| Southern Virginia University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Learn that Life is Service |
| Established | 1867 |
| Type | Private college |
| Religious affiliation | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (unofficially)[1] |
| Endowment | US $300,000 [2] |
| President | Rodney K. Smith |
| Academic staff | ~100 |
| Students | 804 [3] |
| Location | Buena Vista, Virginia, USA |
| Campus | Rural, 155 acres (0.63 km2) |
| Colors | Green, White and Black |
| Athletics | NAIA, USCAA, 20 varsity teams |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Website | www.svu.edu |
Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS "Mormon" Church) while not being owned nor operated by the Church. Founded as Southern Seminary in 1867, it is now a private, 4-year coeducational institution.
Due to Southern Virginia's promotion of LDS standards and ideals, 96% of students are Church members.[4] The University is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education, and the campus consists of more than 155 acres (0.63 km2).
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The school was founded as a for-profit institution in 1867 as the Home School for Girls by Alice Scott Chandler.[5] In 1900 the school was moved to Buena Vista and renamed Southern Seminary. In 1922 the school became a junior college and was renamed Southern Seminary and Junior College.[6] In 1959 it became a non-profit college under the control of trustees. In 1961 the school ended its high school program and became Southern Seminary Junior College.[6][7]
The financial health of the college began to decline in the 1980s, and by 1996 the school was at the point of closing. Late name changes were to Southern Virginia College for Women in 1993 and simply Southern Virginia College when the school began accepting male students in 1994.
In 1996, Southern Virginia College's board of trustees transferred the school's assets and liabilities to a new board, most of whom were members of LDS Church. The main figure in this reorganization was Glade Knight. They reorganized the school to put forth standards, values, and beliefs of the LDS Church. In 2000 the school was accepted into pre-accreditation status by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE), which is separate from regional accreditation bodies[8][9] and was renamed Southern Virginia University.[10] In 2003 it was granted full accreditation by the AALE.
Southern Virginia University offers thirteen different majors: Art, Biology, Business Management and Leadership, Computer Science, English, Family and Child Development, History, Liberal Arts, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Spanish, and Theatre.[11] There are also four additional minors at Southern Virginia University: Chemistry, Creative Writing, Early Childhood Education, and Mathematics. Other Programs include Health Pre-Professionals, Pre-Law and ROTC.[12]
Incoming students have averaged a 3.34 high school GPA with ACT and SAT test scores averaging about 23 and 1050, respectively.[4]
Tuition costs as of 2010 are roughly $17,800 annually.[13]
The retention rate at SVU is around 37% (after Freshman year) and the graduation rate is 28%.[14]
The school's athletics programs compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. But they currently compete in USCAA National Tournaments. The school is currently in the preliminary stages of gaining NCAA Division III standing.
The University's campus currently consists of twelve major buildings, including Main Hall (the most visible building at SVU, serving as administrative offices and as a residence hall), the Kimball Student Center, the Knight Sports Arena, the Stoddard Activities Center, the Von Canon Library, Landrum Hall, Craton Hall and Robey Hall (men's residence halls), The Lofts, (women's residence hall) Durham Hall (the main academic building), Chandler Hall (theatre and music), and over 16 homes which are used for additional student housing and office space. There is also a LDS church building where the Institute of Religion classes are held and where church meetings are attended on Sundays. The University owns approximately 155 acres (0.63 km2), most of which is slated for future development.
The University is nestled in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a scenic area of Virginia. The Knight Statue, placed in front of Main Hall, was a gift to the University from Glade Knight, chairman of the board of trustees.
On March 6, 2008, members of the Buena Vista, Virginia city council and administrators from the University met to discuss a ten year master plan.[15] A study[15] conducted in 2007 denoted that the University has a $17 million impact in Buena Vista and in the surrounding community. Additionally, the University plans to build a new library, performing arts center, facilities maintenance building, academic classroom building, an addition to the Stoddard Activities Center and a renovated Student Union.
SVU offers several performing arts sections to its students. For choir, students may choose from Chamber Choir, a Women's Choir (Bella Voce), a show choir (ENCORE), and a contemporary a cappella group (The Fading Point). There is also the Southern Virginia University Dance Company, which performs many different styles of dance at different functions throughout the year, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop. Music programs consist of an Orchestra, Pep Band, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Symphony, and Flute Choir. The theater program has performed The Diary of Anne Frank, The Sound of Music, The Importance of Being Earnest, Seeking Higher Ground, and Beauty and the Beast, among many others. Other options for participation in the Theater program include the Shenanigans Improv Comedy Group, student directed one act plays, pageant wagon, and participation in the SVU Film Festival.[16]
SVU's stated mission is to "prepare leader-servants in the workplace and the world, in the community and the church, and in the home." It primarily serves faithful members of the LDS Church but also invites all who will adhere to its values (delineated in its honor code) to participate.[17]
LDS Church principles and activities are fully integrated into life and education at SVU. An LDS Church Institute of Religion is operated at an on-campus church. Institute classes range from studying scriptures such as the Book of Mormon, the New and Old Testaments of the Bible, other LDS scriptures (includes the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants), and also other courses that explore teachings of LDS prophets and other leaders, family history, marriage, leadership, preparing oneself for a mission, and living the gospel fully and productively. An Institute choir (also a course) usually performs a few times every semester. Also, once each semester the University organizes a trip to the Church's Washington D.C. Temple during which students perform service on the temple grounds and participate in temple ordinances.[18]
SVU requires all students and faculty to adhere to a strict honor code,[19] similar to the Brigham Young University Honor Code. The SVU honor code includes the following guidelines:
An ecclesiastical endorsement to live the honor code is part of the application process. This consists of students signing a compact in conjunction with their bishop if they are LDS, or with their respective ecclesiastical leader, if they are of another faith.[20]