Fort Valley State University

Last updated
Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University seal.png
Former name
Fort Valley High and Industrial School (1895–1939)
Fort Valley State College (1939–1996)
MottoBe Bold. Be Amazing. Be Prepared.
Type Public land-grant historically black university
Established1895;129 years ago (1895)
Parent institution
University System of Georgia
Academic affiliation
Space-grant
Endowment $6.6 million [1]
President Paul Jones
Administrative staff
400
Students2,182 (Fall 2021) [2]
Location,
U.S.

32°32′3.9″N83°53′45.8″W / 32.534417°N 83.896056°W / 32.534417; -83.896056
Campus1,365 acres (5.52 km2)
Colors     Royal blue and old gold
Nickname Wildcats
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division IISIAC
Website www.fvsu.edu
FVSU Wildcats logo.png

Fort Valley State University (FVSU, formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a public land-grant historically black university in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Contents

Fort Valley State University is the state's 1890 land-grant university and enrolls over 2,500 students. Approximately 90% of the student body is of African-American descent. The university is located in the town of Fort Valley in Peach County. Its 1,365-acre (5.52 km2) main campus is Georgia's largest public university in area.

History

Fort Valley State University (formerly Fort Valley State College) began with the 1939 consolidation of the Fort Valley High and Industrial School (chartered in 1895) and the State Teachers and Agricultural College of Forsyth (founded in 1902). [3] The Fort Valley High and Industrial School, previously affiliated with the American Church Institute of the Protestant Episcopal Church, was transferred to state control and operation. Under the agreement, the work formerly carried on at the State Teachers and Agricultural College was consolidated with the work at Fort Valley High and Industrial School to form the Fort Valley State College.

In 1947 the state Board of Regents adopted a resolution moving the "land grant" designation from Savannah State College to Fort Valley State College. In response to the Regents' resolution, in 1949 the Georgia General Assembly officially designated the Fort Valley State College as the Land-Grant College for Negroes in Georgia. Public education was segregated at that time.

The school became Fort Valley State University, a state and land-grant university, in June 1996, and is the second largest land-grant institution.

Presidents

Presidents of Fort Valley State University
Dr. Horace M. Bond (1939–1945)
Cornelius V. Troup (1945–1966)
W. W. E. Blanchet (1966–1973)
Cleveland W. Pettigrew (1973–1982)
Luther Burse (1983–1991)
Oscar L. Prater (1991–2000)
Kofi Lomotey (2001–2005)
Larry Rivers (2006–2013)
Ivelaw Griffith (2013-2014)
Paul Jones (2015–present)

The president of Fort Valley State University is the chief executive officer of the university. Paul Jones has held the position since 2015. [4]

Academics

Fort Valley State University offers bachelor's degrees in more than 50 majors, as well as master's degrees in several fields of study. FVSU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's and specialist degrees.

The university also offers the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) which provides an opportunity for qualified students to receive a STEM degree from FVSU and an engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, or University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. [5]

The university's honors program is a selective undergraduate program designed to cater to high-achieving students. [6]

Outreach services include Fort Valley State's Cooperative Extension Service Program, where extension service specialists operate in 42 Georgia counties, and the Pettigrew Conference Center, which hosts more than 500 courses and events for 51,000 patrons each year. In an effort to accommodate graduate and non-traditional students, external degree program courses are also being offered at off-campus sites in Macon, Cochran, Warner Robins and Dublin. The university offers online courses via WebCT, which allows students to pursue a number of majors and programs from home.

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and the largest college at FVSU, houses 12 academic units and offers nearly 80 percent of the courses taught at FVSU. The college services the University System of Georgia's Academic Core and provides 20 undergraduate major fields of study. The Department of Business Administration and Economics is the largest academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and is an accredited member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

College of Education

The College of Education is an educator preparation program offering degrees in Middle Grades Education, undergraduate and graduate; Agriculture Education, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate; Early Childhood / Special Education undergraduate; School Counseling; Early Childhood / Special Education graduate; Health and Physical Education; Family and Consumer Sciences Education; and an MAT degree in the secondary teaching areas.

College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology

The College of Agriculture, Home Economics & Allied Programs is ranked 25th nationally in the production of African American agriculturists and the university's leader in placing first-time applicants into medical, dental, veterinary and pharmacy schools and colleges since 2001. The college has laboratories in the state, and scientists are securing grant funds and conducting cutting-edge research. [7]

Campus

Huntington Hall Huntington Hall, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA, US.jpg
Huntington Hall
Patton Hall Patton Hall at Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA, US.jpg
Patton Hall

Pettigrew Center

Pettigrew Farm and Community Life Center is a conference, convention, and fine arts facility.

Anderson Museum and Welcome Center

The Anderson House is Fort Valley State University's oldest building and houses the Biggs Collection.

Anderson House

Anderson House was the residence of F.W. Gano, one of the university's founders. It is the oldest facility on campus. The exhibits and displays in the house come from the Biggs Collection of period furnishings, silver, glassware, china, quilts, linens and civil war memorabilia.

Student activities

FVSU students have many opportunities for extracurricular involvement at the university, including NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics, The Blue Machine Marching Band, concert choir, Baptist Student Union Choir, forensics (intercollegiate speech and debate), and cheerleading. Overall, there are more than 70 clubs, social, and Greek organizations on campus.

Student media

FVSU has a radio station (WFVS-LP 104.3 FM) and a television station (FVSU TV), as well as a college newspaper, The Peachite. [8]

Athletics

Athletic opportunities include intramural sports and intercollegiate men's basketball, cross country, football, tennis, and track and field, and volleyball and women's basketball, cross country, softball, tennis, volleyball, and track and field. The school currently competes as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Alumni

NameClass yearNotabilityReference(s)
Eddie Anderson 1986Former NFL safety for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders [9]
John W. Blassingame 1960Professor and Chair of African Studies at Yale University for 29 years
Catherine Hardy Lavender 1952Olympic sprinter, won a gold medal in 1952 in the 4 × 100 metres relay
Nick Harper 2001Former NFL cornerback for the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts [10]
Robert J. Jones 1973Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign [11]
Marquette King 2012Former NFL punter for the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos
Greg Lloyd 1987Former NFL Pro Bowl player for the Pittsburgh Steelers [12]
Ricardo Lockette Former NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
Tyrone Poole 1995First round pick by Carolina Panthers; earned two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots as starter on the 2003 and 2004 teams
Trey Wolfe 2014Former NFL cornerback; NCAA career leader interceptions per game (2013)
Charles Robinson, Jr. 1970President and CEO of Sadie G. Mays Health and Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta; first African American to become certified by the American College of Healthcare Administrators
Calvin Smyre 1970Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1974 as its youngest member at age 26; current Executive Vice President of the $34 billion financial corporation Synovus Foundation
Derrick Wimbush Former NFL player
Rayfield Wright 1967 NFL Hall of Fame inductee [13]
Peppi Zellner Former NFL player

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Iowa University</span> Private university in Fayette, Iowa, US

Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private university in Fayette, Iowa. It enrolls around 3000 students and offers distance education programs that include centers in the U.S., an online program, an independent study program, and formerly had centers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. UIU has a total student enrollment of more than 3,000 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of La Verne</span> Private university in La Verne, California, US

The University of La Verne (ULV) is a private university in La Verne, California. Founded in 1891, the university is composed of the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business & Public Management, the LaFetra College of Education, College of Law, College of Health and Community Well-Being, an online adult school, two military centers, and a Regional Campus Administration that oversees six regional campuses. It awards undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. Many of their classes are taught at smaller campuses throughout the greater Los Angeles area and Kern County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lewis College</span> Public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado, U.S.

Fort Lewis College is a public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado. Because of its unique origins as a military fort turned Indian boarding school turned state public school, FLC follows a 1911 mandate to give qualified Native Americans a tuition-free education and awards approximately 16% of the baccalaureate degrees earned by Native American students in the nation. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Education designated FLC one of six Native American-serving, non-tribal colleges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langston University</span> Historically Black college in Langston, Oklahoma, US

Langston University (LU) is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state and the westernmost HBCU in the United States. The main campus in Langston is a rural setting 10 miles (16 km) east of Guthrie. The University also serves an urban mission, with University Centers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee State University</span> Public historical black college in Nashville, Tennessee, US

Tennessee State University is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Tennessee State University offers 41 bachelor's degrees, 23 master's degrees, and eight doctoral degrees. It is classified as "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of West Florida</span> Public university in Pensacola, Florida, US

The University of West Florida is a public university in Pensacola, Florida, United States. Established in 1963 as a member institution of the State University System of Florida, the University of West Florida is a comprehensive research university without faculties of law or medicine, a designated space-grant institution, and sits on the third largest campus in the State University System, at 1,600 acres (650 ha). The university's mascot is Argie the Argonaut and its logo is the chambered nautilus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry College</span> Private college in Mount Berry, Georgia, US

Berry College is a private liberal arts college in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Berry College was founded on values based on Christian principles in 1902 by Martha Berry.

McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree University beginning in the 2007–08 academic year. McKendree enrolls approximately 1,960 students representing 25 countries and 29 states. In the undergraduate program, on average there are 51% females and 49% males. The institution remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus, formerly Armstrong State University, is one of three campuses of Georgia Southern University, a public university in the U.S. state of Georgia. Occupying a 268-acre (1.08 km2) area on the residential southside of Savannah, Georgia, the school became one of three campuses of Georgia Southern University in 2018. The university's flagship campus is in Statesboro, 50 miles (80 km) west of Savannah. The Armstrong campus is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Savannah and 25 miles (40 km) from Tybee Island. Armstrong offers undergraduate and graduate degrees; it has a total student enrollment of approximately 5,000 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Minnesota Crookston</span>

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN–Crookston) is a public college in Crookston, Minnesota. One of five campuses in the University of Minnesota system, UMN Crookston had a fall 2022 enrollment of 1,489 undergraduate students. Students come from 20 countries and 40 states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul's College (Virginia)</span> Defunct private historically Black college in Virginia, U.S.

Saint Paul's College was a private historically black college in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Saint Paul's College opened its doors on September 24, 1888, originally training students as teachers and for agricultural and industrial jobs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalton State College</span> Public college in Dalton, Georgia, U.S.

Dalton State College is a public college in Dalton, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1963 as a junior college, the college became a four-year institution in 1998. Dalton State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Valley University</span> Private university in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, US

Delaware Valley University (DelVal) is a private university in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1896, it enrolls approximately 1,900 students on its suburban, 570-acre campus. DelVal offers more than 28 undergraduate majors, seven master's programs, a doctoral program, and adult education courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Southwestern State University</span> Public university in Americus, Georgia, U.S.

Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is a state public university in Americus, Georgia. Founded as the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906, the university was established and is administrated by the Georgia Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The historic core of the campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana State University of Alexandria</span> Public college in Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.

Louisiana State University of Alexandria is a public college in Alexandria, Louisiana. It offers undergraduate degrees in numerous disciplines. The university is a unit of the LSU System and operates under the auspices of the Louisiana Board of Regents. As of fall 2017, LSUA had an enrollment of 3,378 students which is recorded as the highest in the university's history. The institution is located on the grounds of the former Oakland Plantation some eight miles south of downtown Alexandria. The campus boasts many majestic oaks dating from the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Wesleyan University</span> Private university in South Carolina, U.S.A.

Southern Wesleyan University is a private Christian university in Central, South Carolina. It was founded in 1906 by what is now the Wesleyan Church. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

The University of Sioux Falls (USF) is a private Baptist university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. In fall 2014, the university enrolled a total of 1,142 undergraduate students and 311 graduate students.

Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland City University</span> Private University in Oakland City, Indiana

Oakland City University (OCU) is a private university affiliated with the General Baptist Church and located in Oakland City, Indiana. It is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college or university in the United States. Founded in 1885, it has slowly grown to the present student enrollment of about 1,200 on the main campus and, counting all sites, about 2,000 total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah State University</span> Historically black university in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah State University is a public historically black university in Savannah, Georgia. It is the oldest historically black public university in the state. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

References

  1. https://datausa.io/profile/university/fort-valley-state-university}
  2. https://www.fvsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Fact-Book-19-20.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. "New Georgia Encyclopedia: Fort Valley State University". 2012-10-11. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  4. "Bio Jones" (PDF). congress.gov. July 12, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  5. "Dual Degree Programs". Fort Valley State University.
  6. "Honors Program". Fort Valley State University. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  7. "Fort Valley State University". Fort Valley State University.
  8. "FVSU Peachite". FVSU Peachite.
  9. "Eddie Anderson". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  10. "Nick Harper". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  11. "Data". www.uillinois.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  12. "Greg Lloyd". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  13. "Rayfield Wright". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Retrieved 2008-02-29.