Austin College

Coordinates: 33°38′49.22″N 96°35′50.16″W / 33.6470056°N 96.5972667°W / 33.6470056; -96.5972667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nyttend (talk | contribs) at 02:26, 26 February 2014 (Category). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Austin College
Austin College's New Modern Logo
Mottonil nisi per aspera
TypePrivate
Established1849
EndowmentUS$109.4 million[1]
PresidentMarjorie Hass
Undergraduates1,291
Postgraduates29
Location
Sherman
,
Texas
,
US
CampusSuburban, 70 acres (28 ha)
(City of Sherman, Grayson County, Texas)
Religious AffiliationPresbyterian Church USA
Colors           
MascotKangaroo
Websitewww.austincollege.edu

Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, in the U.S. state of Texas, about 60 miles (about 100 km) north of Dallas.[2]

The undergraduate student body of Austin College is limited to about 1,300.[3] Most students are required to live on campus for the first three years in an attempt to create a close-knit community. Austin College actively promotes study abroad programs; 70% of students study abroad during their four years at the college.[4] The college states that it attempts to foster close interaction between students and professors via a 13:1 student to faculty ratio and an average class size of fewer than 25 students.[5] The college has no teaching assistants, so regular faculty teach all levels of coursework.

Chartered in November 1849 under original charter and name as recognized by the State Historical Survey Committee.[2]

History

The college was founded on October 13, 1849, in Huntsville, Texas, by the Princeton-educated missionary Dr. Daniel Baker.

text
Logo of Austin College

The college moved to Sherman in 1876 and became co-educational in 1918, merging in 1929 with the all-female Texas Presbyterian College.

Baker named the school after the Texas historical figure Stephen F. Austin. Another important figure in Texas history, Sam Houston, served on the original board of trustees for the college, and the former site in Huntsville later became today's Sam Houston State University.

On September 20, 1973, the musician Jim Croce died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on his way to perform the next night at Austin College. Six people died in the crash.

Administration Building

Administration

Dr. Marjorie Hass became the 15th president of Austin College on July 1, 2009. She was previously provost of Muhlenberg College. Hass succeeded Dr. Oscar Page.

Rankings

Listed in the U.S. News & World Report "Guide to the 331 Most Interesting Colleges", Austin College is also ninth on the U.S. News 2006 list of "most students studying abroad" and #82 on the 2013 list of National Liberal Arts Colleges.[6] It is a member of the International 50, a group of the top colleges in the USA for international focus. The school is named a Best Western College by The Princeton Review and is also included in The Princeton Review's Best 377 Colleges. Austin College is a member of the non-profit organization Colleges That Change Lives and one of the original 40 private colleges in the book, Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Feel About Colleges by Loren Pope.

Academics

Austin College offers about 35 majors and pre-professional programs for study, and students can also create a specialized major to match their academic interests. The college is known for its nationally recognized five-year Master of Arts in Teaching program, its pre-medical, international studies, and pre-law programs, which draw many students to the campus. The college has a music program and supports the Austin College A Cappella Choir and the Sherman Symphony Orchestra made up of students and local musicians, and assorted smaller musical ensembles. It sponsors the Posey Center of Excellence in Leadership, the Center for Environmental Studies,[7] and the Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies,[8] three specialized programs that give students numerous research and internship opportunities. The school also has active programs in over 40 academic disciplines. The school's student newspaper, the Austin College Observer, is a bi-weekly publication.

Communication/Inquiry

Communication/Inquiry (C/I) is a seminar course taken by freshmen during the fall of their entry year. The professor becomes a mentor for the students in the class over the next four years. C/I serves as the initial course in the undergraduate core curriculum, meant to emphasize the enhancement of core academic skills. Course topics are generally aligned with specialty of the instructors. C/I professors and topics rotate every year.[9]

Heritage of Western Culture

Heritage of Western Culture, a three semester program, was the Austin College core curriculum. From fall 2007, "Heritage" ceased to exist. The purpose of the classes was to tie together various liberal arts disciplines into an overview of the development of western culture.

January Term

January Term is a three-week course taught every January. Students are required to take three Jan-terms during their time at Austin, and many use the semester to either take a class in an area different to their regular studies, intensify their study in their designated field, or travel abroad on one of the many travel Jan-terms. Off-campus Jan-terms are an opportunity for those who cannot study abroad during the normal school year to do so. International destinations rotate from year to year. There are also a number of domestic travel locations, such as Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and New York City.

Courses are taught on-campus as well. A longstanding policy requires freshmen to spend their first Jan-term on-campus, although some instructors allow exceptions.

Jordan Family Language House

Completed in 1998, the Jordan Family Language House is both a residence hall and a place of study for German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese language and culture. The hall is divided into four sections, one for each language. Each section functions independently, with the number of students varying from Spanish (the largest) to Japanese (the smallest, with a capacity for eight). Students are encouraged to speak in their language of study when in the house.

A native speaker, always coming from abroad, resides in each section to assist students in their study of the language. The native speaker also holds intermediate and advanced conversation classes for the students. The Jordan House contains a multimedia language laboratory.

Students who live in the house are enrolled in a half-credit course, in addition to another course in the language or literature. Course requirements include meeting several times a week for language table, weekly house meetings with skits, games, and other presentations in the target language, and a variety of other culturally appropriate activities.[10]

Model United Nations

Austin College has participated in Model United Nations around the USA since 1983. Model UN conferences simulate the workings of the United Nations, with delegates assuming the current positions of the countries they represent.

The purpose of the program is to gain skills in leadership, verbal and written communication, teamwork, decision-making and research. At the National Model U.N. Conference in New York City, the Austin College program has earned more than 20 top rankings for Outstanding Delegation. Austin College has also attended conferences in Chicago, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Russia and China.[11]

Posey Leadership Institute

The Austin College Posey Leadership Institute is intended to instruct student leaders in leadership and service. Each fall, 15 entering freshmen and up to five sophomores are selected to participate, based on demonstrated leadership ability and potential.

Participating students complete special courses beyond their normal academic workload. These include a freshman introductory leadership course, an internship on leadership in action, a Jan-term course, a second-year course on national and international leadership, and a senior conference on advanced leadership studies.[12]

Study abroad

Austin College has a strong emphasis on international learning opportunity. A 2009 report by Open Doors Online [13] showed that Austin College sent more than 80% of their students abroad at some point during their undergraduate education.

Sports

File:AustinCollege-kangaroo-logo.png
Athletics logo

Austin College participates in NCAA Division III athletics. Previously, Austin College competed in NAIA Division II athletics. Austin College athletes do not receive athletic scholarships. The football team became known as the "Kangaroos" sometime during the 1914 to 1915 seasons. According to campus legend, the mascot name was derived from a kangaroo court of organized students that would paddle violators of college rules. Currently students refer to their sports teams as the 'fighting marsupials.'

Kangaroo varsity teams include American football, men and women's soccer, volleyball, men and women's basketball, swimming and diving, tennis, baseball and softball, which was added for the 2006-2007 season. More than 225 student athletics participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics each year. In 2004-2005, 28 students were recognized with all-conference athletic honors and 61 students received all-conference academic honors. Austin College also has a lacrosse team, which is run as a club sport.

Austin College joined the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference on July 1, 2006, replacing Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Austin College was previously a member of the American Southwest Conference, Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and Texas Conference.

Football

The Austin College American football program began competition in 1896. Former head coach Mel Tjeerdsma has the most wins in school history. The defense is known as "The Redshirts". Defensive players have long used the motto "Redshirt Pride" to remind them of their work ethic. Austin College won conference championships in 1920, 1923, 1935, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, and 1988. Austin College won a National Championship (NAIA Division II) in 1981. The school's career leading rusher is Mike Maloney (1964–1967). The career passing leader is Jerry Bishop (1962–1965). The leading pass receiver is Otis Amy (1986–1988). The football program boasts more than 130 All-American players during its history. Otis Amy was a three time All-American in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Otis Amy finished his college career as the all time leading NAIA pass receiver. Defensive back Chris Luper was an All-American 1979, 1980, and 1981. Punter Brent Badger (1991–1994) also was a 3 time All-American selection. In 1993, Badger kicked an 80 yard punt against Nebraska Wesleyan. Charles "Bo" Miller (Class of 1961), Willie Williams (Class of 1977), Chris Luper (Class of 1982), and Gene Branum (Class of 1982) have been inducted into the NAIA Football Hall of Fame. Aaron Kernek (Class of 2001) was the last AC player to play in the NFL. He was a member of the NY Giants and Baltimore Ravens.

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b Austin College, Austin College History. Cite error: The named reference "Austin College History" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Austin College, Austin College Life.
  4. ^ Austin College, Austin College Study Abroad Program.
  5. ^ Austin College, Austin College Faculty.
  6. ^ http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/austin-college-3543/rankings?int=c6b9e3. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ [1][dead link]
  8. ^ [2][dead link]
  9. ^ Fitzgerald, Wade (2010-01-15). "Library Exhibit Traces 20 Years of "Telling Our Stories" | Austin College". Austincollege.edu. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  10. ^ [3][dead link]
  11. ^ [4][dead link]
  12. ^ [5][dead link]
  13. ^ "Iienetwork.Org". Opendoors.iienetwork.org. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  14. ^ Steinberg, Jacques (1997-03-29). "From Religious Childhood To Reins of a U.F.O. Cult". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  15. ^ List of Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients, retrieved 19 May 2008 [dead link]
  16. ^ Stowers, Carlton, and Carroll Pickett, Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain, ISBN 978-0-312-28717-7, St. Martin's Press, 2002, Google Books

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Austin College.

33°38′49.22″N 96°35′50.16″W / 33.6470056°N 96.5972667°W / 33.6470056; -96.5972667

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Austin_College&oldid=597164549"