Saint Paul's College, Virginia

Saint Paul's College
Established 1888
Type Private, HBCU
Students 600
Location Lawrenceville, Virginia,
United States
Former names Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School
Saint Paul’s Polytechnic Institute
Athletics NCAA Division II
Nickname Tigers and Lady Tigers
Affiliations CIAA
Website www.saintpauls.edu

Saint Paul's College is a private, historically black college located in Lawrenceville, Virginia. The college is a four-year, private, co-ed, liberal arts institute affiliated with the Episcopal Church.

Contents

Campus

Saint Paul’s eleven-building campus is situated on 185 acres (0.75 km2) of green hills. Older buildings were constructed by students and donated by friends of the College. Some of the college's older buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

On September 24, 1888, James Solomon Russell of the Protestant Episcopal Church founded the Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School, with fewer than a dozen students. The school was intended chiefly to develop African American teachers, one of the most critical and prestigious jobs in the late 19th and early 20th century South. Although nearly 30,000 teachers had been put into schools in the South by 1900, the need was critical to double that number in order to reach parity in a segregated system with the proportion of teachers serving white students.[1]

In 1941 the name of the institution was changed to Saint Paul’s Polytechnic Institute, when the state granted the school authority to offer a four-year program. The first bachelor’s degree was awarded in 1944. In 1957 the college adopted its present name to reflect more accurately its liberal arts and teacher education curricula.

Academics

Saint Paul’s College focuses on liberal arts, social sciences, education, business, mathematics, and natural sciences. It is committed to the development of young Christian men and women who leave the college capable of taking their place in a multicultural society.

Student support

Saint Paul's College is home to the Single Parent Support System, the only program of its kind in the United States. Initiated in 1987, the Single Parent Support System (SPSS) is a unique on-campus residential educational program specifically designed for single parents with two or fewer children between the ages of two months to nine years old.

The SPSS requires students to attend the college year round on a full-time basis and maintain a projected graduation progression of three to four years. In addition to meeting the same admission and academic requirements as traditional students, SPSS participants must also maintain a 2.5 G.P.A. each year.

Participants are responsible for their tuition and may be eligible for financial aid and other sources of financial assistance. A significant aspect of the SPSS is a faculty mentoring system that assists participants with choosing a major.

Tutorial assistance and counseling services are available on a need basis. Specifically designed seminars are provided that focus on academic success, transition to college, career planning, and parenting. Developmentally appropriate child care is provided that is geared for social and academic development.

Student activities

Athletics

Saint Paul's College athletics will be discontinued in July 2011 to help alleviate financial difficulties.[2] The men's sports teams are known as the Tigers and the women's sports teams are known as the Lady Tigers. Saint Paul's College Department of Athletics competes in the NCAA Division II in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and sponsors the following sports:

Men's
Women's

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ James D. Brown, Black Education in the South, 1860-1935. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1988, pp 244-245
  2. ^ Eric Kolenich (May 10, 2011). "Saint Paul's to end athletics program". Richmond Times-Dispatch. http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2011/may/10/tdmain01-saint-pauls-votes-to-shut-down-its-athlet-ar-1027830/. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 

External links