University of the Southwest (also referred to as Southwest or SU ) is a liberal, four-year, non-profit, Georgetown, Texas, United States. Formed in 1873 from the rise of a college charter awarded in 1840, Southwestern was the first university in Texas. This school is affiliated with United Methodist Church with a non-sectarian curriculum. Southwestern offers 40 undergraduate degrees in arts, science, art, and music as well as interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs. The university is accredited by the Association of Colleges and Schools of the South and National Music School Association.
The University is a member of the Annapolis Group, the Colleges of the Southern Association, the Board of Independent Colleges, and the signatories of the Talloires Declaration.
Video Southwestern University
History
Prior to the assumption of the current form of the university, the charter was awarded by the Texas Legislature (Texas Congress 1836-1845) to establish four educational institutions: Raineville College of Rutersville, Texas, Wesleyan College of San Augustine, Texas, McKenzie College of Clarksville, Texas, and Soule University of Chappell Hill, Texas.
In 1873, the union of these four institutions opened in Georgetown as the University of Texas . Hoping to reserve the name for the proposed state university in Austin, Texas University, the Texas Legislature instead gave the charter in 1875 under the name Southwestern University as a continuation of the charter for Rutersville, Wesleyan, McKenzie and Soule. The university considers its establishment date to be 1840 when Rutersville College is opened. As such, Southwestern claims to be the oldest university in Texas and the second oldest coeducational liberal arts college to the west of Mississippi.
Southwestern was a member of the Southwest Conference charter in 1915. Southern Methodist University was Southwestern's main rival for decades in remembrance of a failed attempt to relocate Southwestern to Dallas which led to the formation of high school. As the population of high school students becomes much larger, students in the Southwest begin to consider Trinity University and Austin College to become the school's principal rivals. After World War II, Southwestern transformed itself into a small liberal arts institution, stopping post-graduate degrees, dissolving soccer teams, and rebuilding many campuses with massive capital campaigns. Endowments are increasing substantially.
Southwestern has a history of drawing productive lecturers to college, including William Jennings Bryan, Helen Keller, the bell hook, and J. Frank Dobie's alumni. Orators who travel by train often stop on their way to or from Austin, lecture them and pursue the next train. Speakers at the annual Chocolate Symposium have included writer Isaac Asimov (via videoconference) in the early 1980s and Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz in 2002. Since then, the Kuliah Shilling series has brought leading figures, including Karen Hughes advisory president 2003), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2004), former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto (2005), former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean (2006), former Secretary of State James Baker (2007), former US senator Bill Bradley (2008) Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai (2009), senior fellow at Bill & amp; The Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program William Foege (2010), founder of TOMs Shoes Blake Mycoskie (2011), and Thomas Friedman (2012) three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. In 2002, The Writer's Voice series featured Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Chabon. The Writer's Voice also welcomes authors such as Joyce Carol Oates (2000), Margaret Atwood (2003), Amy Tan (2007), and Azar Nafisi (2008).
In 1998, the faculty, students, alumni, staff, and board members in the Southwest identified the core goals and core values ​​of the university. The core goal is identified as "Fostering a liberal arts community whose values ​​and actions encourage contribution to the welfare of mankind." The core values ​​are "Promoting lifelong learning and passion for intellectual and personal growth, fostering diverse perspectives, being honest with ourselves and others, respecting the price and dignity of people, and encouraging activism in the pursuit of justice and the common good. "The sixth core value, cultivating academic excellence, was added in 2008.
In January 2010, to advance its goal of becoming carbon neutral, Southwestern signed an agreement with Georgetown City to acquire all of its electricity over the next 18 years exclusively from wind power. This deal makes Texas the first university in Texas to get all its power from renewable sources.
Maps Southwestern University
Academics
The university offers 40 majors and 36 minors divided between Brown College of Arts and Sciences and the Sarofim School of Fine Arts. In addition to traditional academic majors, Southwestern offers interdisciplinary, independent, and pairs of majors and pre-professional programs in Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Theology.
In the academic year 2013-2014, the total enrollment of students is 1,536, with a gender distribution of approximately 60 percent of women and 40 percent of men. Of the students entering the first year in the fall of 2013, 37 percent are in the top 10 percent of their high school graduates with an average SAT score of 1166 (* excluding writing sections). While most students are from Texas (89 percent), the remaining 11 percent come from 23 other states and 6 countries. Minority students constitute 33 percent of the student body.
The student to faculty ratio is 11: 1, with an average class size of 15 students. Ninety-nine percent of permanent or tenure staff hold doctoral degrees or the highest degree in their field. Collaborative research and publication with students is common.
Research
Southwestern hosts two interdisciplinary academic exhibitions each year to showcase research by students in the Southwest and researchers across the country. The Brown Symposium held in early spring is an academic conference that attracts guest lecturers and panelists. All Brown Symposium speakers present a study that shared the theme of the symposium for that year. The Creative Work Symposium is held near the end of the spring semester offering undergraduate students the chance to present their own research as a formal oral presentation, panel discussion, poster presentation, art exhibition, or technology demonstration. These student presentations often top the senior capstone projects, independent studies, collaborations with faculty members, or requirements to receive research grants.
Awards and ratings
Loren Pope, former education editor for The New York Times, included Southwestern in his 1996 book, Life-Changing College . He writes, "[Southwest] is one of the few gems in the Southwest whose mission is to prepare a new generation to contribute to a changing society, and to prosper in their work, whatever and wherever in the world they are." Southwestern is included in the latest edition of the influential book in 2012.
Southwestern is one of 16 colleges and universities featured in Sweet Sixteen: Great Colleges of the South. This book was published in March 2012 by the Associated Colleges of South (ACS) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the organization. This book was developed to help middle school students, their parents and secondary school counselors learn more about this college.
Southwestern is one of 113 schools in the country named President Higher Community Community Honor Roll with Distinction for 2013. It is the highest federal recognition university or university can accept for its commitment to volunteer, service learning, and community engagement. Southwestern has been appointed to Honor Roll every year since the program began in 2006, but this is the first year of making a list of schools on "Honor Roll with Distinction."
For three years in a row, Southwestern has led his athletic conference - Southern Athletic Conference Athletic (SCAC) - at the US College & Environmental Protection Agency. University of Green Power Challenge. According to the EPA, the use of Southwestern green power of nearly 18 million kWh is equivalent to the electricity used by nearly 2,000 American homes each year, or nearly 3,000 CO2 emissions per year.
Southwestern is included in the 2014 Guide for the Military Friendly School ®, issued by Veterans Victory Media. Only 15 percent of national schools are included in this guide.
Southwestern is ranked third among the liberal arts colleges according to Washington Monthly, which assess schools based on their contribution to the public good.
Southwestern was named the "Best Purchase" in education by US News & amp; World Report, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, Money magazine and Personal Finance Kiplinger magazine. Southwestern was named the 7th country's "Best Value" scholar institution by the 2005 Princeton college guide, emphasizing the "value-added" education experience in the Southwest.
The University Career Services Office is ranked # 1 in Texas and # 7 in the country for the Best Career/Employment Service by 2014 edition of The Princeton 378 Colleges.
In 2012,
The National Student Involvement Engagement Index 2007 Involvement of Students found that students at the Southwestern University were more involved than the national average in all five areas of educational practice measured for the sixth year in a row. These educational practices include: the level of academic challenges, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experience and supportive campus environments. Among the first-year and senior students, Southwestern is in the top 10 percent of national schools in student-faculty interaction and enriches the educational experience. It is also included in the top 10 percent in the level of academic challenge.
Campus
Southwestern University is located in Georgetown, Texas, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Austin. The campus is comprised of 700 acres (2.8 km²) mostly located north of University Avenue, although the eastern part of the land is largely undeveloped with several sections serving as EcoLab where lecturers and students conduct research. The main campus is organized around a central academic center formed by a semi-circular grassy area bordered by pedestrian walkways and academic buildings. Residence and apartments on campus are located in the east and northwest of academic malls. Sports fields, support facilities, and parking are on the outskirts of the main campus.
Important building
The Hugh Roy and Lillie Cullen Building (formerly called the Administration Building) was built in 1898 in the Richardsonian Roman style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cullen Building is now a place of administration, business office, alumni relations, and classrooms. Throughout time in its history, it also has a campus auditorium, gymnasium, chapel, and library. Named in honor of Hugh Roy Cullen and his wife.
Mood-Bridwell Hall, originally a male dormitory, was completed in 1908 and there are currently classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, Debbie Ellis Writing Center, and indoor atrium. Mood-Bridwell is included in the Cullen Building's list of National Historic Places.
Library A. Frank Smith opened in 1939 as the Cody Memorial Library and was built as part of the WPA project. It was expanded in 1966 and again in 1989, receiving a new name as a result of its second expansion. In addition to books and magazines, the library stores film and audio collections, 24-hour computer labs, maps, music sheets, and special collections for the history and culture of Texas, John Tower, J. Frank Dobie, Jessie Daniel Ames, Herman Melville, Aaron Burr, Edward Blake, Thomas Bewick, and Australia.
Lois Perkins Chapel was built in 1950 and includes the Aeolian-Skinner tube organ. Stained glass windows along the east and west sides depict Reformed leaders and Methodist leaders with seals for educational institutions affiliated with them.
The McComb Campus Center opened in 1998, replacing the Bishks Memorial Memorial Union Building and the University Commons. These include dining facilities, campus bookstores, ballrooms, and student organizations' offices. Named for billionaire businessman and alumni of Southwest Red McCombs.
Fayez Sarofim Fine Arts School is housed in the Alma Thomas Fine Arts Building, originally built in 1956 in the former property of Texas rancher John Wesley Snyder, a University of Southwestern donor. The Fine Arts Building (FAB) has been renovated several times, most recently in 1998 and 2008. FAB has 700 seats Alma Thomas Theater, the smaller Jones Theater, the Caldwell-Carvey Foyer, many workout rooms, art studios, black box theater, and instrumental training hall.
The Wilhelmina Cullen Reception Center opened in 2009, moving the reception office out of Roy and Lillie Cullen Building. It is the first "green" building in the Southwest and is designed to receive LEED Gold certification. Some of the building features include bamboo flooring in the lobby area, skylights in the center of the building, solar-powered sink faucet and reflective shingle roof. Southwestern plans to change the area in the original Cullen Building previously occupied by the Admissions Office to a museum. The Reception Center is named after Wilhelmina Cullen, Roy's daughter and Lillie Cullen.
Student activities and organizations
There are over 90 student organizations on campus. The school hosts 16 academic community awards, including Phi Beta Kappa chapter and the chapters of the community of honor Alpha Chi. The national service fraternity of Alpha Phi Omega also has a chapter. Several groups on campus participate in social activism and awareness on campus and in the Austin area, including Democratic Colleges, Students for Environmental Activity and Knowledge (SEAK), Latinos Unidos, EBONY, and Amnesty International. Religious groups on campus include the national Christian fraternity Kappa Upsilon Chi, Christian student Sigma Phi Lambda, the Jewish Student Association, the Muslim Student Organization, and the Buddhist Meditation Group. Other groups include Habitat for Humanity, Model U.N., and German Club.
Student governance
Student governance is mainly handled by the Student Congress, with each member elected to represent students living in dorms, Greek homes, and in-large for students living off campus. The Student Congress is led by a president elected through popular vote. The independent organization, Student Foundation, serves as a link between students, faculty, alumni, and university administration. A panel of students and lecturers retains the university's honor code, replacing the Student Court which had previously ruled a code of honor.
Greek Life
Southwestern hosts eight social fraternities and national social gatherings organized by the North American Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the National Panhellenic Council (NPC). All fraternities occupy a house on the west side of the campus. Student societies have no special housing, although they maintain spaces in the Lord Caskey Center. Southwestern has a delayed delay allowing incoming students to become familiar with the campus before formal recruitment begins in early spring. About 1/3 of the student's life is involved in Greek life.
IFC_Fraternities.2FNPC_Sororities "> IFC Fraternities/NPC Sororities
Southwestern also has an Alpha Tau chapter from Kappa Delta Chi. Chapter Alpha Tau is also a member of the Southwestern umbrella organization, Coalition for Diversity and Social Justice.
Media
The Megaphone , founded in 1907, is an official newspaper of the University of the Southwest. Published online and biweekly in print, newspapers focus on the campus community, including sections on news, features, opinions/editorials, culture, and sports. Throughout its history, Megaphone has changed the format several times, changing between flyers and tabloids. Newspaper publishes April Fools every spring with the title The Megaphool . The Megaphone (website)
Southwestern University Magazine is a student literature magazine. This magazine is the oldest publication on campus, founded in 1882 as Alamo and San Jacinto Monthly and renamed SouthwesternImland Monthly in 1895, then SU ​​Literary Magazine , and finally The Spyglass in 2012. Currently published twice a year at the end of each semester, this magazine features student poems, short stories, artwork, and photography.
SU Radio is an online radio station that broadcasts student music and comments in blocks of programming for hours on end. SU Radio
Tradition
SING! is a variety show hosted by the Student Foundation that features plays performed by members of student organizations on campus. His acting tends to be humorous and includes chanting and choreography. Participating organizations compete for awards decided by the judging panel and the voice of viewers. Until 2013, SING! held during Homecoming and Reunion weekends but has now been moved into the spring semester.
Students who participate in the Matriculation Convocation are held during the orientation week.
During their last semester, seniors climbed the spiral staircase of the Cullen Tower to sign the tower walls, adding their signatures to former students from more than 100 years ago.
The Barcus Society is a secret society that periodically shows up on campus events. Society revolves around Barcus, a masked character wearing a bowler hat, wire-rimmed spectacles, an old shirt and vest, gold pocket watch, and black umbrella. Barcus's appearance is meant to resemble former Southwestern president James Samuel Barcus. Barcus is usually flanked by cloaked students dressed in sunglasses.
The Brooks Prize Debate is an annual debate and speech competition originally founded by the university literary community in 1878. It is named in honor of Richard Edward Brooks alumnus who founded the prize money for debate winners in 1904.
Mall Ball , held in the spring and autumn semesters, is a family-oriented outdoor festival held at the Academic Mall.
Candlelight Service is an Advent tradition held in the Perkins Chapel a week before the final exam.
There are several traditions related to the final exam. 24 Hourly Hours are enforced in all housing on campus during the exam week except for a 10-minute period called Final Scream where students attempt to make as many sounds as possible. An event called Late Night Breakfast was held one night during the last week involving faculty and staff serving free meals to students. In previous years, students shared haikus through extensive email lists across campus over the past weeks to complain, encourage each other, and divert their attention from learning.
Athletics
Southwestern is a member of the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Southwestern competes in 18 sports, including soccer, basketball, cross country, track & amp; field, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, lacrosse, men's baseball, women's volleyball, and softball women. Intramural sports on campus include handball, rock climbing, and late frisbee. School mascot is a pirate.
The men's lacrosse team became a university sport in 2009 after offering lacrosse as a sports club for 25 years. The men's lacrosse team won the Second Division Alliance Lonestar Championship for four consecutive years before becoming a university sport. The women's team is currently no university and affiliated with the Lacrosse League of Texas, although the university plans to form a university team in 2014. The women's team won the division championship in 2007.
In addition to lacrosse, Southwestern has a handball team with a national ranking that won the Second Division National Championships in 2007. In September 2016, the Southwestern volley team rose to 3rd place in an AVCA coach poll.
Western football returned in 2013 after a 62-year absence. The previous university lowered the soccer team from 1908 to 1951, achieving national excellence during World War II when the participation of the university in the Naval Naval V-12 Training Program listed talented players from other schools. Southwestern was a founding member of the Southwest Conference and won the Sun Bowl in 1944 and 1945.
Famous people
Contributors
Southwestern has many financial and non-financial supporters, but some stand out because of the magnitude or timeliness of their contributions. During the Great Depression, conditional gifts from the Southwest alumni Louisa Carothers Wiess substantially increased the empowerment of the university and motivated the university to pay off all its debts. While serving in Congress, Lyndon Baines Johnson helped Southwestern acquire the V-12 Navy Program during World War II as the university was struggling financially. Former Red McCombs students provide financial support for campus centers and apartment complexes. The Brown Foundation, the Cullen Foundation, and the Mabee Foundation have donated financial support for various construction projects.
Famous Alumni
- Harry Ables - La Liga Baseball Launcher
- Jessie Daniel Ames - Civil rights activist
- William Hawley Atwell - US District Court Judge
- Solon Barnett - Offensive Offensive and Guards for Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers (1945-1946)
- Hiram Abiff Boaz - Methodist Bishop and former president of high school
- Joan Bray - State Senator in Missouri
- Pete Cawthon - Head of soccer coach and athletic director of Texas Tech Red Raiders
- J. Frank Dobie - Author
- Bill Engvall - Stand-up comedian
- Abbie Graham - Author
- Stanley Hauerwas - Theologian and ethicist
- Jerry Hardin - Actor
- Robert L. Henry - US Congressman from Texas (1897-1917), Chair of House Rules Committee
- J. Marvin Jones - US Congressman from Texas (1917-1940), US Chief Justice Judge
- Hubert Renfro Knickerbocker - Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author
- Carlton Massey - Defensive lineman and pro bowler for Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers (1954-1958)
- Earle Bradford Mayfield - US Senator from Texas (1923-1929)
- John Murrell - Canadian playwright and member of the Canadian Order
- Jack O'Brien - Founder/singer/bassist of The Bright Light Social Hour
- Carl Reynolds - Major Baseball Player and member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Played for 5 teams for 12 years
- Curtis Roush - Founder/singer/guitarist The Bright Light Social Hour
- Pete Sessions - Current US Congressman from Texas, Chair of House Rules Committee
- Robert Simpson - Meteorologist, former director of the National Hurricane Center, and co-developer of the Saffir-Simpson Storm Scale
- William Angie Smith - Methodist Bishop
- Joseph Tyree Sneed, III - US Court of Appeal Court
- Mike Timlin - La Liga Baseball Launcher
- R. Ewing Thomason - US Congressman from Texas (1931-1947), Mayor of El Paso
- John Tower - US Senator from Texas (1961-1988)
- James Marion West Jr. - Texas oil, timber, and livestock tycoons
- Mike Anderson - Major Baseball Pitcher and current Scout Pro with Texas Rangers
- Susan Youens - Music Expert
- Tyler Deaton - Leader of the prayer group; The leader of the suspect sect
See also
- List of Historic Historic Places of Interest in Williamson County, Texas
- Liberal arts colleges in the United States
References
Further reading
- Jones, Ralph Wood (1973). University of the Southwest 1840-1961 . Austin: San Felipe Press.
- Jones, William B (2006). To Survive and Excel: The Story of Southwestern University, 1840-2000 . ISBNÃ, 0-9670912-4-1
External links
- Official website
- "Duties and Teachings: The Story of a Southwestern University"
- University of the Southwest at Handbook of Texas
- the University of Southwest's athletic website
Source of the article : Wikipedia