Brewton-Parker College
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| Brewton-Parker College | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1904 |
| Type: | Private |
| Religious affiliation: | Southern Baptist Convention |
| Endowment: | $13.3 million[1] |
| President: | Dr. David R. Smith |
| Faculty: | 189[1] |
| Students: | 1,119[1] |
| Location | Mount Vernon, GA, USA |
| Campus: | Rural, 280 acres (1.13 km²) |
| Colors: | Orange and Blue |
| Mascot: | Barons/Wildcats |
| Website: | http://www.bpc.edu/ |
Brewton-Parker College is a four-year college whose main campus is located in Mount Vernon, Georgia, USA. Brewton-Parker is affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Contents |
[edit] History
Brewton-Parker College (BPC) has a long history of service to southeast Georgia. In 1904, local religious and community leaders, Dr. John C. Brewton and C. B. Parker, established a private boarding school to serve elementary and high school students from Montgomery County and the surrounding area. As there were no public high schools at that time, the private boarding school played an important role in furthering the education of the area’s youth.
By 1912, public high schools were established and the community’s needs changed. Brewton-Parker Institute received accreditation in 1918 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a junior college and remained one until 1985 when accreditation as a full four-year College was granted. Again, the change in status was in response to community needs. Public two-year community colleges were being established throughout the state. At the same time, there was a greater demand for graduates from four-year colleges.
BPC now offers undergraduate degrees in seven academic departments with 36 majors. Most of its programs have internships offering practical hands-on experience as well as academic content. Further, in applicable areas, undergraduates are encouraged to participate with faculty in performing research and presenting papers.
As the only independent college in rural southeast Georgia, BPC plays an important educational role in one of the state’s poorest areas. It serves many first generation college students and provides learning assistance to other, non-traditional students seeking to improve their knowledge and skills. Among private colleges, Brewton-Parker enrolls three times as many minority students as the national average.
Scandal hit the college in the late 1990's over fraud in the school's financial aid department. A lawsuit against the school was brought about by Martha Faw, then the assistant director of financial aid. An investigation begun by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that Pell grants had been given to ineligible students, payments had been made to non-U.S. citizens, and guidelines for work-study programs were not followed. In 1998, Brewton-Parker College agreed to repay the government $4 million dollars in what was said to be the largest qui tam recovery in Georgia history. [2]
[edit] Campus
The college offers classes in Savannah, Hinesville where it built a facility, Glennville, Baxley, Norman Park, and Newnan. Most of these students come from nearby communities and, after graduation, many of them choose to return to these communities. This is in keeping with the College’s purpose “to provide a community of intellectual inquiry and learning under Christian sponsorship that fosters student maturation in knowledge, values, and citizenship.”
The College also fulfills an important cultural and economic role in the area. Noted scholars, writers, musical artists, and lecturers participate in on-campus presentations made available to the local community either at no charge or for a nominal fee, thus enriching the cultural offerings of the area. The College’s $6 million payroll and $5 million purchasing budget also enrich the area, serving as major components of the Toombs-Montgomery area economy. In fact, the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges recently reported that BPC has a $40 million annual economic impact in the local community.
[edit] Organization
[edit] Students and faculty
Student demographics:
- 73.2% Caucasian
- 24% African American
- 2% Hispanic
- 0.5% Asian American or Pacific Islander
- 0.3% Native American[1]
There is a 2:1 female-male student ratio and a 9:1 student-faculty ratio.
[edit] Sports, clubs, and traditions
Brewton-Parker is a member of the NAIA and fields teams for baseball, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, softball, and women's volleyball in intercollegiate competition. Intramural sports include basketball, football, softball, table tennis, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball.
Student groups at the school include a drama/theater group, a student-run newspaper, choral group, Council of Intramural Activities, Student Activities Council, Rotaract, Circle K, Alpha Omega Campus Ministry ,and a Baptist Campus Ministry.
The college also recently created an in-depth Creative Expressions BFA, which brought with it several extracurricular opportunities in creative writing, film production and analysis, visual art and musical theatre.
[edit] Noted alumni
- State senator Tommie Williams
- State representative Greg Morris
- Walter Ray, a past chairman of the State Board of Pardons and Parole.
- Wallace Moses made it to the Georgia Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Woodrow Babe Davis signed with the Cleveland Indians and later the Detroit Tigers.
- Sandra Roos, soccer player in the 90's from Holland was NAIA All-American and played on the Dutch National Team
- In 1996 eight BPC girls from the soccer team were chosen to be on the Olympic Exhibition Team
- Dennis Holmberg ‘69 has just completed 27 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays organization
- Johnnie “Trae” Wiggins ’04 was drafted by the Atlanta Braves Farm team.
[edit] Noted faculty
- H. Lee Cheek, Jr. is Chair of the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science. He is one of the world's leading scholars of American political thought generally, and of John C. Calhoun's political thought, more specifically.
- William Faw is Dean of External Programs and a Professor of Psychology; is a well-known scholar of consciousness studies.
- Alan Gragg is the former Vice-President for Academic Affairs and a prominent student of the philosophy of Charles Hartshorne.
- State senator Cecil Staton (1989-1991)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Brewton-Parker College - College Overview. Peterson's. 2007-03-27.
- ^ Taxpayers Against Fraud Quarterly Review, Vol. 14, July, 1998, 54-55.
[edit] External links
- Brewton-Paker College Official website
- Online Application
- Official athletics website
- Campus map
- Brewton-Parker's Myspace
- Georgia Baptist Convention
- Dr. H. Lee Cheek
Southern States Athletic Conference |
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| Auburn Montgomery • Berry • Brenau • Brewton–Parker • Columbia • Emmanuel • Faulkner • Georgia Southwestern State • Lee • Reinhardt • Shorter • Southern Polytechnic State • Southern Wesleyan |
Georgia private colleges and universities |
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| Agnes Scott College • American Intercontinental University • Andrew College • Argosy University • Art Institute of Atlanta • Atlanta Christian College • Atlanta College of Art • Bauder College • Berry College • Brenau University • Brewton-Parker College • Clark Atlanta University • Columbia Theological Seminary • Covenant College • Emmanuel College • Emory University • Georgia Military College • Interdenominational Theological Center • LaGrange College • Life University • Mercer University • Morehouse College • Morehouse School of Medicine • Morris Brown College • Oglethorpe University • Oxford College of Emory University • Paine College • Piedmont College • Reinhardt College • Savannah College of Art and Design • Shorter College • South University • Spelman College • Thomas University • Toccoa Falls College • Truett-McConnell College • Wesleyan College • Westwood College • Young Harris College |
