Cottey College

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Location
Cottey College
Image:CotteyCollegeSealPicture.jpg
For Women By Women About Women
Nevada, Missouri Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States
Information
Affiliation(s)	Non-Sectarian
President	Judy R. Rogers, Ph.D.
Faculty	35
Type	Private Women's College
Campus	Suburban
Mascot	Duck (senior class mascot)
Color(s)	Yellow, White
Established	1884
Enrollment	324
Homepage	www.cottey.edu

Cottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri is a private, two-year women's college offering the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. Cottey College is owned and supported by the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philantropic women's organization.

1 History
2 Academics
3 Student Life
4 Notable Alumnae
5 References

[edit] History

Cottey College was founded in 1884 in Nevada by Virginia Alice Cottey (later Stockard)^[1]. Alice, as her family called her, was an avid reader, and largely self-taught as there simply weren't a lot of educational opportunities for girls. A love of teaching and learning and the realization of this shortfall in society had a strong influence on her life, and she developed a passion for giving young women the opportunity to learn, as she expressed in the following words: "When I was a small child I read a book about Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke College for women. It gave me a purpose in life and I devoted all my energy to learning and teaching so that if the time ever came when I could found my own school, I would be ready. I began my teaching career in the district school in Knox County, and continued to study and learn on my own. In 1876, I was offered a teaching position at Central Female College in Lexington, Missouri."^[1]

Upon the death of her father in 1883, Virginia Alice Cottey realized that if she planned to start her own school she had better hurry up because at the age of thirty-five, she thought that she would soon be considered an old woman. She spent the summer after her father's death at home, helping her mother and studying a book on the life of Mary Lyon and the process she went through to establish Mount Holyoke College. With the encouragement of her sisters, Mary and Dora, and armed with $3,000 in savings, she took the plunge.

She started off with a little brick schoolhouse, a building that still stands today as the center portion of Main Hall of Cottey College. Originally named Vernon Seminary, its success was evident from the start. Named for the county in which it is located, the townspeople refused to call it that, referring to it as the "Cottey sisters' school" or Cottey College. From its humble beginnings the College has grown to 14 buildings on an 11-block tract, and a scenic 33-acre wooded area used for campus gatherings and retreats.

In 1926, Mrs. Stockard received an invitation to join Chapter DW of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. While at the age of 78, she thought she was too old to become a new member, the educational purpose appealed to her and she thought she might contribute some service from her many years of experience. In November that year, the chapter's education day program revealed the extent of the organization's philanthropic contributions, all dedicated to women. A thought came to her, almost as a revelation “That is where Cottey College belongs.”^[1]

On the convention platform of the 1927 convention of Supreme Chapter in Oklahoma City, Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard presented her life’s work to the Sisterhood. She proposed that P.E.O. accept the deed for the property with no debt against it and agree to raise an endowment of not less than $200,000, with no time limit for its completion. Her proposal was met with shock and surprise. After extensive discussion and many questions, it was announced the following morning that a majority of the delegates, had voted to accept her offer.^[1]

She recognized the immense courage of the delegates with the following words: "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. As I have been sitting here, I have been thinking how strange are the ways of God to man. At the time the P.E.O. Sisterhood was beginning to foster the education of women, in a little town in Missouri I was struggling toward that same goal. As I looked at this bowl of Marguerites tied with yellow and white, I thought of a handful of hopeful young girls years ago meeting in a plain study hall to vote on the school colors and a flower to represent them--they decided on the Marguerite and the yellow and white."^[1]

[edit] Academics

Cottey College offers the Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences degrees. The type of degree student receives is based upon core curriculum and distribution requirements she completes. Students choose subjects of their interest and/or intended major. There is no obligation to declare a major while at Cottey, however, students usually complete prerequisites or requirements for their future field of study upon graduation. Over 95% of graduates transfer to four-year institutions, including Smith College, Stephens College, Wellesley College, Salem College, and Mount Holyoke College.

Faculty includes both men and women, with 94% holding the terminal academic degree in their field. The college's mission is stated in the college Catalog: "Cottey College will educate qualified women in the arts and sciences to prepare them for transfer to programs beyond the associate's degree by enhancing their intellectual ability, their store of knowledge, their personal skills, and thereby their capacity for contribution to society and their chosen fields."

The college has a nationally recognized Leadership Program. The Center for Women's Leadership provides structured leadership training for current students and women from the area, as well as high school students.

[edit] Student Life

[edit] Residential Life

Students generally represent 40 states and 15 different countries. Cottey students live in one of three campus halls with each having between 10 and 14 suites with several bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchenette arranged around a large living room. Living rooms are furnished with large couches, coffee table, study table, chairs and artwork. Student rooms have typical college furnishing. Suites have between 8 to 12 students.

[edit] Colors and Mascot

The official colors of Cottey are yellow and white. The first-year class chooses a mascot every year, while the senior class has the duck as a mascot. The daisy also plays an important role in traditions, Convocation and Commencement.

[edit] Traditions

Traditions have played an important role in Cottey residential life. With lack of other forms of entertainment, the women of Cottey College created and passed down many traditions, which are one of the distinguishing marks of the college today. Participation in traditions today is optional.

Until the 1960s, first-year students were known as juniors and second-year students as seniors. At that time, juniors became freshmen and seniors remained and classes are called among students fcc and CSC, respectively. Seniors have passed down denim jackets with ducks painted on the back for approximately 40 years; most traditions, however, remain surprises to the freshmen.

[edit] Founder's Day

Each year Cottey College hosts reunion of its classes on a weekend around the birthday of Virginia Alice Cottey in the end of March. The event is marked with many traditions, performances, a grand dinner and fireworks, and fundraising efforts. Old classmates often share their experiences and stories and have a great time searching for their passed-down "duck-jackets".

[edit] Sports

Cottey's sports teams are called the Comets and compete in intercollegiate basketball and volleyball. Currently, the swimming team,Swimmin' Women, competes largely as exhibition, since no other two-year colleges in the area have swimming programs. Cottey's teams compete in Region XVI of the National Junior College Athletic Association playing teams in their region, as well as teams from community colleges in eastern Kansas.

[edit] Student Organizations

Students have the opportunity to lead, begin, or learn in many areas. There are various organizations on campus with the opportunity for students to start their own, if their interests are not represented in one.

[edit] Senior Trip

Cottey provides students in their second year with an international experience. Students spend one week in a European city – London, Paris, and Madrid have been past destinations. Spring Break 2008 will be the school's first trip to Italy. The students will spend the first half of the week in Florence and the second half in Rome. The college covers flight costs, transportation costs within the city, lodging, tickets to shows, and a gala dinner. Students participate in planned educational modules led by faculty and staff that usually present part of the city's history or a hallmark in depth.