Summary

Mount Olive College is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The college, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Research Triangle Park, Washington, and Jacksonville. Mount Olive is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The North Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. A member of the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas, its sports teams compete as the Mount Olive College Trojans.

History

From its inception as a junior college, Mount Olive College has been sponsored by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention. The institution was chartered in 1951 and opened in 1952 at Cragmont Assembly, the Free Will Baptist summer retreat grounds near Black Mountain, under the direction of the Reverend Lloyd Vernon. The school was originally called Mount Allen Junior College, taking its name from the mountain near Cragmont.

In September 1953, the college was moved to Mount Olive, North Carolina, nearer the center of denominational strength in the eastern section of the state. Under the leadership of the Reverend David W. Hansley, Chairman of the Board of Directors, plans were made to develop a junior college offering programs in arts and sciences and in business. The Reverend W. Burkette Raper was elected president in the summer of 1954, and in September the college began its first collegiate year with an enrollment of twenty-two students.

In 1956, the name "Mount Allen Junior College" was changed to "Mount Olive Junior College." In that same year, plans were launched for an enlarged campus which today consists of 250 acres. In September 1970, the college's name was officially changed to "Mount Olive College."

In 1977, the Original Free Will Baptist Convention requested that the Board of Trustees of Mount Olive College work aggressively toward making the college a four-year institution. The 1979 Session of the Convention endorsed the projected timetable set by the college's Board of Trustees to add the junior year in 1984 and the senior year in 1985.

In 1975, the college began an educational program in Goldsboro, North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

In 1986, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools officially accredited Mount Olive College as a four-year institution to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Since Mount Olive College's expansion to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the college has opened five (5) additional campuses throughout North Carolina: New Bern (1993), Wilmington (1995), Research Triangle Park (1997), Washington (2005), and Jacksonville (2009).

In the fall of 1994, the transfer of all operations to the Mount Olive campus was completed, and the college's original downtown campus was sold.

In January 1995, the Board of Trustees selected J. William Byrd as the third president of Mount Olive College. Dr. Byrd assumed the duties of office on January 31 and was inaugurated on September 30.

In April 2009, the Board of Trustees selected Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter as the fourth president of Mount Olive College. Dr. Kerstetter assumed the duties of office on July 1.

In 2011, Mount Olive College celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Organization and administration

Mount Olive College educates over 3,300 students, making the college one of the fastest growing liberal arts colleges in the state of North Carolina. The average classroom size is 20 students.

The college is governed by a 24-member Board of Trustees with eight members being elected each year to a three-year term. The Original Free Will Baptist Convention also maintains at least three ad hoc members on the board who each serve three-year terms.

Academics

Fall 2011 Applicant Data:

Faculty are very accessible to students whether it be through small classes, open office hours, or one-on-one research projects. Mount Olive College has a student-faculty ratio of 15:1. 91.6% of full-time faculty members hold terminal degrees.

Mount Olive College offers degrees in the following fields:[1]

Bachelor of Arts: Art, Biology, Criminal Justice and Criminologym Education-English, English, English Communication, English_Professional Writing, History, Mathematics, Psychology, Religion, RLS_Generalist, Visual Communications

Bachelor of Science: Art, Biology, Business Administration-Accounting, Business Administration-Agribusiness, Business Administration-Business Management, Business Administration-Management Information Systems, Business Administration-Health Care Management, Business Administration-Human Resources Management, Chemistry, Criminal Justice and Criminology, Education - Agriculture Education, Education-Early Childhood Education (B-K), Education - Elementary Education (K-6), Education-Health/Physical Education - Licensure, Education-Mathematics, Education-Music-Instru/Vocal, Education-Science, Education-Social Studies, Education-Teacher Education (Licensure Candidate Requirements), History, Mathematics, Music, Nursing (RN licensure required), Psychology, Religion, RLS Physical Education, RLS_Exercise Science, RLS_Generalist, RLS_Leisure Service Management, RLS_Recreational Therapy, RLS_Sports Management, Visual Communications

Student life

Mount Olive College competes at the NCAA Division II level in 20 sports:

Mount Olive College's sports teams are known as the Trojans; their colors are green and white. The Trojans participate as a member of Conference Carolinas.

In 2008, Mount Olive won the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship. The Trojans posted a 58-6 record that year, winning the Conference Carolinas and NCAA II South Atlantic Regional titles. The Trojans defeated Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 6–5 in the first round of the National Finals and Ashland (Ohio) 18–7 in the second round. Mount Olive defeated Central Missouri 5–3 in the semifinal round and claimed its first-ever national championship with a 6–2 victory over Ouachita Baptist in the title game. The national championship game was televised live on CBS College Sports. The National Finals took place in Sauget, Illinois.

Men's and women's lacrosse have been added as the college's newest teams and will begin competing in spring 2013.

In 2005, the Trojan men's basketball team won the NCAA II East Regional and advanced to the Elite 8 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Mount Olive College teams have made 30 NCAA Division II tournament appearances.

Mount Olive College teams have won a combined 39 Conference Carolinas regular season and/or tournament championships.

Mount Olive College was the recipient of the 2011–12 Joby Hawn Cup, awarded to the top athletics program in Conference Carolinas. In addition to the overall award, Mount Olive College also captured the Men's Sports Hawn Cup and the Women's Sports Hawn Cup.

Mount Olive College offers a wide variety of student organizations, including arts & culture organizations, performance groups, sports groups, and religious organizations.