Greenville College
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Greenville University is a
private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...
in
Greenville, Illinois : Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The population as of the 2020 census was 7,083, up from 7,000 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bond County. Greenville is part of the St. Louis M ...
. It is affiliated with the
Free Methodist Church The Free Methodist Church (FMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement, based in the United States. It is evangelical in nature and is Wesleyan–Arminian in theology. The Free Methodist Church has members in over 100 ...
. Established as Greenville College in 1892, the institution was renamed Greenville University in 2017.


History

In 1855, Stephen Morse and Almira Blanchard founded a college for women: Almira College, which shared an affiliation with the
Baptist Church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
and educated young women, until a change in leadership, affiliation, and organization in 1892. At that time, the Central Illinois Conference of the Free Methodist Church purchased the property of Almira College and named it Greenville College. The institution was restructured to offer a co-educational experience for both genders. The institution was also incorporated as an independent college under the leadership of the Free Methodist Church. Greenville College was renamed to Greenville University in 2017.


Code of conduct

Students attending Greenville University are expected to adhere to a lifestyle that is codified and asks that the student agree to certain principles that the school calls "Christ-honoring", outlined in a document known as the Lifestyle Statement. Violations of the lifestyle statement are handled through a grace-based system which seeks to help students recover from any negative effects (i.e. addiction, emotional distress) and rehabilitate them to live according to what they believe is Christ's purpose for their life. The Lifestyle Statement exists to keep the GU community accountable for having a healthy lifestyle that keeps the individual in line with God's redemptive plan. It includes instructions for all students to avoid: "
backbiting Backbiting or tale-bearing is to slander someone in their absence — to bite them behind their back. Originally, backbiting referred to an unsporting attack from the rear in the blood sport of bearbaiting. Causes Backbiting may occur as a form ...
, cheating, dishonesty,
drunkenness Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main p ...
, gossip, immodesty of dress, lying,
occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
practices, profanity, sexual promiscuity (including
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
,
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
behavior, pre-marital sex), theft, and vulgarity (including crude language)." Other actions that students must agree to refrain from, both while on and away from campus, include: "the use of tobacco in any form, alcoholic beverages,
hallucinogenic drugs Hallucinogens are a large, diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorize ...
and substances (including
marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
), or narcotics not authorized by a physician", gambling, and using or possessing
pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
. And, in keeping with the institution's focus on Christian principles, the document states: "Members of the community are to observe the
Lord's Day The Lord's Day in Christianity is generally Sunday, the principal day of communal worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the canonical Gospels to have been witnessed al ...
(Sunday) as a day set apart primarily for worship, fellowship, ministry, and rest." These principles are set in place to hold students accountable for creating a learning environment that intends to stands out from other universities and offer unique benefits to the health and well-being of the student. Greenville University states that it is committed to providing support without judgment to anyone suffering from any kind of problem, addiction, or mental illness. Struggling students are often encouraged to receive counseling or meet with a mentor in order to provide professional support as they attempt to make lifestyle changes. Students are not required to sign a statement of faith; however, they must fulfill at least 36 chapel credits each semester. Most of these credits are fulfilled by attending a chapel service that is available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of every academic week at 9:30am.


Campus

Nearly 800 students live on campus in a variety of residence halls including Joy Hall, Janssen Hall, Burritt Hall, Holtwick Hall, Blakenship Apartments, Tenney Hall, Kinney Hall, and Ellen J. Mannoia Hall (formerly known as College Avenue Hall). An additional 101-bed dormitory, called Hood Hall (formerly known as West Oak Hall), opened in the fall of 2007. Students also live in a number of college-owned houses. In the summer of 2007, Janssen Hall (originally constructed in 1959) was gutted and completely updated and remodeled. Joy Hall was renovated in the summer of 2011 to bring it up to modern safety code. The college is home to the only museum dedicated to the works of sculptor
Richard Bock Richard W. Bock (July 16, 1865 – 1949) was an American sculptor and associate of Frank Lloyd Wright. He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials,Lorado Taft''The History of American Sculptur ...
, an associate of
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
. The first classes of Almira College in the 1850s were held in John Brown White's home, which is called the Almira College House; it houses Bock's sculptures.Allan H. Keith
''Historical Stories: About Greenville and Bond County, IL''
Consulted on August 15, 2007.
In 1999, under the leadership of President Mannoia, the college became the first campus in the nation to install a completely wireless internet network across the entire campus.


Hogue Hall

The previous oldest building on campus, Wilson T. Hogue Hall, originally housed Almira College. Bricks for the building were made on the front campus in 1855, and the building was erected between 1856 and 1864 and given the name "Old Main". Hogue Hall contained the data processing center and administrative offices of the college on the lower two floors. The upper two floors, originally
dormitory 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 university s ...
rooms, provided offices for the faculty and a few small classrooms. Informal conversation between faculty and students frequently took place in these offices. An open "bridge" at the third-floor level led to the third floor of LaDue Auditorium and Marston Hall, which serves as the main classroom building. This building was part of the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. In the spring of 2007, then-President Vincent James Mannoia was made aware of structural problems within Hogue Hall that led to a remodeling project in the building. In the summer of 2007, remodeling work on the lower floor found significant cracks in the timber holding up the masonry wall. When it became aware of the situation, the college stopped the remodeling and consulted with a
structural engineer Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic ...
and
architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
experts on old buildings for advice. These experts' initial inspection uncovered major structural concerns in the east wing of the historic building. Classes were moved from the four classrooms on the third floor of the building, and faculty with offices located in the east wing were relocated to the classrooms. After extensive consultation with local citizens, faculty, staff, alumni, and the board of trustees, President Mannoia determined that Hogue Hall should be torn down in the summer of 2008, despite objections from Illinois' state preservation agency. The site of Hogue Hall is now contains Hogue Tower Memorial, a tower recreated in the shape of a tower that used to stand center of Hogue Hall. Original plans were to rebuild a new Hogue Hall in the same location, the college board of trustees is deciding whether to rebuild it in another location.


Athletics

Greenville University teams participate as a member of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
's
Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...
. The Panthers are a member of the
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) is an NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Midwestern and SouthernUnited States. There are 9 full member institutions as of 2022. History Chronological timeline Sour ...
(SLIAC). The Panthers also compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Greenville added men's volleyball in the 2015–16 school year (2016 season); since the SLIAC only sponsors volleyball for women, that team will compete in the
Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) is an intercollegiate men's volleyball conference associated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division III, Division III. History The MCVL was founded in March 2014 by a ...
. Greenville College’s football team won the Victory Bowl, the NCCAA national championship game, in 2012. The men’s indoor track and field team has won four NCCAA national championships, in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, while the men’s outdoor track and field team has won six NCCAA national championships, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. The GU women’s basketball team won the NCCAA national championship in 2017.


Notable alumni

, - colspan="2" !Bands , - colspan="2" !People


Faculty

1956
Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...
candidate for
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
, Enoch A. Holtwick, was a professor of history and government at Greenville College and is honored at GU through the Enoch A. Holtwick Literary Award and Enoch A. Holtwick Hall, a residence building. GU professor Richard Huston became a
Fulbright scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
for the third time in July 2007. He spent a year lecturing at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua in Leon, Nicaragua, beginning in February 2008. Greenville University depends heavily on full-time faculty as the foundation for its educational program, particularly in the four-year traditional undergraduate programs. In the spring of 2009, 69 full-time faculty were employed at the school. According to the Faculty Handbook, full-time faculty are reviewed regularly in their second, fourth, and sixth years of employment. For those faculty on the tenure track, the sixth year review is usually a tenure review. Post-tenure reviews occur every seven years. In each review, teaching and professional growth are evaluated. Faculty are also evaluated in at least one other area: scholarship, service, and/or governance. Greenville University says the review process is based on its published standards and what it calls its commitment to excellence in teaching.


See also

* Phyllis Holmes * Robert Smith


References


Further reading

* ''Still Abides the Memory'' by Mary A. Tenney. Student and faculty member writes about the history and her experience of Greenville College * ''Man Proposes, But God Disposes: A Biography of John Brown White, Lawyer, Minister, Educator, and Founding President of Almira College'' by Dr. Donald Jordahl, Emeritus Professor of History at Greenville College


External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control 1855 establishments in Illinois Buildings and structures in Bond County, Illinois Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Bond County, Illinois Educational institutions established in 1855 Evangelicalism in Illinois Greenville, Illinois Sixth form colleges Universities and colleges in the United States affiliated with the Free Methodist Church University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Tourist attractions in Bond County, Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Bond County, Illinois Private universities and colleges in Illinois