King University is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

-affiliated university in

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in the State of Tennessee. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. T ...

. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

History

In April 1866, the Holston Presbytery assembled at the old Pleasant Grove Church in Bristol, Tenn., to establish a Christian college. The College was built on of land in Bristol that had been donated by

Reverend The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...

James King, in whose honor it is named. The first classes were offered in August 1867. When the college outgrew its small campus, King's grandson Isaac Anderson donated land on a hillside east of Bristol and in 1917 the college moved to its present location. In January 2013, King College announced that it would change its name to King University. The name change reflects the master's-level, comprehensive benchmark that King has reached in recent years. Becoming a university was the natural unfolding of King's strategic plan, unveiled in 1998, to create an even broader mix of programs based on a university model. On June 1, 2013, King College officially became King University. King University-Gate-Header 2022

In December 2013, King University was granted a Level V designation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC), after a two-year application and review process. As a result, King University began its first doctoral program, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, in Fall 2014.

Campus

The King University

campus A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-li ...

is located on approximately from downtown Bristol, Tennessee. All main buildings on campus are brick and of Georgian-style architecture. King University also has three additional Tennessee campuses located in Kingsport and Knoxville. There are 10 additional instructional locations across Southwest Virginia and Tennessee.

Accreditation and memberships

King University is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

(SACSCOC) King is a member of numerous associations, including the Appalachian College Association (ACA), the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) and the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a global organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C. History In 1976, presidents of colleges in the Christian College Co ...

(CCCU).

Academics

King University offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors and pre-professional programs. Several professional studies programs are offered for working professionals and most programs are available in face-to-face and online formats. King also offers several graduate programs: Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Schools

King University is organized into six schools: *College of Arts and Sciences *Peeke School of Christian Mission *School of Health and Professional Sciences *School of Business, Economics and Technology *School of Education *School of Nursing

Libraries

* E.W. King Library (main campus): The E.W. King library contains a collection of over 140,000 items and is located on the north side of the campus Oval. * Kingsport Information Resource Center: This center serves the College's students who attend classes in Kingsport, TN, and the surrounding area. * Knoxville Learning Center: This center serves the College's Adult and Graduate Studies (AGS) students who attend classes in Knoxville, TN, and the surrounding area.

Curriculum

The Core Curriculum of King University underwent its last major revision by the faculty during Spring, 2009. The Core is composed of a Common Experience, four semester hours of courses that all tradition undergraduates must take at the college, and General Education, thirty-eight hours of courses that span the traditional liberal arts.

Experience DC

As part of the University's

First Year Experience Program The First-Year Experience (FYE) (also known as the Freshman-Year Experience or the Freshman Seminar Program) is a program at many American colleges and universities designed to help students prepare for the transition from high school to college. F ...

, each year the entire freshman class travels to Washington, D.C. for an experiential learning trip known as ''Experience DC''. During the trip, students visit offices of legislators, national museums, international organizations, art galleries and various public venues. Participants are challenged to explore their views on the arts, religion, varying cultures and issues facing humankind. The trip also helps students examine career options.

Institutes of King University

Institute of Security and Intelligence Studies. The King Institute for Security and Intelligence Studies (KISIS) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the scholarly study and advancement of security and intelligence issues. Institute for Regional and Economic Studies. The King Institute for Regional Economic Studies (KIRES) was established in 2012 to expand the scope of the King University Regional Economic Studies (KCRES) team. A small KCRES team was formed in 2010 within King’s School of Business to provide analysis of economic problems and opportunities confronting the region served by King University. Institute for Faith & Culture. The King Institute aims to cultivate a conversation that is both artful and substantial on issues of Christian faith and culture, creating spaces for students and community members to find friendship and shared purpose.

Student life

Student government

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the formal representative entity for the student body, consisting of elected executive officers (President and Vice President) and a Senate representing each class (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior). The SGA serves as the voice of the students to the board of trustees, administration, faculty, and staff. The SGA also charters, funds, and oversees other student organizations.

Student organizations

Academic organizations include: STEA-KE (Education), History & Political Science Society, Psy Chi Honors Society, Forensic Science Club, Marketing Club, Finance Club, ENACTUS (formerly SIFE), and a collegiate chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery. Performing arts-related organizations include: Collegium Musicum (Chamber Choir), Symphonic Choir, Men's Ensemble (All the King's Men), Women's Ensemble (Queen's of King), Jazz/Gospel Choir, Symphonic Band, 250 Jazz (Combo Jazz Ensemble - plays at basketball games occasionally), Chapel Band, and The King University Players (K.U.P.) General interest organizations include:

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25, ...

, the

Newman Club Newman is a surname of English origin and may refer to many people: The surname Newman is widespread in the core Anglosphere. A * Abram Newman (1736–1799), British grocer * Adrian Newman (disambiguation), multiple people *Al Newman (born 196 ...

, a collegiate chapter of the International Justice Mission, the International Student Organization,

College Republicans College Republicans are college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States. Many members belong to the organization College Republican National Committee (CRNC), College Republicans United (CRU), or various ind ...

College Democrats College Democrats are organizations on many college campuses, working to elect Democratic Party candidates and provide networking and leadership opportunities for student members. The chapters have served as a way for college students to connect w ...

, TISL, and a computer/video gaming club.

Student publications

Students have the opportunity to work in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (p ...

and

publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. ''The Kayseean'' is the student

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...

.
The Kayseean
' transitioned to an online format in 2019. The school's

yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

is ''The Tornado''.

Student activities

The Student Life Activities Committee at King (SLACK) is a student group responsible for organizing and executing student activities, under the direction of the Director of Student Life. Events in the past have included:

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide vari ...

dances Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

, movies, outdoor adventures (canoeing, caving, ropes courses), overnight trips, International Fair, Oktoberfest, a late night exam breakfast, an end-of-the-year luau, Safe Spring Break promotion, and bingo nights. A program of intramural sports, called SLACK Sports, is offered to students. Typical sports include: indoor soccer, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball, bowling, and ultimate frisbee. In addition, intramural video game tournaments, Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, chess tournaments, and board game nights are also held throughout the year.

Residence halls

King's campus offers separate men's and women's

residence halls A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or universit ...

. High-speed internet and cable television are available in the residence halls. * Parks Hall: Parks Hall houses women and features a formal parlor, a casual lobby with big screen television as well as kitchenettes, laundry facilities, and a guest room. Parks is the only residence hall that does not have air conditioning. * Liston Hall: Liston Hall is a five-story residence hall. The top three floors are generally referred to as Liston Hall. The first subfloor houses women and is referred to as Lower Liston Hall. The second subfloor houses men and is known as the Liston Honors Suites. Liston contains laundry facilities, a guest room, and a central lobby on the main floor. All rooms are air conditioned. * Lower Liston Hall: Lower Liston Hall houses women and is located on the first subfloor of Liston Hall. Lower Liston is separated from the men's halls by a series of doors, which are closed at all times, and only accessible in case of emergency. Lower Liston Hall features free laundry facilities, kitchen, and a television lounge. All rooms are air conditioned. * Liston Honors Suites: Liston Honors Suites houses men and is located on the lowest level of Liston Hall. Those living in Liston Honors Suites are selected based on GPA, class standing, and personal commitment to upholding college policies. Liston Honors Suites contains free laundry facilities, a common area, and suite style-rooms with semi-private bathrooms. All rooms are air conditioned. * Mitchell Hall: Mitchell Hall is a townhouse-style residence hall for students located on the west part of campus. Each of the five units can house either men or women. Mitchell has generally housed women but one or more units housing men have been more common in recent years. Each Mitchell Hall unit has free laundry facilities and a television lounge. All rooms are air conditioned. * Hyde Honors Hall: Hyde Hall houses women and offers semi-private bathrooms shared by four suite mates. It contains free laundry facilities, a television lounge, fully equipped kitchen, and a formal lobby. Those living in Hyde are selected based on GPA, class standing, and personal commitment to upholding university policies.

Athletics

The King athletic teams are called the Tornado. The university is a member of the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

ranks, primarily competing in the

Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisi ...

(CC) since the 2011–12 academic year. They were also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athleti ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Tornado previously competed as an NCAA D-II Independent from 2009–10 to 2010–11; and in the

Appalachian Athletic Conference The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentu ...

(AAC) of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA) from 2001–02 to 2008–09. King competes in 25 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include acrobatics & tumbling, basketball, cross country, golf, softball, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, cheerleading, cycling, dance and eSports.

University nickname

The university nickname, the

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alt ...

, was adopted in 1922 following a 206–0 football win over North Carolina rival Lenoir College (now

Lenoir–Rhyne University Lenoir–Rhyne University is a private Lutheran university in Hickory, North Carolina. Founded in 1891, the university is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Academics The university ...

). The local newspaper covering the event wrote the headline "King College's Victory Was 'Tornado' Of Week's Games" and began referring to the football team as the "Tornado". This is a record score which stands in the annals of collegiate football as one of the highest ever won on the gridiron.

University mascot

Twister, a lion, was unveiled as the University's new mascot on September 2, 2011. Twister is a fearless lion that represents the determination and courage reflected in King's adventure as an NCAA Division II institution. Equipped with his King colors of navy blue and scarlet red, Twister dons the number 11 on his back while rallying those in Tornado Athletics and the King University community.

Spiritual life

Students have many opportunities to explore Christian beliefs and spiritual traditions. Opportunities abound with chapel, the King Institute for Faith and Culture, Christian ministry groups, and service projects. Each year, student teams also travel nationally and internationally for a range of mission and study abroad trips. All traditional King students are required to obtain fourteen chapel, convocation, or community service credit hours per semester.

Chapel

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

is held every Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. and led by the Chaplain.

The King University Institute for Faith and Culture

Inaugurated in 2008 and dedicated to the work and example of

Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian minister, preacher, and theologian. The author of thirty-nine published books, his work encompassed different genres, including fiction, autob ...

, the Buechner Institute at King University explored the relationship between faith and culture. In 2015, after the death of Dr. Dale Brown, founding director, and at the request of the Buechner Literary Assets, LLC, the Buechner Institute became the King Institute for Faith and Culture. The King Institute for Faith and Culture is a continuation of conversations between faith, art, and culture started by the Buechner Institute. The King Institute for Faith and Culture sponsors on-campus convocations (generally on Mondays at 9:15 a.m.) as well as evening lectures either on campus or in community venues, that feature speakers from a variety of backgrounds to examine the ways in which faith informs art and public life and cultivate conversation about what faith has to do with books, politics, social discourse, music, visual arts, and more.

Notable alumni

* Christian H. Cooper - author, trader, and member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...

. *

Patricia Cornwell Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels; June 9, 1956) is an American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders i ...

- bestselling author * Cylk Cozart - actor * Rodney D. Fogg- General *

Mike Helton Michael Gregory Helton (born August 30, 1953) is an American businessman, and the Vice Chairman of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). He replaced Bill France Jr. in November 2000 as the company's 3rd president. He was ...

- former president of

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

*Chad Keen - Mayor of Bristol, Tennessee * William R. Laird, III -

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

* Jason Mumpower - former Tennessee State Representative * Katherine Paterson - author of '' Bridge to Terabithia'' and other children's novels File:Patricia Cornwell in 2016.jpg,

File:Rodney D. Fogg.jpg, Rodney D. Fogg File:Mike Helton Nascar President (2480176110).jpg,

File:Katherine Paterson Politics and Prose 2011 crop.jpg, Katherine Paterson

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1867 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Sullivan County, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Sullivan County, Tennessee 1867 establishments in Tennessee Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) Private universities and colleges in Tennessee