Austin Peay State University | |
---|---|
Motto | Find Your Place in The World |
Established | 1927 |
Type | State funded |
Endowment | $8.0 million[1] |
President | Timothy Hall |
Academic staff | 550[2] |
Admin. staff | 629[3] |
Undergraduates | 9,835 |
Postgraduates | 888 |
Location | Clarksville, Tennessee, USA |
Campus | Urban, 160 acres (0.8 km²) |
Colors | Red and White |
Mascot | Governors |
Website | www.apsu.edu |
Austin Peay State University (pronounced /ˈɔːstɨn ˈpiː/) is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Contents |
Clarksville Masonic Lodge No. 89 sponsored the Montgomery County Male Academy. In 1845, the Masonic College was founded, and in 1848, the Montgomery County Male Academy merged with the Masonic College, taking the name of Montgomery Masonic College and Male Academy. This institution continued through 1855 when it was given to the Presbyterian Synod of Nashville to be operated by them as a male college and academy. The Presbyterians changed the name of the college to Stewart College, and later the name was changed again to Southwestern Presbyterian University. In 1925 Southwestern moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and in 1945 that institution became "Southwestern at Memphis" for many years until it ultimately renamed Rhodes College in 1984. This was the forerunner of Austin Peay Normal School and located where Austin Peay State University now exists. Arguably, the site on which the current university is situated has held some type of an institution of higher learning longer than any in Tennessee west of Knoxville.
The university began as Austin Peay Normal School when it was created as a two-year junior college and teacher-training institution by Act of the General Assembly of 1927 and named in honor of Gov. Austin Peay, who was serving his third term of office when the school was established. Limited in purposes and resources initially, the school gradually grew in stature over the years to take its place among the colleges and universities under the control of the State Board of Education.
Harned Hall was the first new building during the Normal School era, 1931–present. In 1939, the state Board of Education authorized the school to inaugurate a curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The degree was first conferred on the graduating class at the 1942 Spring Convocation. By Act of the Tennessee Legislature of Feb. 4, 1943, the name of the school was changed to Austin Peay State College. In 1951, the state board authorized the College to confer the Bachelor of Arts degree and, in 1952, to offer graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Education. At the November 1966 meeting, the state Board of Education conferred university status on the College, effective Sept. 1, 1967. In February 1967, the state Board of Education authorized the University to confer the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees. In 1968, associate degrees were approved. The state Board of Education relinquished its governance of higher education institutions to the Tennessee Board of Regents in 1972.
In 1974, the Tennessee Board of Regents authorized the Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Education Specialist degrees. In 1979, the Bachelor of Business Administration degree was approved as a replacement for traditional B.A. and B.S. degrees in various fields of business. In 1979, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was approved. In 1983, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the Master of Music degree. In 2001, the Tennessee Board of Regents authorized the Bachelor of Professional Studies.
The university began to experience rapid growth in 2000, eventually leading to an increase of 52.4 percent from 2001 to 2010, making it the fastest growing state university in Tennessee. In Fall 2009, enrollment reached a record 10,188, surpassing the 10,000-student mark for the first time. In Fall 2010 enrollment continued to grow, reaching 10,723 students. The university opened its newest facility in Fall 2010, the Hemlock Semiconductor Building, offering the university's first degree in chemical engineering technology, a two-year associate degree program. The University has continued to expand its presence in its service region, offering a degree program on-site at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tenn. and future plans to offer similar programs in Springfield, Tenn.
In the early morning hours of January 22, 1999, an F-4 tornado struck downtown Clarksville and the APSU campus. The Clement, Harned, Harvill and Archwood Buildings were severely damaged, while many others suffered broken windows and roof damage. No one was killed in this tornado. Some 130 shattered trees littered the campus and added to the gloomy sight of shattered buildings. The university quickly initiated "Operation Restoration", with a commitment to have classes reopen within one week, yet through much perseverance and hard work by faculty, staff and community volunteers, the university managed to open in three days. Many heavily damaged buildings were re-opened within one year.
The school's athletic teams, most of which compete in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), are known as the "Governors" in honor of the school's namesake. The school's popular cheer is, "Let's go, Peay!"
The football team had participated in the Pioneer Football League, but on April 8, 2005 announced that it was leaving the Pioneer League at the conclusion of the 2005 season and that the football program would rejoin the Ohio Valley Conference in 2007.
The basketball Govs and Lady Govs have a long tradition of excellence in the OVC. Coach Dave Loos has led Austin Peay to three NCAA tournament berths, on the way to becoming one of the most respected coaches in the conference, as well as its winningest coach. Notable players such as Trenton Hassell and Bubba Wells continue to emerge from the program. In 1987, Austin Peay stunned Illinois in the first round 68-67, becoming just the third 14th-seeded team to knock off a No. 3 seed.
In July-August 2006, the Tennessee Titans had their first training camp on the campus.
Educational or Administration
|
Residence halls
|
|
|