| Dallas Baptist University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1898 as Decatur Baptist College |
| Type | Private, (Protestant) Baptist University |
| Endowment | US$36.389 million[1] |
| President | Dr. Gary Cook |
| Provost | Dr. Gail Linam |
| Academic staff | 124(full-time) |
| Students | 5,545 |
| Undergraduates | 3,485 |
| Postgraduates | 2,060 |
| Location | Dallas, Texas, USA |
| Campus | 292 acres (1.18 km2) main campus |
| Colors | Red, White, Blue |
| Athletics | NCAA Division I, Division II |
| Mascot | Patriot (Formerly Indians) |
| Affiliations | Western Athletic Conference, Heartland Conference, Baptist General Convention of Texas |
| Website | www.dbu.edu |
Dallas Baptist University (DBU), formerly known as Dallas Baptist College, is a Christian liberal arts university located in Dallas, Texas. The main campus is located approximately fifteen miles southwest of downtown Dallas overlooking Mountain Creek Lake. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, Hurst, and Mansfield.
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Decatur Baptist College, the forerunner of Dallas Baptist University, opened its doors in 1898 as the first two-year institution of higher education in Texas. The Baptist General Convention of Texas purchased the land in 1897 from Northwest Texas Baptist College. The school enjoyed a rich, full history in Decatur until 1965 when it moved to Dallas, at the invitation of the Dallas Baptist Association.[2]
In October of 1965, Dallas Baptist College began offering classes for a first class of over 500 students. The initial piece of land for the campus, overlooking Mountain Creek Lake in the hill country of southwest Dallas, were donated by John Stemmons, Roland Pelt, and associates.[3] An interested group of businessmen donated additional acreage, and in 1994 a donation by the Louis Hexter family brought the current size of the DBU campus to 292 acres (1.18 km2).[4]
In 1968, the college moved from junior-college to senior-college status, offering its first four-year bachelor's degrees in May 1970. In 1985, the college name officially became Dallas Baptist University. The new structure consisted of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith, the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education, and the College of Business.[5]
The school has a current fall 2011 enrollment of 5,545 students. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 22 master’s degree programs, over 40 dual master's programs, and two doctoral programs. While in its early years, the school had the reputation of being a commuter college, today's DBU has well over 1,500 students living on campus.
In 1992, the John G. Mahler Student Center, the first new building on the DBU campus in more than 20 years was dedicated. The design for the building was inspired by Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it was the first of many new buildings in the Georgian architectural style on the campus.[6]
In 2006, construction began on the new Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel, with facilities for various events such as campus chapel services, as well as office space for the Gary Cook Graduate School of Leadership. The inspiration for the outside of the building came from the First Baptist Church in America, located in Providence, Rhode Island.[7]
Other new campus buildings include: Henry Blackaby Hall, the Brownstones Apartment Complex, the Colonial Village Apartment Complex (D. Harold Byrd, Jr. Hall; J. Blair Blackburn Hall, Sheila Cook Hall, Noble and Jane Hurley Hall, Fred and Mary Lou White Hall, and the Ebby Halliday Center), the International Center, the Tom and Alicia Landry Welcome Center, Harold and Mildred Sadler Patriot Baseball Clubhouse, and the Williamsburg Village Townhomes.
This fall, the university opened the Joan and Andy Horner Hall. Named after the founders of Premier Designs, Horner Hall houses the DBU communication department, the offices for the College of Fine Arts, a multipurpose classroom and video recording studio, a design lab, and a music business recording studio, designed by the Russ Berger Design Group.[8]
In 2001, DBU-North opened in Carrollton, Texas as DBU's first regional academic center, serving North Dallas and Collin County. For several years, DBU-North located in Frisco, Texas, and this past year, it moved to Plano, Texas.[9]
DBU also opened DBU-Hurst-Colleyville at Hurst in the Summer of 2005,[10] and DBU-Mansfield at Mansfield in Fall 2008.[11]
In 2006, DBU introduced the University Honors Program to help its brightest and most gifted students discover the extent of their own abilities and callings. The program has an interdisciplinary core that encourages students to make connections across disciplines and engage in a high level of critical thinking. Benefits include study abroad opportunities, smaller faculty-student ratios, and opportunities to attend events sponsored by the Paideia College Society including the Friday Symposium, Fall Study Retreat, and Spring Conference. Admittance is selective. Requirements include enrollment in advanced classes taught on the campus by DBU faculty, attendance at enrichment events, and a Senior Thesis or Project. Successful completion carries with it recognition at graduation and on the student’s transcript which assists in admission to graduate school and future interviews.[12]
Formerly Pew College Society, Paideia College Society has steadily grown since its conception in 1997. It is now internally funded by DBU, with Dr. Naugle at its helm. The rather unfamiliar term “Paideia” (pronounced py-dee-a or py-day-a) comes from the Greek word pais or paidos meaning “child.” It refers literally to the training and education of children. In due course, it was used in the classical Greek system of education, and referred specifically to a complete course of study in order to produce a whole, fully educated citizen. The Paideia College Society at DBU is rooted in this venerable tradition, and takes as its purpose the educating of Christian students into their true nature as the image of God. The goal of the society is to unite the themes Pietas, Doctrina, and Humanitas, meaning piety, learning, and humanity, in order to become “fully human under God”.[13]
Dallas Baptist University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[14]
The teacher, principal and superintendent education programs of the University are accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).[15]
The College of Business is nationally accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) to offer the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) business degrees.[16]
The Dallas Baptist University Department of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).[17]
DBU is also affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.[18]
Graduates of DBU have gone on to play baseball in the major leagues.[20][21][22] They include:
The mission of the Student Life Office is to provide activities, events, and services that help build and strengthen the DBU community and enhance the spiritual, social, and physical development of the students, faculty, and staff.[23] Spiritual growth is emphasized through development of a maturing Christian faith that expresses itself in active commitment to Christ and his church.[23] Social growth is emphasized through improved self-awareness and personal development and the interpersonal skills needed to function as responsible persons in a constantly changing society.[23] Physical growth is emphasized through developing interest and skills in physical and recreational activities conducive to good health and physical fitness.[23] DBU emphasizes Servant Leadership and offers unique opportunities to serve and minister in their chosen field of study.
In its early years, Dallas Baptist University's mascot was the Indians, but in the late 1980s, it was changed to the Patriot, and the school colors were changed from black and gold to the more patriotic theme are the colors of red, white, and blue. The Official DBU Cross Ring serves as a symbol of the Christ-centered education students experience at DBU. Students purchase the Official DBU Cross Ring during a Ring Commissioning Ceremony just prior to fall and spring commencement services.
One of DBU's longest running tradition, the Mr. Big Chief pageant, allows male students to show off their skills, humor, and creativity. The show, a mock beauty pageant, begins with an opening number performed by all the contestants and is followed by four categories: talent, beachwear, formalwear, and an interview—all before a panel of judges. Magic tricks, lip-syncing, and musical interpretations are just some of the ways contestants have attempted to gain points in the past. The contestant with the most points at the end wins the coveted title.[24]
Family Weekend and Grandparents Day allow students to invite their families into their lives on campus. Notable events include the Family Softball Game, Movie on the Quad, and Art Show as well as a family service project. Families are invited to fellowship with their students as well as the University faculty and staff through community activities and other fun events.[25]
Friday Symposium is a weekly, interdisciplinary lecture series on campus sponsored by the DBU philosophy department. It meets almost every Friday at noon at which time it features academic presentations by DBU faculty, staff, students, and guest speakers.[26]
DBU also hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, Singled Out, DBU’s Valentine’s themed event, All-Night Party, movie nights, monthly Coke Break, and other engaging events to prevent burnout. DBU also participates in mission-oriented events including Spiritual Rush and numerous opportunities to travel and minister in foreign countries.
Dallas Baptist University's Patriot Athletic Department sponsors 14 intercollegiate athletics teams, including men's baseball, men's basketball, women's volleyball, women's soccer, tennis, golf, cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. DBU also sponsors cheerleading and beginning in the fall of 2010, ice hockey at the club levels. All teams compete at the NCAA Division II level and compete in the Heartland Conference, with the exception of the baseball team, which is a member of the Division I. Although the baseball team played as an independent for several years, it recently accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year.[27]
The Diamond Belles are also an active part of the Patriot Athletic Department, serving as an auxiliary group of the Athletic Department.
In 2008, the Patriots made the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time, marking the first DBU Athletic team to make the NCAA postseason.[28] The Patriots won the Fort Worth Regional in the 2011 tournament to advance to the Super Regional round for the first time.[29]
Ryan Erwin serves as Dallas Baptist University’s Director of Athletics. Over the last several years, additions have been made to the Athletic Department, including the construction of the Sadler Patriot Clubhouse, Patriot Athletic Guesthouse, the addition of Patriot Basketball, Women’s Golf, Cheerleading, and Ice Hockey, and he also helped create and form the Athletic Facilities Department.
The Athletic Department also features a Christ-centered Patriot Discipleship program, entitled “Champions for Christ,” as well as the Athletic Department’s Global Missions Initiative with athletic mission trips to Guatemala,[30] Northern England,[31] Peru,[32] and South Korea.[33] With a focus on academics as well, the school developed the Athletic Study Hall, which has helped boost the department GPA to the highest in the history of Patriot Athletics.
DBU has recently seen their first-ever NCAA Regional appearances in Baseball, Men’s Basketball and Men and Women’s Golf, Women's Volleyball and a National appearance by the Women's Cross Country team.
The men's and women's cross-country/track program holds seven of the school's conference championship wins. All intercollegiate athletic teams also hold membership in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).
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