Whitley County campus. Additionally, $1 million for scholarships for the pharmacy program are included. The $10 million building is to be funded out of a $100 million pool of money titled the "infrastructure for economic development fund for coal-producing counties." Money to repay the bond issuance would come from coal severance taxSeverance tax
Severance taxes are incurred when non-renewable natural resources are separated from a taxing jurisdiction. Industries that typically incur such taxes are oil and gas, coal, mining, and timber industries....
es. The Kentucky Fairness Alliance asked Governor Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
to veto the $11 million that state lawmakers approved for a planned pharmacy school. A gay Kentucky State Senator, Ernesto Scorsone
Ernesto Scorsone
Ernesto Scorsone is an American lawyer, politician and judge from Kentucky. A Democrat, he was appointed to the Fayette County Circuit Court on August 7, 2008 by Governor Steve Beshear...
, has indicated that he would oppose spending the funds already allocated for a new pharmacy school for the university based on the Johnson situation, stating "We should not be budgeting bigotry." "If the University of the Cumberlands does not change its policies and practices, we will have a state benefit that is only available to heterosexuals," Scorsone said.
An additional complication is that the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is a non-profit accreditation agency recognized by Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the US Department of Education...
, the accrediting agency for all American pharmacy schools, explicitly prohibits discrimination against gays. Its guideline states that approved schools must have a policy on student affairs, including admissions and progression, that assures non-discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, lifestyle, national origin, or disability. As of July 1, 2007, this will be revised to include the phrase "sexual orientation." If the University of the Cumberlands applies its current policy of active discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to its pharmacy school, that school can not be accredited. If unaccredited, graduates of the pharmacy school could find their degrees unrecognized by employers, rendering them useless.
On March 6, 2008 Franklin Circuit Court Special Judge, Roger Crittenden, in response to a lawsuit brought by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, in part over its objection to the university's decision to expel a gay student in 2006, issued an order that rendered the appropriations made for the pharmacy school an unconstitutional establishment of religion under Sections 2 and 189 of the Kentucky Constitution. In addition, the court ruled that a permanent scholarship program created for the pharmacy school by the 2006-07 Kentucky Budget bill was in violation of Section 189 of the Kentucky Constitution. Governor Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
, who succeeded Fletcher in 2007, has stated that the state does not plan to appeal this decision.
In 2010, the University of the Cumberlands signed a four-year agreement with Midway College School of Pharmacy
Midway College School of Pharmacy
Midway College School of Pharmacy is a private pharmacy school planned to open in Paintsville, Kentucky, United States. Announced to the public on January 11, 2010, the school plans to open on Big Sandy Community and Technical College's Mayo Campus in the fall of 2011...
which guarantees the admission of five Cumberland pre-pharmacy graduates each year.
Broadway Baptist Church youth group
The University of the Cumberlands rescinded its invitation to a youth group from Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, to help build homes for the poor, stating they did so because the church had been removed from the Southern Baptist Convention. This action was condemned by Kentucky Equality FederationKentucky Equality Federation
Kentucky Equality Federation is an umbrella gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization in the Commonwealth of Kentucky consisting of Federation for Kentucky Equality, Inc., Kentucky Equality Coalition, Inc., and Kentucky Equality PAC....
because the church pastor stated officials told him it was because of their tolerance of homosexuality.