Summary
Coordinates: 37°20′39″N 85°20′52″W / 37.34417°N 85.34778°W / 37.34417; -85.34778
Campbellsville University, also known as CU, is a private university in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the seat of Taylor County. Founded as Russell Creek Academy,[1] a Baptist institution, the university currently enrolls more than 3,000 students and is open to students of all denominations. Campbellsville University has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1 and has a strong international program, welcoming students from more than 35 countries. The university offers associate, bachelor, and master degrees.[2] Extracurricular activities, many of which are focused around community service and Christian life, complement the academic programs. While Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, it makes no religious demands of its students.
Campbellsville University has been named last in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” edition in the “Great Schools, Great Prices ” category of the “Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the South.” CU has been named 22nd in the “Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the South” category. In addition to the U.S. News & World Report honor, CU has been named to “America’s Best Christian Colleges” for 2007-08.
Campuses
The 80-acre (320,000 m2) campus is situated in the center of Kentucky, about a half mile from downtown Campbellsville, population 9,000. Another portion of the campus, Clay Hill Memorial Forest, is seven miles (11 km) from campus. It is a 135-acre (0.55 km2) educational and research woodland that is being developed by the Division of Natural Science as a regional center for environmental education and research. Also, Green River Lake, a 10,000-acre (40 km2) recreational state park, is just five miles (8 km) from campus.
Since 2002, Campbellsville University has operated an off-site campus in Louisville, Kentucky, which moved to its current location at 2300 Greene Way in Jeffersontown in July 2007.
Campbellsville University also has a satellite campus in Hodgenville in LaRue County, which is the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. The branch campus offers adult education, general education classes, and children's programs. The building in Hodgenville is a gift to CU from Freddie Hilpp.[3]
History
Campbellsville University was founded in 1906 by the Russell Creek Baptist Association. The president of the university is Michael V. Carter, Ph.D. The immediate past president is Kenneth W. Winters (born 1934), a Republican state senator from District 1 based in Murray in southwestern Kentucky. Before Winters, the president was William Randolph "Randy" Davenport of Campbellsville, who served 1969–1988.
Fuller Harding, an attorney and former state representative from Campbellsville, served on the CU board of trustees for five years. His father, Abel Turner Harding (1881–1966), had been instrumental in raising funds to establish Russell Creek Academy, the forerunner of Campbellsville College.[4]
Forest Shely, a physician in Campbellsville and a 1943 graduate of the former Campbellsville Junior College, served as a trustee of the university for the fifty-six years from 1954 until his death in 2010.[5]
Athletics
Campbellsville University teams are nicknamed as the Tigers and the official colors are maroon and silver. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Mid-South Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, football, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
The original football program was discontinued in 1937,[6] but the sport returned to CU in 1987 under the direction of coach Ron Finley (1933–2009).[7]
Several CU teams have received national recognition. Zack Flake, a sophomore from West Chester, Ohio, won Campbellsville's first individual national wrestling championship with his title in the 141-pound weight class in wrestling at the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in 2007.[8] The men's basketball team has had three consecutive berths into the NAIA National Basketball tournament, reaching the National Semi-Final in 2008.[9] In 2005, volleyball player Amy Eckenfels was recognized as the NAIA National Libero of the Year. In 2006, she set the all-time national record for career digs with 3,569. The volleyball program advanced to its first-ever NAIA National Volleyball tournament in 2007 by defeating rival Georgetown College in the finals of the Region XI qualifying tournament. Lady Tiger Volleyball advanced to the 2008 NCCAA Final Four but lost to Dallas Baptist to conclude the season with a record of 35-11.[10] CU returned to the NCCAA Volleyball Tournament in 2009, sweeping through the field to win the school's first team national championship in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Campbellsville University Athletics Department recently unveiled their new athletics logos completed renovations at Finley Stadium.
School of Music
The Gosser Fine Arts Center is home to Campbellsville University's School of Music. Housed in this complex are classrooms, practice rooms, faculty studios, offices, a computer lab, a piano lab, an instrumental rehearsal hall, a choral rehearsal hall, and the Gheens Recital Hall.
The Music Library is on the mezzanine level of the Montgomery Library. This collection contains performance videos, CDs, AV listening/viewing stations, musical scores, music reference books, and music periodicals. There is a conducting room in the basement level for music students to videotape practice and conducting assignments.
School of Art
Next to the Gosser Fine Arts Center is the University's School of Art. Like Gosser, the School of Art main building also has classrooms, and is to have a computer lab for students who want to learn about art. The School also has a Gallery building and the Tessener complex (which has a printing press room and a classroom), that were once houses.
School of Nursing
It is the mission of the nursing program at Campbellsville University to motivate students to think critically through knowledge and experience. Our nursing students and graduates will uphold the dignity of all persons and respect diversity, lead and empower others through Christian service, and promote health through innovative holistic care. The Campbellsville University School of Nursing is under Full Approval status by the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Campbellsville University Associate Degree Nursing Program is regionally accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Campbellsville University Associate Degree Nursing Program has obtained approval by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission for candidacy status for national accreditation. Candidacy status can be verified by going to the NLNAC website. The mission of our RN-to-BSN completion program is to offer a higher level of nursing education through an innovative and highly-accessible curriculum. Tailored to the working adult, the program will provide an avenue for the adult learner to further his or her education in a Christian environment. The program serves the community and the region through promoting lifelong learning and contributing to the profession of nursing and the health of society.
Residence halls
Nearly half of the students enrolled at CU live on campus.
Distance learning
Through a partnership with The Learning House, Inc., Campbellsville University offers online degree opportunities. Online programs include four associate degree programs: Associate of Science in Business Administration, Associate of Science in Christian Studies, Associate of Science in Criminal Justice, and Associate of Science in General Studies. Graduate programs include: Master of Theology (M.Th.), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Special Education (LBD) P-12, Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Master of Arts in Social Work. Campbellsville University offers an RN to BSN that is designed for nurses looking for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree completion program. The accelerated degree programs are Web-based and allow versatile learning.