Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 03:05, 11 January 2014

This article contains promotional content. Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view. (September 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

High Point University

File:Hpu seal lg79.jpg
Motto	Nil Sine Numine (Latin)
Motto in English	Nothing Without Divine Guidance
Type	Private
Established	1924
Endowment	US$37 million
President	Nido Qubein
Academic staff	879
Students	4,500
Undergraduates	4,200
Postgraduates	319
Location	High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Campus	Suburban 230 acre
Colors	Purple and white
Nickname	Panthers
Mascot	Prowler the Panther
Website	www.highpoint.edu

High Point University is a private liberal arts university in High Point, North Carolina, U.S., affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

History

Beginnings

The school was founded in 1924 as High Point College, a joint venture between the Methodist Protestant Church and the citizens of High Point, and officially opened its doors on September 14, 1924. When the college opened, the campus consisted of three buildings, attended by nine faculty members, with a student enrollment of 122.

The Methodist Protestant Church, which is now part of the United Methodist Church, first became active in educational pursuits in North Carolina in the middle of the 19th century. Of the various institutions which it sponsored, the most ambitious was Yadkin College, which operated in neighboring Davidson County from 1856 to 1895.

After some years of consideration, the statewide governing body of the Methodist Protestant Church finally voted to proceed with establishing a new college in 1921. Shortly afterwards it accepted an offer from the citizens of High Point to contribute 60 acres (240,000 m) of land and $100,000 to the project. The campus was designed by R. E. Mitchell of Washington, D.C., assisted by Herbert Hunter of High Point, in the English Renaissance style. Though finishing touches were still being added to Roberts Hall, Women's Hall, and McCulloch Hall, classes began in September 1924.

In the first year, High Point College offered instructions in two years of high school courses and two years on the college level. The high school courses were eventually phased out, one year at a time. The courses originally offered at High Point College included French, Spanish, Education, Religious Education, Home Economics, Social Studies, English, Greek, Chemistry, Physics, Latin, and Mathematics.

Students at High Point College were required to attend chapel services for thirty minutes, five times a week. Meals in the dining halls on campus began with grace before everyone sat down to eat. Each night, students and professors living on the High Point College campus gathered in the foyer of Roberts Hall and socialized with one another. Movies were noted as one of the students favorite activities on campus when they were not in class.

High Point University presidents

The steadfast growth that characterized the birth of the College ended abruptly with the Great Depression. This period was difficult for the College in 1932–33, as faculty salaries were cut and expenses were sometimes bartered. Despite a $50,000 fund raising campaign, the College declared bankruptcy on June 15, 1934 and reorganization in an effort to reduce its indebtedness. Reorganization enabled the College to move forward with business and expansion. By the end of the decade, the M. J. Wrenn library and the H. Albion Millis athletic stadium were constructed. During World War II, the College hosted the 326th College Training Detachment of the U.S. Army Air Force. With the liquidation of debt, financial stability ultimately returned by 1945.

Recent history and public criticism

A 1990 report from a task force called "The National Commission on the Future of High Point College" outlined the blueprints for growth into the twenty first century. The report called for emphasis on teaching ethics in the curriculum, enhancing international relationships and exchanges, improving academic and dormitory spaces, and reconstituting the college as a university.

On October 9, 1991, by the action of the Board of Trustees, the name of High Point College was changed to High Point University to reflect post-graduate degree programs. The campus saw expansion of the Millis Athletic/Convocation Center in late 1992 to provide facilities for convocations, physical education, athletic, and health activities. Other notable additions to the campus include an addition to the Hayworth Hall of Science and the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, a domed structure with a Tuscan portico designed in consultation with London-based architect Christopher Smallwood. By 2004, the University's endowment increased to $40 million.

A major donation from community activist and philanthropist David Hayworth to High Point University brings total contributions from David Hayworth and his late brother Charles to $25 million. In its increased capacity, High Point University has been instrumental in attracting high-profile speakers to campus, including former President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, televangelist pioneer Rev. Robert Schuller, Queen Noor of Jordan, television legend Bill Cosby, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, astronaut and children's book author Buzz Aldrin, Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent and the former U.S. First Lady Laura Bush. Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, served as the 2013 Commencement speaker and Colin L. Powell will be the 2014 Commencement speaker.

Since taking office in 2005, President Nido Qubein has been adding campus buildings steadily, and has created buzz about the school by brandishing student amenities like concierge services, an on-campus steak house, free carwashes, and a roving ice-cream truck, among others. The refurbishments and student perks don't come cheap however. Businessweek reports that about $700 million in new building and campus upgrades was financed by heavy borrowing and Moody’s Investor Services downgraded the school’s bonds to junk status because it is one of the most heavily-leveraged colleges in the country as a result. The university countered that it has an innovative and financially sound plan for the future. Businessweek responded by inviting the school to make financial documents available to support any challenges to the article's accuracy, but none were offered in response.

In addition to questioning debt levels, Businessweek challenged whether the school's relationships with its lenders and vendors were at an appropriate arm's-length, citing in particular that the school spends large marketing dollars with a public relations firm headed by the president's daughter. The college's claims to a growing reputation in higher education were challenged as being based more on high-end student amenities and marketing strategy than on solid academics.

Campus

Location

Together, Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem, along with the surrounding suburbs and townships, form the Piedmont Triad region, an area with a population over 1.5 million. Of that number, approximately 100,342 live in High Point. Both Greensboro and Winston-Salem are twenty minutes from campus. East of the University are Raleigh, NC (1½ hours away) and the Atlantic Ocean (3½ hours away); south of the University are Charlotte, NC (1½ hours away) and Atlanta, GA (5 hours away); west of the University are the Appalachian Mountains (2 hours away) and north is Washington, DC (5 hours away).

Changes Around Campus

• Center for Student Excellence

The university recently announced that parents of current High Point University students have committed to finance the cost of the new Center for Student Excellence in its entirety. Scheduled to break ground in the fall of 2013, the two-story, 40,000-square-foot building will house the Office of Career and Internship Services, the Office of Study Abroad, the Center for Entrepreneurship, Service Learning and more.

Academics

In 2012, High Point University had a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1 and a student retention rate of 79%. The average class size at High Point University is 17 students and no student teachers or teacher assistants instruct classes.

Academic rankings

High Point University recently received three No. 1 rankings in "America's Best Colleges," published annually by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings for 2014 included No. 1 Best Regional College in the South (second consecutive year), No. 1 Up and Coming School in Regional Colleges in the South (second consecutive year), and No. 1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching in Regional Colleges in the South.</ref> HPU's number 1 ranking among regional Southern colleges for 2014 was against a peer group of #2 John Brown University (Arkansas), #3 Meredith College (NC), #4 Asbury University (KY), and #5 Florida Southern College (FL).

HPU has been included in the current list, "America's Top Colleges," ranking at 559th nationwide on the list of 650 created by Forbes magazine.

In August 2013, Affordable Colleges Online ranked High Point University No. 8 among 35 colleges in North Carolina based on the return on investment versus the cost of tuition and fees.

Parade Magazine also listed High Point University as one of the top 25 large private schools in the nation in the magazine's 2010 "College A-List." On April 16, 2013 the Princeton Review, partnering with the U.S. Green Building Council, named High Point University to its list of Green Colleges. The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges is a profile of higher education institutions that "demonstrate strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation." Princeton Review Green Colleges

Academic programs

Colleges and Schools

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences houses a variety of majors at High Point University, including Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Criminal Justice, English, History, Human Relations, Math and Computer Science, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Religion and Philosophy and Theatre.

Earl N. Phillips School of Business

The Phillips School of Business has approximately 1,000 undergraduate day students as of the fall semester 2013. This has grown from 475 undergraduate day students in the fall of 2005. Majors offered in this school include Accounting, Business Administration and International Business. Minors include Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Commerce, Marketing and Sport Management. A MBA is offered in the School of Business at High Point University.

The Plato S. Wilson School of Commerce

The Plato S. Wilson School of Commerce holds the Center for Financial Research, which serves as a trading room for students. The center includes teaching and research technology, including financial databases, investment software, professional accounting programs, a stock ticker, dual-screen monitors, SMART boards and world clocks. The building also contains a graphic lab with 24 digital stations. Each of these workstations have a Wacom touch screen monitor and an iMac on a movable arm to allow for an adjustable workspace.

Nido R. Qubein School of Communication

The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication offers students a combination of theory-based and practical courses in a multidisciplinary, experiential-learning environment. The school was completed in 2009 and features two high-definition TV studios, audio recording studios, a screening theater, editiing labs, a student-operated radio station, a nationally cited survey and research center, an interactive media and game design facility, and various computer labs for student use.

School of Art and Design

The School of Art and Design at High Point University focuses on hands-on learning. The technology lab is equipped with a laser cutter, CNC router and 3D printer that gives students the ability to produce to-scale models of furnishings and other products. Students enrolled in the School of Art and Design also have access to several Computer-Assisted Design labs, including a 20+ station MAC lab with large screen Cintiq interactive pen displays and have programs like Sketch-Up, CAD, REVIT and the Adobe Suite. In 2010, the Interior Design Program at High Point University was ranked as one of the top 10 undergraduate design programs in the country by DesignIntelligence journal.

School of Health Sciences & School of Pharmacy

In March 2013, High Point University announced their plans to build a new 170,000 square-foot facility at the corner of East Farriss Avenue and Panther Drive. The School of Health Sciences building will house new proposed programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies and pharmacy. The School of Health Sciences will grow to include proposed master's level programs in physician assistant studies and doctoral degrees in physical therapy and pharmacy programs.

School of Education

In August 2012, High Point University opened the School of Education. The 31,000-square-foot Georgian-style two-story building houses the education and psychology departments in technologically advanced classrooms, computer labs and offices. It features high-tech educational equipment, such as smart boards, a children's book library, math and science touch screen games, a methods lab designed to look and feel like a real elementary school classroom, a Mac lab and psychology research booths.

Special programs

• Pre-professional studies leading to medical, dental, pharmacy, or physician assistant school, engineering, forestry school, law school, theological seminary, or other professional training.

• The Student Career Intern Program (SCIP) places students in career-related positions in area businesses before graduation.

Honor societies

• Order of the Lighted Lamp, Alpha Chi (both recognize academic achievement), Alpha Delta Omega (Human Relations), Beta Beta Beta (Biology), Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish), Pi Delta Phi (French), Phi Sigma Iota (Foreign Language), Lambda Pi Eta (Communications), Alpha Sigma Lambda (Adult Learners), Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science), Kappa Delta Pi (Education), Delta Mu Delta (Business), Psi Chi (Psychology), Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice), Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honors Society).

Admissions

Applications and acceptances

Based on data gathered from the incoming class of 2012, more than 8,200 applications were reviewed. There was a 61% acceptance rate and 1333 enrolled at High Point University. 78% of the freshmen class applied Early Decision or Early Action. The mid-range SAT scores for high school seniors applying to the university was 1010-1190. The mean SAT range for Critical Reading and Math was 1106 and the mean ACT Composite score for entering freshmen was 24. 80% of students were ranked in the top half of their graduating classes and the average GPA on a 4.0 scale was 3.33 unweighted.

The class of 2015 holds the record of bringing total enrollment to the highest enrollment number in High Point University's history. In the class of 2015, there are 40 National Merit Scholars, Valedictorians, Salutatorians and High School Student Government Presidents. 416 students had Advanced Placement Courses from high school, earning over 2819 credit hours. 30 students earned the distinction of Eagle Scout or Gold Award recipient during high school, 40 students had family members who attended High Point University and there are 14 languages spoken fluently among the class.

Geographic breakdown

The students in the class of 2015 represent 41 states (including Washington, DC) and 9 countries. The top ten states represented at High Point University are North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, Ohio and Florida.

Student life

Residence halls

High Point University is a residential campus by design. More than 75% of the High Point University freshmen class come from 45 states other than North Carolina and many foreign countries. All High Point University students are required to reside on campus until they have reached senior status, unless they commute from their parent's permanent address. There are 19 residence halls on campus.

Dining

High Point University is a cashless campus and dining locations only accept High Point University Passport cards. There are many dining options available on campus and four locations are "all you can eat." These locations include: The Cafe in Slane Student Center, Farmers Market, The Bistro and The Grille. Other popular dining locations include Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, 1924 PRIME, The Point, Subway and the Great Day Bakery.

Study abroad

High Point University offers a wide variety of study abroad programs, including semester programs at universities in Italy, Germany, France, Ecuador, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Fiji, the Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, South Africa and Russia. In addition, students can participate in Faculty-in-Residence Programs in Oxford, England (Fall) and Prague, Czech Republic (Spring). Students take a full load of credits transferable toward their High Point University degree. Costs are equivalent to the High Point all-inclusive fee and most financial aid applies.

Each May, High Point University provides access to many short-term, faculty-led "Global Experience" programs. For 2013, the 'Maymester' offerings include Animal Behavior in South Africa, Spanish in Guatemala, International Marketing in China, Drawing and a Choir Tour to Italy, a Flamenco course to Spain, Interior Design in Paris & France and a Cross-Cultural Psychology tour to The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Italy. Courses vary each year.

Notable buildings

At the University's founding, Washington, D.C. architect R. E. Mitchell partnered with local architect Herbert Hunter and adopted a Georgian Revival theme to provide an air of dignity and erudition for an institution in its infancy. Built in this theme, the most impressive building on the campus is Roberts Hall, among the first triad of buildings, with its tall multi-tiered tower and imposing front portico of Corinthian columns. This 1923 building may have been loosely modeled on Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Women's Hall, also designed by Herbert Hunter in 1923, continues the architectural theme of Roberts Hall. In addition, Women’s Hall sports an elaborate cupola centered over the heart of the building. Wrenn Hall, originally constructed as the M. J. Wrenn Library, was completed in 1937 and progressed the Georgian dialog of early campus buildings with an elaborate elliptical transom window and a broken ogee frontispiece. These buildings constitute the ceremonial core of the campus and provide a backdrop for special events such as graduation.

Breaking free of the Georgian theme, architect Leon Schute contributed a number of modernist designs to the campus. The Horace S. Haworth Hall of Science opened in 1967 and featured a two-story masonry façade that was broken at regular intervals by concrete pilasters to provide the effect of a classical colonnade; this modernist façade was mostly covered by a neoclassical addition in 1999. Schute was also the designer of the Slane University Center (formerly the McPherson Campus Center), in 1972, that continued modernist themes for which he was well known. In 1993, Montlieu Avenue, a thoroughfare that cut through the center of the campus, was closed to traffic and dedicated as the Kester International Promenade (originally known as the "Greensward"), an open commons that unites the campus with green-space.

Recent additions to the campus have revisited historically inspired architecture, including the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, a domed structure with a Tuscan portico designed in consultation with London-based architect Christopher Smallwood. This structure is Smallwood’s only project in the United States outside the northeastern states.

Thanks to a $486 million renovation project of the campus, led by fund raising efforts by President Nido Qubein, several new residential and educational buildings have been added. These additions include notably Norton Hall, the Blessing Residential Hall, The Village Residential Complex, the Slane Student Life and Wellness Center, and the Jerry and Kitty Steele Sports Center. A large number of fountains have also been installed throughout the university commons with plans to add even more.There are also several facilities currently under construction and slated for completion in 2009. These buildings include the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, the Plato S. Wilson Family School of Commerce, and the crown jewel of student life, the $50 million University Center (formerly called the Multiplex). The University Center, completed in 2009, houses 600 students in 300 upscale apartment-like facilities and includes a fully functional movie theater, a steakhouse, a convenience store, a bakery and a two story gaming-and-restaurant concept.

With the campus renovations at High Point University breaching $486 million in August 2010, President Nido Qubein announced several other additions to the campus. These include a new school of education and a Greek Village. The Greek Village will consist of roughly 14 houses aimed at housing 200 total students. The $10 million Greek Village and the school of education will begin construction in 2010.

In February 2011, the university acquired the Oak Hollow Mall which is located less than a mile from campus. The university then hired the previous owners to manage the property as a retail mall "for now". Long term plans for the property have not been announced.

Notable alumni

• Cody Allen - Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. Drafted in the 23rd Round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft
• Elizabeth Carty - Miss North Carolina Teen USA
• Dick Culler – Major League Baseball player
• Austin Dillon – NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion
• Lauch Faircloth – former United States Senator (R-NC)
• Donna Fargo – Grammy-winning country music singer/songwriter
• Issa Konare – PBL Basketball player for the Vermont Frost Heaves and plays for Senegal's national team
• Gene Littles – former ABA basketball player and NBA coach
• Jack Lucas – youngest Marine to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor
• Robert "50" Martin – professional basketball player Atlanta Vision; former And1 streetballer
• Taylor Milne – Canadian Olympian in the 1500m
• Nido Qubein – President of High Point University, and world renowned speaker
• Arizona Reid – professional basketball player, (Geneve Devils)
• Tubby Smith – NCAA coach and assistant coach of the 2000 U.S. Men's Basketball Team
• John Taylor – fitness coach and star of the reality television series Too Fat for 15

Athletics

The High Point Panthers include HPU's 16 athletic teams that compete at the NCAA Division I level, mostly in the Big South Conference. HPU's 16 varsity sports are baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field and women's volleyball.

The 2010–11 season was the most successful since High Point University joined NCAA Div. I in 1999–2000. In the fall, the women's soccer team and women's volleyball team won Big South Tournaments and the men's soccer team won the Big South regular season. In the spring, the women's lacrosse team won the National Lacrosse Conference tournament and set a record for wins by a first-year program, with 15.

High Point University also fields the following sports at the club level: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rowing, running, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's field hockey, softball, ultimate frisbee and equestrian.

Donations to High Point University's Athletic Department have exceeded $30 million. The primary athletics facilities at High Point University are the Millis Center (basketball, volleyball), Williard Stadium (baseball) and Vert Stadium (track, soccer, lacrosse). Vert Stadium was resurfaced with Mondo 3NX turf in 2011.

In January 2008, Wake Forest University associate athletic director Craig Keilitz was appointed High Point University's Director of Athletics. In May 2009, former University of North Carolina captain Scott Cherry was named head coach of men's basketball.

High Point University plans to break ground on a new 31,500-square-foot Athletic Performance Center for its student-athletes at Vert Stadium in fall 2013. The new Athletic Performance Center will house a 120-seat academic center as well as a state-of-the-art athletic training center. It will include new locker rooms and lounges for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and the men’s and women’s soccer teams.

Publications and media

• High Point University Magazine, for alumni
• The Apogee, the university literary magazine
• Black Script
• Campus Chronicle, rated one of the Top 20 campus newspapers in the nation by the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA)
• HPU Radio, student produced and broadcast via Hpuradio.com
• Zenith, yearbook
• "HPU Sports Link", Broadcasts HPU athletics live online.

Greek life

High Point University is home to 12 fraternities and sororities.

The following Greek organizations are present at HPU:

Interfraternity Conference

• Delta Sigma Phi
• Lambda Chi Alpha
• Pi Kappa Alpha
• Pi Kappa Phi
• Kappa Sigma
• Beta Theta Pi
• Kappa Alpha Order-coming in the fall of 2014

National Panhellenic Conference

• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Zeta Tau Alpha
• Kappa Delta
• Phi Mu
• Sigma Sigma Sigma
• Alpha Chi Omega

National Pan-Hellenic Council

• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Delta Sigma Theta
• Kappa Alpha Psi
• Zeta Phi Beta

National Service Fraternity

• Alpha Phi Omega

Sechrest gallery

A permanent collection of original works donated to the University by High Point Alumnus Darrell L. Sechrest. Among others, the permanent collection includes works by Christian Dietrich, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Allesandro Gherardini, El Greco, Sir George Harvey Emile Louis Picault, Elsie Popkin, and Antonio Zucchi and Angelica Kauffman. The gallery is housed within the Hayworth Fine Arts Center on the campus of High Point University.

References

1. As of June 30, 2011. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2011 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2010 to FY 2011" (PDF). 2011 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
2. High Point University © 2008
3. High Point University © 2008
4. ^ Sizemore, F. J., ed. The Buildings and the Builders of a City: High Point, North Carolina. High Point: Hall Printing Company, 1947. p. 318-319
5. Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. to 1980, A.D. Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 233
6. ^ Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 235
7. http://web.archive.org/web/20040928204703/http://www.high-point.net/edc/2002annrpt.pdf%7C High Point Economic Development Corporation Website
8. "Hayworths donate $25 million to High Point University". April 3, 2007.
9. ^ Bloomberg Businessweek, April 19, 2012, "BubbleU: High Point University."
10. The High Point Enterprise, April 26, 2012.
11. http://graduate.highpoint.edu/graduate-programs/92
12. High Point University © 2008
13. Locate Colleges on High Point University
14. US News and World Report
15. Forbes magazine
16. Affordable Colleges Online
17. High Point University Panthers - High Point leads Sasser Cup standings after fall. Highpointpanthers.com (2010-12-01). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
18. High Point University Panthers - HPU women's lacrosse finishes season with loss to No. 2 UNC. Highpointpanthers.com (2011-05-06). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
19. High Point University Panthers - Club Sports at HPU. Highpointpanthers.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
20. High Point University Panthers - Vert Stadium features new Mondo 3NX artificial turf. Highpointpanthers.com (2011-04-07). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
21. http://www.highpoint.edu/documents/Cultural-Enrichment.pdf

• McCaslin, Dr. Richard B., Remembered Be Thy Blessings: High Point University: The College Years, 1924–1991. High Point University, 1995.

External links

• High Point University official website
• "Bubble U" Boomberg Businessweek 2012 article on HPU.
• 'Club Ed: This University Is at Your Service' Chronicle of Higher Education 7-4-08
• High Point University student yearbooks on DigitalNC.org

35°58′27″N 79°59′44″W / 35.9741251°N 79.9954946°W / 35.9741251; -79.9954946

• High Point University
• Educational institutions established in 1924
• High Point, North Carolina
• Liberal arts colleges
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members
• Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Universities and colleges in Guilford County, North Carolina
• Universities and colleges in North Carolina