High Point University (HPU) is a private university in High Point, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The university was founded as High Point College in 1924, and it became High Point University in October 1991. HPU offers 63 undergraduate majors, 65 undergraduate minors, and 18 graduate majors. U.S. News & World Report ranks HPU #1 in Regional Colleges South.[5]
Roberts Hall at High Point UniversityCaine ConservatoryNido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference CenterCottrell Hall at High Point University
In the mid-19th century, the Methodist Protestant Church, which is now part of the United Methodist Church, became active in educational pursuits in North Carolina, and at the 1852 state annual convention in Fayetteville, Yadkin College was founded in northern Davidson County.[6] Following the Civil War, the Yadkin College fell into financial difficulty, and had by the 1890s become a preparatory high school.[7] In 1921, after some years of consideration, the statewide governing body of the Methodist Protestant Church voted to establish a new college.[8] Shortly afterward, the church accepted an offer from the citizens of High Point to contribute 60 acres (240,000m2) of land and $100,000 to the project, placing the new school in the city of High Point.[9] The English Renaissance style campus was designed by R. E. Mitchell of Washington, D.C., assisted by Herbert Hunter of High Point. The school was founded in 1924 as High Point College, a joint venture between the Methodist Protestant Church and the citizens of High Point, and officially opened on September 14, 1924. When the college opened, the campus consisted of three buildings, attended by nine faculty members, with a student enrollment of 122. The same year, Yadkin College closed its doors, and its assets including its library and bell were transferred to High Point College.[10]
The steadfast growth that characterized the birth of the college ended abruptly with the Great Depression. This period was difficult for the college in 1932–33, as faculty salaries were cut and expenses were sometimes bartered. Despite a $50,000 fundraising campaign, the college declared bankruptcy on June 15, 1934, and reorganized in an effort to reduce its indebtedness.[11] Subsequent reorganization enabled the college to move forward with business and renewed expansion.
On October 9, 1991, under the guidance of President Jacob C. Martinson, Jr., and the board of trustees, High Point College changed its name to High Point University to reflect post-graduate degree programs. Coinciding with the offering of graduate studies, every building on the campus was renovated and new ones were constructed with a campus quadrangle added to replace a former city street that bisected the campus,[12] and by 2004 the university's endowment increased to $40 million.
In 2005, the university was 92 acres and landlocked with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,450. Its operating budget was $35 million with approximately 100 faculty members.[13] Since Nido R. Qubein became president of High Point University in 2005 the growth of the university has had significant impact on the city, region and the state of North Carolina. Qubein is the fourth highest paid college president, paid $2.9 million a year, in the United States.[14]
Since Qubein took office in 2005, High Point University has grown from three academic schools to 10 academic schools - the David Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences; the Phillips School of Business; the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication; the Stout School of Education; the School of Art and Design; the Wanek School of Natural Sciences; the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy; the Congdon School of Health Sciences; the Webb School of Engineering; and the School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health.
In early 2012 Businessweek reported that about $700 million in new building and campus upgrades was financed by heavy borrowing and Moody's Investors Service downgraded the school's bonds to junk status in 2009 due to the school's position as one of the most heavily leveraged colleges in the country.[15] The U.S. Department of Education's "financial responsibility" score for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal year has High Point University scoring the highest possible score of 3, putting the university ahead of Elon University, Duke University, and Davidson College.[16]Businessweek responded by inviting the school to make financial documents available to support any challenges to the article's accuracy, but none were offered in response.[15] In addition to questioning debt levels, Businessweek challenged whether the school's relationships with its lenders and vendors were at an appropriate arm's length, citing in particular that the school spends large amounts on marketing with a public relations firm headed by Qubein's daughter. The college's claims to a growing reputation in higher education were challenged as based more on high-end student amenities and marketing strategy than on academics.[15]
The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac of April 19, 2016, noted that Qubein was the third highest-donor university president in the country from 2006 to 2016. He committed $10 million to High Point University.[17] Donations from alumni, parents and supporters of HPU total about $214 million since 2006. In 2010, the university announced plans to invest about $2.1 billion in overall growth in the next decade. To date, HPU has spent $1.2 billion on four new schools plus facilities, faculty and student services.[18]
Ashley Furniture Industries Chairman Ron Wanek donated $10 million to HPU in 2013 after visiting Qubein. Wanek's gift to the university is the tenth contribution of $10 million or more that Qubein has received during his tenure.[18]
In April 2016, HPU announced plans to invest $160 million in new building projects including a 5,000-seat arena and conference center, undergraduate science center and residence hall.[19] The Caine Conservatory opened in the spring of 2020 to support botanical research and the growth of HPU’s arboretum and gardens. The facility also includes HPU’s newest eatery, the Butterfly Café. The following year, the $170 million Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center, and the adjoining Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel, opened. It is home to HPU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as a venue for major events, speakers, concerts, entertainment, academic symposia and recreational activities.
In June 2023 the university was placed on Warning status by its educational accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, after the accreditor's board found significant non-compliance with its standards of student support, student outcome, and disclosure of accreditation status.[20]
Location
Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem, along with the surrounding suburbs and townships, form the Piedmont Triad region, an area with a population over 1.5 million. Of that number, approximately 108,285 live in High Point. Both Greensboro and Winston-Salem are 20 minutes from campus. East of the university are Raleigh (11/2 hours away) and the Atlantic Ocean (31/2 hours away); south are Charlotte (11/2 hours away) and Atlanta, Georgia (5 hours away); west are the Appalachian Mountains (2 hours away); and north is Washington, D.C. (5 hours away).
Academics
Main campus at High Point University
High Point University has a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The average freshman retention rate is 81%.[21]
HPU offers 61 undergraduate degree programs (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science), 65 undergraduate minors, and 14 graduate degree programs (Master of Arts, Master of Education, Master of Public Administration, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Pharmacy, and Doctor of Physical Therapy).
Rankings
For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked HPU #1 in Regional Colleges South and, for Regional Colleges South, #19 in Best Value Schools and #1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching.[5] HPU has been named to "The Best 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition" by The Princeton Review and on the Best Southeastern Colleges "2022 Best Colleges: Region by Region" list.[22]
Schools
High Point University has ten schools: School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health; Congdon School of Health Sciences; Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy; Webb School of Engineering; Wanek School of Health Sciences; Nido R. Qubein School of Communication; David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design; Earl N. Phillips School of Business; School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences; School of Education.
Student life
High Point University is a residential campus, with 19 residence halls in total. In 2019, The Princeton Review ranked High Point University #5 in the nation for Best College Dorm Rooms.[23] All High Point University students are required to reside on campus until senior year, unless they commute from their parent's permanent address.
Greek life
There are currently 17 Greek organizations on campus.[24]
Honor societies
There are numerous honor societies at High Point.[citation needed]
Notable faculty
Ruth Bellamy – writer, journalist, dramatist, songwriter, actress, and poet
The High Point Panthers include HPU's 16 athletic teams that compete at the NCAADivisionI level, mostly in the Big South Conference. HPU's 16 varsity sports are baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field and women's volleyball.[26] In recent years, HPU has won nine Big South Conference Championships, produced 10 Conference Players of the Year; and more than 130 HPU athletes have received Big South All-Academic Honors.
High Point dancers during a 2009 basketball game at Qubein Center
In the spring of 2021, the Division I athletic department won 13 of 16 possible conference championships. Led by a 2nd round appearance by the men’s soccer team in the NCAA Tournament. Just two seasons later the feat was accomplished again with a 2-0 first round win against North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Prior to the Spring of 2021, the 2010-2011 season was the most successful since High Point University joined NCAA Division I in 1999–2000. In the fall, the women's soccer team and women's volleyball team won Big South Tournaments and the men's soccer team won the Big South regular season.[27] In the spring, the women's lacrosse team won the National Lacrosse Conference tournament and set a record for wins by a first-year program, with 15.[28]
The 2010-2011 women's lacrosse team success led to other accomplishments in 2013. Women's lacrosse assistant coach Lauren Norris was selected to coach the 2013 Israel National Lacrosse Team in the 2013 FIL Women's World Cup.
In the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Soccer (MLS) Supplemental Draft, the Columbus Crew picked High Point University senior midfielder Shawn Sloan.
In 2016, Christine Rickert of the High Point University women's track and field team qualified to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Rickert placed 12th in the javelin throw, just nine places away from a spot on the Olympic Team. She remains the Big South Conference Record Holder in javelin with a throw of 52.47m (172–2ft).[29]
High Point University also fields the following sports at the club level: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's rowing, running, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's field hockey, softball, ultimate frisbee, equestrian and ice hockey.[30]
In the fall of 2013, the High Point University field hockey team qualified for the national tournament in Virginia Beach with a 6-2-0 season. The club equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
Donations to High Point University's Athletic Department have exceeded $30 million. The primary athletics facilities at High Point University are the Qubein Center (basketball), Millis Center (volleyball), Williard Stadium (baseball), and the Witcher Athletic Center at Vert Stadium (track, soccer, lacrosse).[31]
At the beginning of 2017, High Point University announced plans for a new basketball arena and conference center to be built on campus. The facility will be named for High Point University president, Dr. Nido R. Qubein, and his wife, Mariana Qubein. Construction on the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center began in 2018; the facility was originally projected to open in 2020,[32] but construction was delayed due to COVID-19 issues.[33] The facility opened in late September 2021,[34] with the first basketball game to be played on November 4.[35] The Qubein Center includes 4,500 arena seats, 2,500 conference center seats.[36] It was also announced in early 2017 that the basketball court in the new arena was named after High Point men's head coach and High Point University alumnus Tubby Smith. Smith and his wife, Donna, donated $1 million to the construction of the new facility.[37]
In spring 2018, HPU announced the hire of hiring of Hall of Famer and NCAA Championship Winning coach Orlando 'Tubby' Smith as the Panthers' head coach for men's basketball. Smith, who becomes the 12th head men's basketball coach in HPU history, joins the Panthers after serving as the head coach at Memphis for two seasons.
Dan Hauser has served as the HPU athletic director since 2014.
Publications and media
High Point University Magazine, for alumni
The Apogee, the literary magazine
Black Script
Hi-Po, a monthly publication by students for fellow students
Zenith, yearbook
HPU Vision, on-campus broadcast club
HPU Sports Link, broadcasts HPU athletics live online
HPU+, online professional and personal coaching
Sechrest Gallery
A permanent collection of original works was donated to the university by High Point Alumnus Darrell L. Sechrest. The collection includes works by Christian Dietrich, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Allesandro Gherardini, El Greco, George Harvey, Emile Louis Picault, Elsie Popkin, and Antonio Zucchi and Angelica Kauffman. The gallery is housed within the Hayworth Fine Arts Center.[38]
Greensboro College is a private college in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was founded in 1838 by Rev. Peter Doub. The college enrolls about 1,000 students from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and 29 countries.
Lenoir–Rhyne University is a private Lutheran university in Hickory, North Carolina. It was founded in 1891 and is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Orlando Henry "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach who last coached the men's basketball team at High Point University, his alma mater. Smith previously served in the same role at the University of Tulsa, the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, the University of Minnesota, Texas Tech University, and the University of Memphis. With Kentucky, he coached the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA championship.
Nido Qubein is a Lebanese American businessman and motivational speaker. He has been the president of High Point University since 2005. He received his associate degree in business from Mount Olive College, his bachelor degree in human relations from High Point University in 1970, and a Master of Science in business education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Bryan School of Business & Economics in 1973. Qubein is the founder and chairman emeritus of the National Speakers Association Foundation. He has served as chairman of the Great Harvest Bread Company since 2001 and sits on the board of directors of BB&T, La-Z-Boy Corporation, and nThrive.
Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina compete across an array of professional and amateur levels of competition, along with athletes who compete at the World and Olympic levels in their respective sport. Major league professional teams based in North Carolina include teams that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The state is also home to NASCAR Cup Series races. At the collegiate and university level, there are several North Carolina schools in various conferences across an array of divisions. North Carolina also has many minor league baseball teams. There are also a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams based throughout the state.
The Campbell Fighting Camels are the athletic teams that represent Campbell University, located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, in intercollegiate sports at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Coastal Athletic Association since the 2023–24 academic year. The football program competes in the FCS, formerly known as I-AA.
The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference.
Jerry Steele was an American basketball player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina from 1962 to 1970 and High Point University in High Point, North Carolina from 1972 to 2003, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 609–486. Steele was also the head coach of the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) for half of one season, 1970–71, tallying a mark of 17–25.
The James H. and Jesse E. Millis Athletic and Convocation Center is a 1750-seat multi-purpose athletic and academic facility on the campus of High Point University (HPU) in High Point, North Carolina. The basis of the building is Alumni Hall, which was built in 1957. In 1992, the facility was added upon, creating the office space, classrooms and pool on the western side of the facility, as well as adding a state-of-the-art press box.
The Presbyterian Blue Hose are the athletic teams of Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, South Carolina, United States. The Blue Hose athletic program is a member of the Big South Conference and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The PC Athletic Department fields a total of 19 varsity teams, eight men's and 11 women's sports. The school colors are garnet and blue, and the mascot is Scotty the Scotsman, a medieval Scottish warrior. The team name comes from the socks worn by the football team in the early days of the twentieth century.
Scott Douglas Cherry is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at High Point University. He replaced Bart Lundy in 2009. Cherry is a native of Ballston Spa, New York.
The High Point Panthers are the 16 varsity athletic teams that represent High Point University (HPU) in High Point, North Carolina, United States. All of HPU's varsity teams compete at the NCAA Division I level. All sports except men's lacrosse compete in the Big South Conference. The men's lacrosse team joined the Southern Conference July 1, 2014. The Panthers joined Division I in 1999, after having been NCAA Division II and being members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) prior to 1992. HPU was a founding member of the North State Conference, which is now the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas.
Craig Keilitz is the Executive Director of the American Baseball Coaches Association. Keilitz was named to his current position on Feb. 17, 2014 and took over as Executive Director on July 1, 2014.
The High Point Panthers Men's Lacrosse team is a college lacrosse team that represents High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, United States. The school's teams are typically members of the Big South Conference, but due to the Big South not sponsoring lacrosse, the HPU men's lacrosse team has had to play as associate members of other conferences. It had played in the Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as the ASUN Conference, in the 2014 season, moving to the Southern Conference (SoCon) after that season when the SoCon took over operation of the ASUN men's lacrosse league. The Panthers remained in SoCon men's lacrosse through the 2022 season, after which they moved men's lacrosse to the newly established league of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).
The 2020–21 High Point Panthers men's basketball team represented High Point University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by third-year head coach Tubby Smith, played their home games at the Millis Athletic Convocation Center in High Point, North Carolina, as members of the Big South Conference. This was the Panthers' final season at the Millis Center, with the new Qubein Center opening for 2021–22.
The 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began on November 9, 2021. The regular season ended on March 6, 2022, with the 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament beginning on March 18, and ending with the championship game at the Target Center in Minneapolis on April 3.
The 2021–22 High Point Panthers men's basketball team represented High Point University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by fourth-year head coach Tubby Smith through the first 26 games of the season and by interim head coach G. G. Smith for the remainder of the season, played their home games at the newly opened Qubein Center in High Point, North Carolina as members of the Big South Conference. With the reintroduction of divisions for the first time since the 2013–14 season, the Panthers played in the North division. They finished the season 14–17, 7–9 in Big South play to finish in a tie for third place in the North division. As the No. 7 seed in the Big South tournament, they defeated Hampton in the first round before losing to Winthrop in the quarterfinals.
The 2022–23 High Point Panthers men's basketball team represented High Point University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers were led by second-year head coach G. G. Smith, his first full year as head coach. The Panthers played their home games at the Qubein Center in High Point, North Carolina as members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 14–17, 6–12 in Big South play to finish eighth place. They lost to Charleston Southern in the first round of the Big South tournament.
The 2023–24 High Point Panthers women's basketball team represented High Point University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Panthers, led by fifth-year head coach Chelsea Banbury, played their home games at the Qubein Center in High Point, North Carolina as members of the Big South Conference.
↑ Ruth Little and Paul Touart (1983–1987). "Yadkin College Historic District" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2024-04-06. Section 8, Page 1.
↑ Ruth Little and Paul Touart (1983–1987). "Yadkin College Historic District" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2024-04-06. Section 8, Page 3.
↑ Sizemore, F. J., ed. The Buildings and the Builders of a City: High Point, North Carolina. High Point: Hall Printing Company, 1947. p. 318-319
↑ Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. to 1980, A.D. Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 233
↑ Robinson, Blackwell P., and Alexander R. Stoesen. "The History of Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.A. To 1980, A.D." Greensboro: The Guilford County Bicentennial Commission, 1980. p. 235
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