Radford University is a co-educational public university located in Radford in the U.S. State of Virginia. It is one of the state's eight doctorate-granting public universities. Founded in 1910, Radford offers curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A., M.A., M.S., Ed.S., Psy.D., M.S.W., and specialized doctoral programs in health-related professions.
History
The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford was founded in Radford as a women's college in 1910. In 1924, the school was renamed the State Teachers College at Radford, with the primary intent of training teachers in the Appalachian region. In 1943, as part of the state's consolidation movement, the college merged with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in nearby Blacksburg, serving as the larger university's women's campus. The merger dissolved in 1964, and following a period of sustained and significant growth, Radford College was granted university status in 1979. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly authorized three doctoral programs at Radford University, and the first doctoral degrees were awarded in 2011.
Academics
Radford University's undergraduate programs emphasize the liberal arts, business, sciences, and teacher education. The graduate and undergraduate programs in business administration offered by the College of Business and Economics at Radford University are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
The university has a student/faculty ratio of 18:1 with an average class size of 31.
More than 80 percent of faculty members hold doctorates or other terminal degrees (M.F.A., M.B.A., Ph.D., JD, etc.) in their fields. Special programs include Study Abroad, Honors Academy, RU Connections freshmen living/learning communities, internships, co-ops, practical and service learning, Army ROTC, leading to commissions in the U.S. Army, and undergraduate research opportunities.
In 2007, the Radford University Board of Visitors approved the University’s Strategic Plan, dubbed "7â€"17, Forging a Bold New Future," with a goal of establishing Radford as one of the top 50 master's degree-granting universities in the nation by 2017. A new strategic plan will be developed for consideration by the Radford University Board of Visitors and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in September 2017 with anticipated implementation in January 2018.
In the fall of 2017, the university is delivering Innovative Mobile Personalized Accelerated Competency Training (IMPACT): a competency-based education workforce development program focused on cybersecurity.
Radford University and Northern Virginia Community College signed a Guaranteed Transfer Partnership Agreement on August 28, 2017.
Undergraduate and graduate colleges
The university is organized into six undergraduate colleges and a graduate college, the College of Graduate Studies and Research . The undergraduate colleges are:
- College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences
- College of Business and Economics
- College of Education and Human Development
- Waldron College of Health and Human Services
- The Artis College of Science and Technology
- College of Visual and Performing Arts
Within the colleges, some fields are designated as "schools", such as the School of Nursing and School of Social Work (in the College of Health and Human Services) and the School of Communication (in the College of Humanities & Behavioral Sciences). The latter brings together former departments of media studies (journalism, broadcasting, web design, and advertising) and communication (speech-language pathology and public relations).
The College of Graduate Studies and Research offers 18 degree programs in fields such as art, business, communication, counseling, criminal justice, education, English, music, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, and social work. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has authorized three doctoral programs at Radford in counseling psychology, physical therapy and nursing practice. The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program in Counseling Psychology admitted its first students in the fall of 2008. The doctorate in physical therapy program began in the summer of 2009. The first Doctor of Nursing Practice students began studies in an online program in the fall of 2010.
Campus and community
Radford University is an 204-acre (0.83Â km2) campus located in a residential area of Radford, Virginia. The town is located in the Virginia Highlands, between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains at a double bend in the New River. Nearly all of the 31 administrative, academic, student services, and residence halls, many built in a red-brick Georgian style, are located on three quadrangles and a pedestrian thoroughfare in a 76-acre (310,000Â m2) area, while a large adjoining area along the New River holds the university's athletic facilities, student parking lots, and student apartments. The university opened a new COBE building (College of Business and Economics) in 2012. In 2014 a New Student Fitness Center opened. A new Center for Sciences opened during the spring semester of 2016. The following fall semester, the new CHBS (College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences) Building opened its doors. As of 2016, nearly all dorms at Radford have been renovated. Renovations are currently ongoing for several buildings on campus. Radford is located on exits 105 and 109 of Interstate 81, with accessibility to nearby I-77.
Bordering the Little River, and about five miles from campus, is the Selu Conservancy, a 376-acre (1.52Â km2) reserve, observatory, retreat, and conference center owned by the University Foundation.
Student life
Around 3,150 of Radford students live on campus in 15 residence halls.
Radford University has more than 270 student clubs and organizations. Some of them are the Student Government Association, different academic fraternities, clubs, and societies in several academic fields, Radford Pitches A'capella, Yes & Improv Club, RU Outdoors, sports intramural clubs, Model United Nations Club, and more.
Radford University has a variety of student media organizations, such as The Tartan (student-run newspaper), Radio Free Radford, The Beehive (yearbook/magazine), Exit 109 (literary magazine), ROC-TV, a.k.a. "Radford On Camera" (student-TV-station), and SMADS (student media advertising).
Radford has a variety of Greek life fraternities and sororities. Among its chapters are fraternities and sororities such as Alpha Kappa Psi, Alpha Sigma Phi, Alpha Chi Rho, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Pi, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta Rho, Pi Lambda Phi, Phi Kappa Sigma, Phi Sigma Kappa, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Chi, Sigma Pi, Sigma Pi Sigma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Theta Chi, Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Sigma Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and others.
More than 17 religious and organizations are part of the Radford University Campus Ministers' Association (RUCMA). They hold religious events, masses, and ceremonies throughout the academic year.
Radford offers events, performances, conferences, exhibitions, shows, concerts, and lectures for students throughout the academic year.
Athletics
The university's teams are known as the Highlanders (in honor of the region's Scots-Irish heritage) and compete in the Big South Conference. Radford offers 16 NCAA varsity sports for men and women. The Radford men's basketball team won the Big South Conference tournament in 1998 and 2009. Radford also won the Big South Conference Men's Tennis Championship in 2007, 2008, and 2009 as well as the Big South Softball Championship in 2009.
The most recent Big South Conference Championship was the 2015 Radford Baseball Team. They defeated the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina with a walk off single by Hunter Higgerson. The team finished with a final record of 45-16. The team was selected to compete in the Nashville Regional where they went 2-2, with wins against Lipscomb University and University of Indiana, before losing to the 2015 National Runner-up Vanderbilt University, in the Regional Finals.
The Radford men's Rugby club team won the Division II National Championship in 2003 and 2008.
Student athletes have exclusive use of the Dedmon Center, a recreational and convocation complex that opened in 1981. The Dedmon Center features a 1/6-mile indoor jogging track, a weight-training room, a pool, locker rooms, and several team rooms. The main arena features a basketball floor and a secondary volleyball arena for intercollegiate competition with four recreational courts for basketball or volleyball. Adjoining facilities include intramural soccer, football, softball fields, and intercollegiate fields and courts for baseball, softball, field hockey, and tennis. The Patrick D. Cupp Stadium adds an intercollegiate soccer, lacrosse, and track and field complex.
Notable alumni
- Frank Beamer - Prolific head coach (retired) for Virginia Tech's football program. He is the sixth winningest coach in history at the Division I FBS level, at one point held the record for most consecutive bowl appearances in NCAA football, and made Virginia Tech football what it is today.
- Randal J. Kirk - Founder of New River Pharmaceuticals and CEO of Intrexon
- Dave Mattingly - National Public Radio weekday morning news anchor
- Steve Robinson - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Assistant Head Coach
- Buddhi Athauda - Ambassador and Permanent Delegation to UNESCO since Oct 4th 2017, and Ambassador Designate (France, Spain, Portugal,Andorra and Monaco - 2017 April)
Ambassador Extra Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka in the Kingdom of The Netherlands (2011-2015)
- Jayma Mays - American Actress and Singer
- Scott Long - Activist for international human rights, primarily focusing on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people at Human Rights Watch. He later was a Visiting Fellow in the Human Rights Program of Harvard Law School from 2011-2012.
- Eddie Butler - Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs organization
- Ryan Meisinger - Pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles organization
- Marty Smith - ESPN Commentator and host of Marty Smith's America
- Eugenio Pineiro - International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
- Stacey Fraser - Founder of fashion company Pink Chicken
- Joseph Yost - Virginia House of Delegates
- Marylynn Magar - Florida House of Representatives
- Emma Violand Sanchez - Founder of the Dream Project
- David Adkins - Coaching Staff for the Washington Wizards
- Steve Govett - President of the National Lacrosse League San Diego Lacrosse Team
- Kiera Cass - Author
- James Dickinson - Public Accountant in Washington D.C
- Scott Reynolds - Public Servant in Fairfax County, VA
Diane Stupar- Elliott in the Morning commentator.
Administration
Radford University's current president is Brian Hemphill, who has served in that role since July 2016. The university's administration is overseen by a 15-member board, whose members are appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth and serve four-year terms. Each year, the Board also selects a student and a faculty member to serve as advisory representatives on the Board.
Past presidents:
- John Preston McConnell, 1911â€"1937
- David Wilbur Peters, 1938â€"1951
- Charles Knox Martin Jr., 1952â€"1972, Chancellor, 1972â€"73, President Emeritus
- Donald Newton Dedmon, 1972â€"1994
- Douglas Covington, 1995â€"2005, President Emeritus
- Penelope Ward Kyle, 2005â€"2016, President Emeritus
References
- 2007â€"08 Catalog and resource books provided by Radford University.
External links
- Official website
- Radford Athletics website