Virginia Intermont College
Encyclopedia
Virginia Intermont College is a small private liberal arts
college in Bristol, Virginia
. It was founded in 1884 by a Baptist minister to create additional education opportunities for women. The school has been coeducational since 1972.
The name "Intermont" is a reference to the college's mountain setting. The Holston Range, which merges into the Blue Ridge Mountains
, can be seen from campus. The College is located in Bristol, Virginia
, part of the Tri-Cities region, which also includes Johnson City
and Kingsport, Tennessee
.
on September 17, 1884 by Reverend J.R. Harrison, a Baptist minister, as a means to bring higher education opportunities to women in southwest Virginia. Instructing both boarding and day students, the school steadily grew until it outgrew its facilities in less than ten years.
The college began moving to a new site in Bristol, Virginia
in 1891, completing its relocation with the beginning of classes on September 14, 1893. Shortly after the move, the name was changed to Virginia Institute. A reorganization of the curriculum in 1910 brought the college into the junior college
movement and the college became the first two-year institution to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
. The school's name changed to Virginia Intermont College in 1908.
During the 1960s five new buildings were constructed to accommodate the school's growth. In May 1968, the college's Board of Trustees approved a plan for the development of a four-year institution. In 1972, the college award its first baccalaureate degree and began admitting men.
On April 3, 2007, Virginia Intermont College's administration announced that its financial situation had declined to critical levels and the college lacked the funds to offer faculty members contracts for the 2007-08 academic year, prompting pleas for donations and talk of merger with another college. On June 18, 2007, the college president announced that enough funding had been secured to extend faculty contracts for the 2007-08 school year. Bristol business leader Bill Gatton donated a large sum of money and challenged other community business leaders to do the same.
On January 25, 2010 Dr. Michael Puglisi announced his resignation and Dr. Robert Rainwater was named interim president. In July 2010 the college found a new president, Dr. E. Clorisa Phillips, the first female president of Virginia Intermont College. She has since changed the school around and has received numerous donations along with updating most of campus.
In 2007, the college was denied reaffirmation and placed on probation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. After being on probation for two years, the college was removed from probation on June 25, 2009.
In 2011, the college was again given a warning by Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools regarding the status of their accredidation.
In addition Virginia Intermont is accredited by, approved by, or holds membership in the following organizations: Virginia Social Work Education Consortium, Council on Social Work Education, Association of Virginia Colleges, College Entrance Examination Board, American Association for
Higher Education, Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, College Placement Council, Cooperative Education Association, National Association of College Admission Counselors, American Association of College Admission Counselors, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Council for Independent Colleges of Virginia, Virginia College Fund, and Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
The first major addition to the school was in the early 1920s when Hodges Hall and the current president's home were constructed. These were followed by the construction of what is currently known as East Hall in 1922. The gymnasium was built in 1930 which was followed shortly by the Library and the Humanities building. No further major construction would take place until the early 1960s when Intermont Hall, The Science Hall, the student center and the new indoor pool, the Harrison-Jones Auditorium, and the Worrell Fine Arts Center were constructed.
In summer 2011 updating has begun on Science Hall, West and Main bathrooms along with air-conditioning in the recital hall and theater. All of the sidewalks on campus are being re-done this year.
Additional facilities include lighted tennis courts and an amphitheater with a seating capacity of 12,000.
in the Appalachian Athletic Conference
. Teams include baseball, men and women's basketball, men's golf, softball, men's soccer (women's soccer in 2012), cheerleading and volleyball. Virginia Intermont fields equestrian teams in competitions affiliated with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, and the International Intercollegiate Equestrian Association.
Another spring tradition is the Torchlight ceremony, which takes place after baccalaureate. Graduates march around the campus and one by one has a torch lit by the president. The group then forms the college below Harrison-Jones Memorial Hall and sings the college song, "Nil Sine Numine."
The college's official song, "Nil Sine Numine," was written by students in 1952 as part of a tradition for students of writing and competing with a song demonstrating pride in the institution. The music for the song was taken from a song called "The Gaudeamus" which was sung in the musical The Student Prince. The school songwriting tradition ended when the school became coeducational in 1972.
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
college in Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
. It was founded in 1884 by a Baptist minister to create additional education opportunities for women. The school has been coeducational since 1972.
The name "Intermont" is a reference to the college's mountain setting. The Holston Range, which merges into the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, can be seen from campus. The College is located in Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
, part of the Tri-Cities region, which also includes Johnson City
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
and Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
.
History
The college was founded as Southwest Virginia Institute in Glade Spring, VirginiaGlade Spring, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,374 people, 565 households, and 402 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,093.4 people per square mile . There were 626 housing units at an average density of 498.2 per square mile...
on September 17, 1884 by Reverend J.R. Harrison, a Baptist minister, as a means to bring higher education opportunities to women in southwest Virginia. Instructing both boarding and day students, the school steadily grew until it outgrew its facilities in less than ten years.
The college began moving to a new site in Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
in 1891, completing its relocation with the beginning of classes on September 14, 1893. Shortly after the move, the name was changed to Virginia Institute. A reorganization of the curriculum in 1910 brought the college into the junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
movement and the college became the first two-year institution to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
. The school's name changed to Virginia Intermont College in 1908.
During the 1960s five new buildings were constructed to accommodate the school's growth. In May 1968, the college's Board of Trustees approved a plan for the development of a four-year institution. In 1972, the college award its first baccalaureate degree and began admitting men.
On April 3, 2007, Virginia Intermont College's administration announced that its financial situation had declined to critical levels and the college lacked the funds to offer faculty members contracts for the 2007-08 academic year, prompting pleas for donations and talk of merger with another college. On June 18, 2007, the college president announced that enough funding had been secured to extend faculty contracts for the 2007-08 school year. Bristol business leader Bill Gatton donated a large sum of money and challenged other community business leaders to do the same.
On January 25, 2010 Dr. Michael Puglisi announced his resignation and Dr. Robert Rainwater was named interim president. In July 2010 the college found a new president, Dr. E. Clorisa Phillips, the first female president of Virginia Intermont College. She has since changed the school around and has received numerous donations along with updating most of campus.
Accreditation
Virginia Intermont College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. Virginia Intermont's accreditation was last reaffirmed in 1997 and the institution will next go through the reaffirmation process in 2011.In 2007, the college was denied reaffirmation and placed on probation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. After being on probation for two years, the college was removed from probation on June 25, 2009.
In 2011, the college was again given a warning by Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools regarding the status of their accredidation.
In addition Virginia Intermont is accredited by, approved by, or holds membership in the following organizations: Virginia Social Work Education Consortium, Council on Social Work Education, Association of Virginia Colleges, College Entrance Examination Board, American Association for
Higher Education, Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, College Placement Council, Cooperative Education Association, National Association of College Admission Counselors, American Association of College Admission Counselors, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Council for Independent Colleges of Virginia, Virginia College Fund, and Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
Campus
The original campus buildings built between 1891 and 1893 consisted of the main hall (which featured a dining hall, room for 200 boarders, a gymnasium, an indoor pool) as well as a fine arts building and two out buildings which housed classrooms. The original structure, which only consists of the main hall today, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 4, 1984.The first major addition to the school was in the early 1920s when Hodges Hall and the current president's home were constructed. These were followed by the construction of what is currently known as East Hall in 1922. The gymnasium was built in 1930 which was followed shortly by the Library and the Humanities building. No further major construction would take place until the early 1960s when Intermont Hall, The Science Hall, the student center and the new indoor pool, the Harrison-Jones Auditorium, and the Worrell Fine Arts Center were constructed.
In summer 2011 updating has begun on Science Hall, West and Main bathrooms along with air-conditioning in the recital hall and theater. All of the sidewalks on campus are being re-done this year.
Buildings
The campus of Virginia Intermont is eight blocks from downtown Bristol. Campus buildings are a blend of modern and historic structures. Major buildings and facilities are described below.- The Turner Student Center, completed in 1959, is named for Dr. Floyd V. Turner, president of Virginia Intermont from 1956 to 1979.
- The Worrell Fine Arts Center was completed in 1961. The center contains the Dorothy Cigrand Trayer Theatre. The Recital Hall contains a three-manual Moller organ. Theatre and Recital hall were air-conditioned in summer 2011.
- The Science Hall was completed in the spring of 1963 and was completely updated in fall 1999. It was again pdated in summer 2011.
- The J. Henry Kegley Center is an amphitheatre-style lecture hall.
- The Humanities and Social Sciences Building is a three-story classroom and faculty office building.
- Harrison-Jones Memorial Hall, completed in 1967, serves as a chapel-auditorium. It seats 982 people in the air-conditioned space, which also houses the college's Flentrop organ. The structure is named for the Rev. J. R. Harrison, founder of the college, and his son-in-law, S. D. Jones, Intermont president from 1889 to 1898.
- The J. Henry Kegley Auditorium is inside Harrison Jones Memorial Hall.
- The Virginia Ruth Hutton Blevins Art Building was donated to the college in 1997 and renovated in 1998.
- The Arnold House, on the corner of Moore and Intermont Drive, is a former family residence that was donated by Bristol businessmen Jack and Joe Arnold.
- Student housing is concentrated in the following buildings: The Main Complex, Hodges Hall, East Hall, Intermont Hall, Prader Hall, and West Hall.
- The Smith-Canter Gymnasium, built in 1928, is named for Mary Lou Smith, an alumna and long-time faculty member of the college, and Virginia Canter, who served as a faculty member and later registrar before her retirement
- The J. F. Hicks Memorial Library houses a traditional print collection and provides access to many electronic resources. The library has over 160,000 items listed in the Appalachian College Association catalog, which is shared with 26 other association members. Approximately 55,000 of these items are print materials contained in the library, while online access is provided to over 97,000 electronic books.
- The Old Manse houses classrooms, faculty offices for the English department, and the Writing Center. The Writing Center was funded in 1995 by the Jessie Ball du Pont Foundation.
- The Riding Center is located six miles (10 km) from the main campus, just off Exit 10 of Interstate 81. It has two indoor rings, one outdoor ring, four wash stalls, and plenty of turnout paddocks. The barn has had numerous udpates over the past four years, such as new roofing, new siding, new floors in the stalls, new railing in both indoors.
- The Intermont Photography Lab houses separate laboratories for black and white and color processing and printing as well as a laboratory for experimental processes. specialized techniques.
- The Math Lab is in the Science Hall.
- Van Dyke–Davis Alumni House is on Moore Street. It is named after Mary Van Dyke ‘44 and Mary Coomer Davis ‘47; they helped organize the donation of all the furniture, which is of the period.
Additional facilities include lighted tennis courts and an amphitheater with a seating capacity of 12,000.
Organization
The school is governed by a president, provost and a Board of Trustees. Some of the trustees are nominated by the Baptist General Assembly of Virginia. The school's programs fall under four divisions: Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts, Professional Studies, and Public Service and Leadership. Four-year programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Bachelor of Science degree, Bachelor of Social Work degree, and two-year programs leading to the Associate in Arts degree are offered.Honors program
The college offers an honors program built on the following goals:- To offer inquisitive and intellectually curious students an atmosphere which broadens their outlook and stretches the limits of their thinking;
- To promote the integration of teaching and learning across the disciplines, complementing the objectives of the college’s core curriculum;
- To encourage students to be open to innovative ways of acquiring and developing knowledge;
- To incorporate civic responsibility, leadership, and service within the broader context of learning;
- To create an interdisciplinary academic experience which enhances the overall intellectual environment of the campus.
Athletics
The Virginia Intermont Cobras compete in Division II of the National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
in the Appalachian Athletic Conference
Appalachian Athletic Conference
The Appalachian Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that competes in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II competition. Members of the conference are located in the Southeast United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia...
. Teams include baseball, men and women's basketball, men's golf, softball, men's soccer (women's soccer in 2012), cheerleading and volleyball. Virginia Intermont fields equestrian teams in competitions affiliated with the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, and the International Intercollegiate Equestrian Association.
Student clubs
- Admissions Ambassadors
- Alpha Chi National Honors Society
- B.O.S.S. Club
- Cardinal Key
- Christian Student Union
- Equestrian Club
- Gay Straight Alliance
- International Affairs Club
- Poetry Club
- Social Work Club
- Southern Virginia Education Association
- Student Activities Committee
- Student Government Association
School traditions
The college's long-held tradition of May Day is now celebrated as May Court, a time to recognize seniors who have been selected by their classmates for an honor court which occurs each year during graduation festivities.Another spring tradition is the Torchlight ceremony, which takes place after baccalaureate. Graduates march around the campus and one by one has a torch lit by the president. The group then forms the college below Harrison-Jones Memorial Hall and sings the college song, "Nil Sine Numine."
The college's official song, "Nil Sine Numine," was written by students in 1952 as part of a tradition for students of writing and competing with a song demonstrating pride in the institution. The music for the song was taken from a song called "The Gaudeamus" which was sung in the musical The Student Prince. The school songwriting tradition ended when the school became coeducational in 1972.
Noted alumni
- Robert SsejjembaRobert SsejjembaRobert Ssejjemba is a Ugandan professional soccer player who currently plays for Charlotte Eagles) in the USL Second Division....
(2004), professional soccer player - Preston Gannaway (2000), 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography
- Michael Elam (2003), former professional entertainer in North America and overseas, founder and first president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians ring 355, creator and cofounder of the Twin City Magic Convention.