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Stetson University
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Stetson University is an independent, private, co-educational, liberal arts university in Florida, USA. In the 2008 U.S. News and World Report guide to America's Best Colleges, Stetson ranks second (tied with Elon University) in the category of Southern Masters-granting institutions.
rding to Gilbert Lycan, a Stetson history professor who wrote the University's official centennial history in 1983, Stetson University is Florida's first university, public or private.
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Encyclopedia
Stetson University is an independent, private, co-educational, liberal arts university in Florida, USA. In the 2008 U.S. News and World Report guide to America's Best Colleges, Stetson ranks second (tied with Elon University) in the category of Southern Masters-granting institutions.
History
According to Gilbert Lycan, a Stetson history professor who wrote the University's official centennial history in 1983, Stetson University is Florida's first university, public or private. Stetson University was founded in 1883 by Henry Addison DeLand, a New York philanthropist, as DeLand Academy. In 1887, the Florida Legislature enacted the Charter of DeLand University as an independent institution of higher learning. The University of Florida, the state's public university, traces its history to 1853, but was not chartered as a university until 1905.
The university's name was changed in 1889 to honor hat manufacturer John B. Stetson. Stetson was a benefactor of the university and served with town founder Henry A. DeLand and others as a founding trustee of the University. The first charter stated that the objective of the university should be "to promote the general interests of education, and to qualify its students to engage in the learned professions or other employments of society, and to discharge honorably and usefully the various duties of life."
Campus
The university's College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration, School of Music and most graduate programs are housed at the main campus in DeLand, Florida. More than sixty undergraduate majors and minors offered.
Stetson's main campus is just north of the historic downtown area of DeLand, about halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach. The main campus is a nationally designated National Historic District. In 2003, the Lynn Business Center was Florida's first green building certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Elizabeth Hall, named after John B. Stetson's wife, houses a number of departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. The School of Music performs in the chapel in the south of the building. The cupola atop Elizabeth Hall — modeled after the one on Independence Hall in Philadelphia — is used as the official symbol of the undergraduate campus.
Recently, over $17 million in new construction has taken place at Stetson University. Sage Hall, home of the science department, just opened an $8.5 million addition, with future plans to renovate the original section underway. The Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, nearing completion, will offer 5000 sq. ft. of exhibition space. McMahan Hall will provide more rehearsal space for music students and will complement the planned performance hall. The Rinker Environmental Science Center is also nearly complete. Currently, there are also plans to renovate and expand the Stover Theatre, but construction has not begun.
The university also has three satellite campuses:
Academics
There are more than 60 majors and minors leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education or Bachelor of Business Administration degrees. Master's degrees are offered by the School of Business Administration in Accounting and Business Administration and the College of Arts & Sciences in Education, English and Counseling. The Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws in International Law and Business are offered by the College of Law, which guarantees admission to Stetson undergraduates who meet challenging academic requirements.
Stetson University also offers study abroad programs in Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, England (Nottingham and Oxford), Russia, and China, as well as a Washington, D.C., semester and the Summer Business Program in Innsbruck, Austria.
Students
In fall 2008 there were 2,264 undergraduates and 363 graduate students enrolled at Stetson (not including the College of Law), from 44 states and over 42 countries. 43% are male, 57% female. 72% of undergraduates live on campus (90% of first-year students).
In 2007, the incoming freshman class had an average 3.70 GPA, was in the middle 50% SAT range of 1030–1240, and middle 50% ACT range of 21–27.
Faculty
Stetson University employs 195 full-time faculty members, 95% of whom hold Ph.D. or equivalent degrees. The student-faculty ratio is 11-1.
Residential Life
There are nine residence halls at Stetson University, in addition to the University Village Apartments. These include:
- Carson-Hollis Hall
- Chaudoin Hall
- Conrad Hall
- Emily Hall
- Gordis Hall
- Nemec Hall
- Residence Hall A
- Smith Hall
- Stetson Hall
- University Village Apartments
In addition to the residence halls, the Community Service Station, Foreign Language House, French House, and Greek Houses also provide student housing. Carson-Hollis Hall usually serves as housing for students who wish to abstain from any substance use, including alcohol and tobacco, although for the 2008-2009 year it serves as traditional first-year housing while other dorms are being renovated. A portion of Stetson Hall is used for students involved in the University Honors Program.
Conrad and Chaudoin Halls serve as all-female housing.
In addition to Smith, Gordis, and Nemec halls being used for first-year students, Conrad, parts of Chaudoin Hall and portions of Stetson Hall are also home to first-years.
The Fraternity Houses just received a total renovation and reopened for the Spring 2009 semester.
Student Life
Stetson has approximately 20 honorary academic and professional organizations and over 100 other student organizations on campus. Organizations on campus include the Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate program, Model United Nations; The Reporter, Florida's oldest college newspaper; a philosophy club; Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Professional Fraternity; Alpha Kappa Psi Business Professional Fraternity; Roots 'N Shoots (an environmental club); and many others.
There are several religious organizations on campus as well, including the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, the Lutheran Campus Ministries, the Catholic Collegiate Ministry, the Wesley House (Methodist Ministry), the Canterbury House (Episcopal), the Muslim American Student Organization, and the Jewish Student Organization.
There are also a number of multicultural and social justice organizations on campus, including the Black Student Association, the Hispanic Organization for Latin American Awareness (HOLA), Organization for Students Actively Pursuing Equality (OSAPE), STAND (the student-run branch of the Genocide Intervention Network), and Kaleidoscope (the LGBT alliance on campus).
There is also an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) unit that students can participate in on-campus through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Successful completion of the ROTC program allows University students to be commissioned in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant, and requires a service commitment.
There are five social sororities on campus: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Pi Beta Phi, and Zeta Tau Alpha, and six social fraternities: Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Delta Sigma Phi.
Stetson is also home to chapters from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a music fraternity for men, and Sigma Alpha Iota, a music fraternity for women.
Student Government
The Stetson University Student Government Association was established in 1908 and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. SGA is the representative and executive decision making body for all undergraduate students in the Stetson community.
Student governance at Stetson consists of two branches, an executive and a unicameral legislative branch.
The executive branch consists of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, the Secretary of Communication, the Secretary of Finance, and the Secretary of Student Involvement.
The Student Body President and Student Body Vice President are elected annually in the spring. After installment, the Student Body President appoints the Secretaries of Communication, Finance, and Student Involvement.
Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate
Stetson University hosts the nation's first and oldest college-level Model United States Senate program (established in 1970) every year in March. Each year, students from colleges and universities around the nation gather at Stetson University for this three-day event. The Model Senate reproduces the actual procedures and activities of the United States Senate in an effort to provide experience and education for the student participants. Each student is assigned a Senator in one of five legislative committees and is responsible for researching a variety of bills, and crafting appropriate amendments. In addition, the Model Senate attracts national speakers and lecturers, including former and sitting United States Senators.
This year (2009) Stetson will be holding the 38th Annual F.M.R. Model Senate on March 12-14, 2009 at Stetson University in Deland, FL. Registration is open to Stetson students as well as any other interested studets.
Athletics
Intercollegiate Athletics
Stetson is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and both men’s and women’s teams compete on a Division I level in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The basketball and baseball teams play national schedules and have achieved national rankings.
Men’s Teams include: Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, and Tennis. Women’s Teams include: Basketball, Crew, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.
One of Stetson's longtime rivals is the University of Central Florida Golden Knights, owing in part to geographical proximity. Though the rivalry has come to a halt in many other sports, it has continued in baseball after UCF left the Atlantic Sun Conference for Conference USA.
Stetson played the first intercollegiate basketball games (both men’s and women’s), the first intercollegiate baseball game, and the first intercollegiate football game in Florida. Stetson’s men’s basketball team was the first in Florida to earn 1,000 victories.
The school's mascot is the Stetson Hatter.
Intramural Program
The Intramural Program offers students the opportunity to manage, officiate, direct and participate in physical activities. The following sports are available to both men and women: Basketball, Indoor Volleyball, Swimming, Bowling, Kickball, Table Tennis, Darts, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Dodge Ball, Sand Volleyball, Water Polo (Inner tube), Flag Football, Softball.
Continuing Education
The University has a department of continuing education which specializes in services to organizations outside of the Stetson community.
The Elderhostel program - held primarily at the end of the fall semester into the beginning of the spring semester, as well as during the summer - allows individuals older than the "traditional" university age to attend classes on campus and in the region for a week, with specialized courses taught throughout the university's curriculum.
The HATS (High Achieving Talented Students) Program serves gifted and high achieving 4th - 9th grade students through Saturday and summer programs, scholarships, and above-level testing.
In February, Continuing Education and the department of Religious Studies host the Florida Winter Pastors’ School, an event popular with clergy from across North America.
Notable alumni
See also
Bibliography
Lycan, Gilbert L. Stetson University: The First 100 Years. DeLand, FL: Stetson University Press, 1983.
External links
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